That Golden Feeling

I’ve been thinking about the 1920’s lately. I think I’ve mentioned it’s one of my interests, probably the one that was most responsible for my wanting to learn to dance (even though most of the dances we’re learning came a lot later). This time, though, it wasn’t the usual mulling over or listening to music that brought me to think about the era.

Wednesday was our usual dance class, back in the safe confines of Dance Masters in Southport with our own instructor and without two dozen collage students competing for the attentions of the instructor (and the girl across the room). I started to think about how Dance Masters has become sort of our safe zone, a place that feels golden and good and where nothing too rotten seems to happen (if you discount my stepping on poor Kelly’s feet). Thinking about this situation made me wonder if the folks back in the 20’s felt that way about the entire era – if they felt that nothing could go wrong, like they were living a charmed existence fueled by Champaign and jazz. In 1929, when Eddie Cantor sang ‘Making Whoopee’ he hardly could have predicted that a year later there would be bread lines, a stock market crash, and the world would begin its plunge into the depths of the Great Depression.

Dancing in the studio sorta’ reminds me of April of 1929. The daffodils are blooming, the weather is warming, and the storm clouds are safely on the other side of the horizon where you can’t worry about them. Once you leave the studio you’re batted about by ill mannered dancers who don’t know how to share the floor, poor instructors who don’t know how to teach the steps, and bad bands that can’t keep a beat. It can be depressing! But it makes you appreciate the good things you have. So kudos Mark and Melissa – let the good times roll.