dance, dance, dance

I just realized the other day that there has been a reoccurring theme in our lives this month--dance.

A couple weeks ago, one of my dearest friends, Nina, invited me to her bellydancing recital (I bet you've never been to one of those before). Nina and several of her friends decided to take lessons after going to a Persian wedding together and later realized it was a great work out. Nina was fantastic (as you can clearly see) and the whole event was such a great time. But the one thing that really intrigued me was the way the small children who were present could hardly contain themselves--they had to just get up and dance too.

Nina also explained to me that in the Persian culture, anytime families would congregate, they would dance together (even when several of them were just getting together for dinner). How cool is that?

The week after that, we took the whole family to Disneyland. Before we went, I told the girls' boyfriends that I would pay for their way if they would learn how to dance (trying to hide my culture-envy of the Persians). We rented videos on how to swing dance, and all had the best intentions but we never actually learned how. Although once we got to the dance pavillion at Disneyland and saw all the different people out having a good time, lessons didn't matter. It was amazing to watch these old couples in their 70s, a mother and her teenage son, and even a guy in a wheelchair out dancing--not caring who was watching. Their carefree attitudes were contagious and we had to jump in (even though we were terrible at it). It was a fabulous time.

Then when we got home, I found this video that an old friend of mine left on my Facebook wall. It made me realize that dancing is such a great connection we share as human beings. No matter where we are, or what our culture, we all love to bust a move.



And then a couple days ago, I reconnected with one of my old students (who I hadn't talked to in years). Which reminded me of the card they gave me when they left college (probably one of the best cards I have ever recieved). The more I think about it, I realize this is true: "those who hear not the music, think the dancers mad."