Today's Quote

Briefly back, and currently loving this poem by St. Augustine. Pretty smart dude.

I praise the dance, 
for it frees people from the heaviness of matter 
and binds the isolated to community. 

I praise the dance, 
which demands everything: 
health and a clear spirit and a buoyant soul. 

Dance is a transformation of space, of time, of people, 
who are in constant danger of becoming all brain, 
will, or feeling. 

Dancing demands a whole person, 
one who is firmly anchored in the center of his life, 
who is not obsessed by lust for people and things 
and the demon of isolation in his own ego. 

Dancing demands a freed person, 
one who vibrates with the equipoise of all his powers. 

I praise the dance. 
O man, learn to dance, 
or else the angels in heaven will not know 
what to do with you.

Regular posting to return in August. Probably.  :)

Normal Days

Last night, I attended a touring production of Next to Normal, the musical currently at number one on my list of new favorites. I won't pretend it's a happy show -- it's not -- but neither does it take the easy route by ending in despair. Without spoilers, the last song is called "Light," and it's appropriate.

I've listened to the soundtrack a dozen times, but seeing it live was incredibly moving, in large part thanks to Emma Hunton. She has a beautiful voice, but she also immersed herself in the character of Natalie, bringing to life the mother-daughter relationship.

Here she is singing an original piece:

Listen to the score. It's worth 2.5 hours. Then go see it on tour (there's still Toronto!).

...the price of love is loss,
but still we pay;
we love anyway...

Stress Craving (2)

...and also waltzing.

...times a million.

:-D

If It Ain't Got that Swing

May 26 is the birthday of Frankie Manning, a legendary Lindy hop dancer known as the Ambassador of Swing. Among other accomplishments, he pioneered aerial moves in the 1930s. Manning died in 2009, a month before his 95th birthday.

Check out this tribute video to one of his greatest routines, from the 1941 film Hellzapoppin. Features original footage spliced in with a 2009 re-creation of the choreography. Brilliant.

Also see this tribute video of Manning's signature dance, the Shim-Sham, as performed across the decades by my local swing dance community.

It don't mean a thing if it ain't got that swing!

Two Things I Like

1. Sunshine

2. Awesome aerials

Pas de Deux - Tres Bien Fait

This is a clip from Swan Lake, Chinese ballet: wow. Just wow.

I am easily amazed, but still.

Especially see the pas de deux, starting at about 2:30. (It loads slowly, so you may need to give it a minute).

Click here to watch the video on full screen if the embedded one doesn't work.

Dancing = Exercise

To anyone who ever thought dancing was easy and couldn't be exercise?  Watch and weep... Made me tired just watching it.

Crazy Dance Video

In a word: trust. 

In another word: ouch.

In another word #2: wow.

Crashing Parties, Crushing Pedestals

I love random and awkward life lessons.

One of my friends, who shares my love of dancing, recently heard about a dance that was much closer to home than weekend dances tend to be. When she arrived, she was surprised to find that the boy at the door was not charging an admission fee. 

Once inside, she noticed that the decorations were homemade and personalized. And that 90% of the dancers were in high school or younger. And that an entourage of mothers was setting out snacks. And that people were talking about "being invited," not "deciding to come."

It took only a few more minutes for my friend to realize that the event was, in fact, a private party. After reflecting on the embarrassment she must have felt, enhanced by the fact that many of the people at the party knew her family, I started thinking.

Mark Twain once said, "Man is the only animal that blushes - or needs to." 

Don't get me wrong, I don't think the concept of shame is inherently bad; however, when imperfection is only permissable in private, we have a problem.

Sometimes it's easier to recover from embarrassment and guilt when we are surrounded by strangers. Why? Shouldn't shared experiences bring people closer, give them greater empathy? Maybe. But like many people, I hate showing weakness in front of people I know. Why blog (see this post) or spill to strangers on airplanes? The impression of simultaneous intimacy and distance is attractive to us, especially when we feel vulnerable or inferior.

Perpetual weakness, or even the appearance of it, is no fun. Just ask someone with idiopathic craniofacial erythema. But avoiding vulnerability is not the answer. There is a place for showing the people who know us that we too are flawed. After all, without gaffes, bad hair days, and tongue-tied moments, human relationships would have much higher pressure, very little honesty, and much less healthy laughter. 

Even if that means crashing a few high school dance parties in the process.

Postscript: I also love pretending that the awkward life lessons that I stumble into happened to someone else. But in light of the still-wet paint of the second-hand New Years' resolutions I have inhaled, I have to admit that I was a participant in the above-mentioned gaffe. *Cue blushing.* So now you know. Hate to burst your bubble, but I'm not perfect either. :-)

No explanation needed...

This really says it all...


more animals

The mystery of contra dancers

As I have for the last month and a half, I went contra dancing yesterday. I was faced with a question that has puzzled my mind since the first time I went, back in December:

Why are contra dancers so happy?

I sat out one dance, and the girl sitting beside me started talking. She had come with a summer school class and thought it was a great place to have fun and meet a lot of people.

I was in "hands four" with another new dancer when she remarked, "This is the most welcoming group of people I have ever met." I had to agree.

Another man I danced with told me that his partner had recently dubbed him "the happiest person in the room," but that he was passing the title on to me. For those of you who know me - somewhat a pessimist and not too quick to show emotion - his comment sounds a little bizarre.

I have been to quite a few different dance communities in the last four years. Some are reserved, some elegant, some enthusiastic, some relaxed. Although I have been welcomed at all, and have come to feel accepted, it took time. Not so here.

It could be true simply of my particular contra group. But I have been to another group once, and the same thing was true. All across the Internet are stories like mine. This blog post expresses the same.

But why? Does contra dancing attract cheerful people, or does it make them? I would say the latter. Here are a few thoughts on why:

1. You don't need a partner. It is expected that you change partners every dance, so even if you sit out one dance, you are almost certain to dance the next.

2. You have to make eye contact in order to keep from getting dizzy. After staring at a perfect stranger halfway down the hall, it's hard not to laugh at your own awkwardness.

3. Everyone is equal on the dance floor. Some people add more fancy spins or an extra strut, but you're all following the same steps. There are no star performers.

4. Everyone makes mistakes. Even the caller sometimes skips a measure, and bumping into people or missing a turn on a "hey for four" is just an excuse for a good laugh.

5. You will sweat, and it's okay; no one cares, because they're sweating too.

6. Every generation is represented. Older folks show the younger ones, parents bring their little children, college and high school students come en masse.

7. Groups are dissolved. There is no room or time for cliques. Someone will bump into you during an enthusiastic swing, and the group will be no more - they'll probably all be dancing in different parts of the room.

8. Goofiness is totally acceptable - the more the merrier. Showing off is not competition, it's a chance to watch someone else collide with the caller and ruefully settle to a quieter pace.

9. The music is foot-tapping, swirl-your-skirts fun, and usually live.

10. And overall, there is a general lack of taking oneself seriously. See this introduction to contra dance for a good example of the tone.

Addicting? Smile-producing? Yes. Find your own. Or come to mine!

Dancing through life

When I think of the word joy, I inevitably think of dancing. After four years of ballroom and swing dancing during college, I am firmly enmeshed in addiction to dance.

One of the great reliefs of my summer has been the chance to go contra dancing once a week. It's not the same rush as ballroom or swing, but it is still a lot of fun.

Last week, when I first arrived and was waiting to pay, the lady behind the table asked if I was "a student or a person." Apparently, as I was glad to discover, graduation has the benefit of turning you into a real person. Yay!

Contra dancing is similar to line or square dancing, and it is also somewhat like old-fashioned partner dances. There is a caller, and with a partner, you move up and down a line of dance repeating the same pattern of turns, steps, and spins.

Dancing can teach you a lot about courtesy and human relationships, I'm discovering.

When you are dancing with someone, it is rude to be watching someone else dance. If you have accepted the invitation to dance, it is polite to be present with your partner during the dance.

There is a certain distance that is appropriate for each type of dance. Accepting fault is polite, and thanks are always in order when the music fades. Smiling does wonders for making your partner feel comfortable, and it is important not to take yourself--or the dance--too seriously.

I think every relationship would be better for a beautiful waltz or two. Just try not to smile while you sweep around the floor. I bet you can't do it. And why would you want to?

If only all relationships were that simple, self-contained, and magical.