Monday, January 17, 2011
10:18am
Just got back from teaching Zumba for the first time in five weeks. I was a little rusty, but overall I think it well. We did a new salsa to a Celia Cruz song, "La vida es un carnaval." That may well be my favorite salsa song of all time- hay, no hay que llorar, la vida es un carnaval y es más bello vivir cantando- Well, I think so. It's more beautiful to live singing, in my opinion, dancing as well. I am having serious dance withdrawal right now. It's really just... bizarre. I had too much fun on Saturday night at Tusca or something. Between alcohol and the music, I was damn near ecstatic. I think I even danced alone for about twenty minutes while Klunk was recovering her wits and energy. I just... did. not. care. And that's part of my whole do me/be me resolution, too. Because... who cares if people look at me like I'm insane? I probably am. I danced with several very, very good male leads. The party in Pittsburgh is smaller than the party in Morgantown, but the dancers there are overall better. There was one woman, I'd say in her fifties. She was effing amazing. I've never seen the likes except in Youtube videos. And she had this long, bright, blonde hair that she just let hang limp, so when she was dancing it spin out the top of her head in circles. Looked cool. I was seriously considering asking her to dance with me just to teach me something. She obviously knew how to lead as she was dancing with several women teaching them stuff. It was like my eyeballs were having epilepsy watching. The one guy I didn't talk to at all... his style was stiff and very much a game. It was fun once I figured that out. The thing about dancing and the power dynamic is that... it's not so much the guy is in control of you. It's like... you're trying to figure it out, and once you learn their rhythm, it's like, hah, see that? It's such a game. I danced with three older men as well. I know that creeps some people out, but I like it. The difference between young men dancers and older men dancers is that the older men have it figured it out. There's definitely no virility suggested in the turns, the way the younger men really almost jerk you about. But they have, by their age, realized how to lead a women with very calm subtleties. Then I danced with a Mexican guy. Then his friend came over, and we danced. He was Dominican, so I refused to speak any English so that I could practice. He was probably my favorite to dance with. He was excellent, and I definitely have respect for any dance partner who can take my gringa ass and actually make me dance. I had such a blast. I realized a little too late that I had spent about four hours dancing in my heels. As the alcohol wore off, I thought my bones might snap. But I smiled and embraced the ache as I saw it the sign of a good time.
It was really good to just get out of Morgantown and be among old friends. Certainly as Camp Tygart alumni we have a certain bond... I guess it's what some people may feel about their high school or college but I never did. It's that... they've also all had children on the side of a mountain and had to make it both safe and fun so that the kids never knew that safety was even an effort. They've all also watched kids' eyes light up when they stare at the fire or the stars on their trail. I think they all get what it means to be able to be a facilitator of putting kids in touch with Divinity and their own divinity in that way, in a way that lets them see and experience things that can't be explained. It has meant everything to me.
I made us spaghetti for dinner on Saturday night, and Catherine made an appetizer out of cucumbers, mozzarella, and tomatoes. We ate dinner with Jessica's roommates in their living room. It was really nice just to prepare a meal and have people to share it with.
Anyway, lots of work to get to. I'm definitely missing Pittsburgh. I miss Klunk, Jenny, and Catherine, and I miss dancing and eating spaghetti. I wish I could go out dancing every night. For me, there is nothing like it. And i know I sound half-nuts in my hyper-estimation of Dance. But... it's a connector for me. Every person can detect a beat because we all operate according to various rhythms even we aren't aware. And then the things that get put in music... it's so human- emotions like love, anger, regret... and a lot of culturally specific stuff. So when you're hearing that and you're among others and moving to it... well, I have always felt closer to God on a dance floor that's really hoppin' than I ever have in any church. There have been times I could almost fall down dead from joy just because of what I'm experiencing in those times. I want to go back!!!
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