- Details
- Category: Current Issue
Because I Had To … Dance?
I love to dance. Always have. Always will. I can still remember the excitement I felt when going to my middle and high school dances. Of course, as a (pre) teen, I was excited about the possibilities of what boy would or wouldn’t ask me to dance. But I was also equally, if not more excited about the fact that I would be able to ‘get my groove on’ with my friends. I practiced my moves at home perfecting my moonwalk and strobe-light robot. I considered whether it was more fashionable to shake my hips or my shoulders. When a rock song was played, I wondered if I should consistently jump up and down or just move my head. Some songs provided an opportunity for combining all my dance steps and moves. These were my favorites.
Fast forward to my young adult years and weddings were a fairly consistent event. My dancing improved and my confidence grew. I was by no means a professional, but I could certainly hold my own on a dance floor.
But, as is often the case, my dancing opportunities started to dwindle. I had young children and business responsibilities that rendered me too busy for frivolities like dancing. Most of my friends and family members were in similar life positions and social opportunities for dancing, like a wedding, were far and few between. In almost a two-decade span of time, my dancing days were about as rare as a blizzard. But my love for dancing never stopped. And when I could… I would!
Recently, I have been fortunate to be able to attend several free concerts very near to where I live in the city. Sometimes, there are even two to three concerts in one weekend. I am loving it. And regardless of whether the band is my preferred style of music, I dance anyway. But this form of dancing is not at all like how I danced when I was at my high school dance. Rather, my dancing is more of a move in place type of expression. I feel happy and as I listen to the music, my happiness translates into moving my feet or arms or hips so as not to disturb those that are near me.
Although I recognize that my dance moves are now significantly tamed down in accordance with my age and music intake, I still get that dance rush. And I am not alone. There are others, like me, who give in to their desire to move along with the rhythm. But most, do not. And I have no idea why. Perhaps they are not enjoying the music or do not like to dance. Or perhaps they do like to dance but worry about how they will look to others. I say, worry not! When you feel joy and dance, others can see your joy. Others can feel your joy. And that is all they see and feel. So, get your groove on and at a minimum…
Sway! Sway!
Kathy Naumann, possessor of NATURALLY curly hair and the understanding that you can’t control everything!
.