I've always envied people who can dance. I'm not a complete klutz. When I was younger we used to do line-dancing (not the country western kind... it didn't exist around here then) on the beach. Sunset would come, we'd play oldies, and do stuff like the hully gully (ask your grandparents) or the stroll in tide-pools. Barefoot, ankle deep in water, we had a blast with a boombox blaring out old stuff from the fifties. Later it was The Electric Slide and The Montego. Yep. I'm old.
But when I said dance... I don't mean the generic shaking of booty that pretty much everybody can do, if not particularly well. I mean D A N C E.
I can dance-- held in the arms of a man, swirling to music on a hardwood floor-- with a total of two people on earth. Ahmed is one, and the second is one of our oldest friends. He's an amazing dancer and I've known him so long he's like my brother. So I trust him. And dancing, for real, is all about trust.
I don't like being pushed around, and that includes on the dance floor. Ahmed can take me in his arms, hold my gaze, and steer me. I trust him. I know he won't drop me, stomp on me, or steer me wrong.
I guess that's why I love to read a historical romance with two lovers dancing in one another's arms. Or why I love ballroom dancing on PBS. It's about two people trusting one another without any hesitation. Hesitation kills the dance.
I admire anyone who does it beautifully. Like these two. ENJOY:
ADDED: Need a reason to dance? Our own Gwen Hayes won first place in Paranormal Category of the Marlene Contest!!
Hotrod and I have talked about taking ballroom dance lessons. Haven't yet, but we think about it occasionally. It's so graceful!
ReplyDeleteI am a klutz--but I would love to dance like that.
ReplyDeleteI love to dance- I can polka like a Mo-Fo!
ReplyDeleteThe Big Guy, being a rock star is usually playing and not dancing with me.
We took swing dancing classes for a few months, it was big fun!
we're simply too busy to do dance lessons together, although dh actually agreed to. he gets home too late from work. in the summer, i drag him to the open nights of swing or folk dancing. i think folk is my fav: contra, line, square, it's a blast.
ReplyDeletefor me the freakiest thing is walking up to a strange person (not always a guy) and within a matter of seconds, working out how you'll partner. cause in folk, you're constantly passing partners. will this guy grab me and swing wildly? you gotta watch out for the small ones. they can really hurl you. and the big ones can step on your feet. some direct me with a hand at my hips, or in the middle of my shoulder blades, or barely touch me with their surrounding arm, and just use our off-hand to push/pull/guide. my brain always feels as alive as my body when i'm dancing with strangers, and laughing and sweaty, and bouncing to live music and suffering .25 lemonade dixie cups.
That does sound real nice, but me and hubby both have two left feet.
ReplyDeleteJanice~
I'd love to dance like that too...I'm so clumsy though. haha
ReplyDeleteCongrats to Gwen!!!
Congrats to Gwen!
ReplyDeleteI dance, but then I think you already knew that. I used to be in a pre-professional company when I was younger, and then in college I was on the ballroom dance team.
These days, I take a weekly ballet class, a monthly theatre jazz class, the occasional flamenco workshop, and a weekly 18th century English country dancing class.
I do that last one with Mr. Brice, because we started at the same time. He won't do ballroom with me, because I'm much better than him, but we're equally clueless in ECD. Of course, I pick it up much quicker than he does, but don't tell him.