The Rhythm of Life

Gary and I had a very busy weekend; lots of dancing, of course, and we also spent some time with friends and family. Hey, we do have other interests. :)

One of the outings we took was to the annual Indian Market sponsored by the Eiteljorg Museum of American Indians and Western Art here in Indianapolis. It’s a neat museum; I believe the only one of its kind in the US. Every year they sponsor a celebration of Native American lore, music, and art.

So we went. It was hot. After a quick tour through the market, we settled into seats under a cooler tent. The first band took the stage, Blue Stone Project. I was intrigued; one band member warmed up a traditional flute, but I noted an electric guitar and drums. (Found out later all the musicians had played for years, the guitarist played with Iggy Pop and Patti Smith!) I started to get excited, because I love traditional music blended with modern instruments. I guess that’s not surprising; Gary and I are experimenters when it comes to mixing different dances together.

I sat on the edge of my seat as they launched into their first number. And I was not disappointed; the flute player wove a haunting melody over rock and roll style drumming; the guitar sneaking in behind with nice back beat that….wait…one two three ah four five ah six…you could do a slinky WCS to it!! Gary thought the same thing! We didn’t get up and dance, but we purchased the CD and will be at home.

On the way home I started thinking about music and dancing. Music goes deep into the soul; I truly think it’s part of our core being, and in fact, research has shown that you can “map” DNA into music notes. Check this out:

I never put dance into that universal category until I began dancing myself. Now I believe dancing is a physical way of expressing a connection to music. For me, it’s even MORE powerful than listening, because every part of your body is involved.

So there we were listening to what was probably a very old Native melody blended with a swingin’ WCS rhythm. And it mixed perfectly. Maybe that’s because dancing, like music, is such an ancient part of us. In the past, we may have danced for more practical things like a good crop or success in battle, but we also danced for enjoyment and connection to others. I think that feeling of connection is the most primal link we have with music and with dance, whether it is a connection to another person, to a group of people, or that sense of “otherness” you sometimes get when experiencing music and/or dance.

Check out this photo of my sister and her husband dancing. They are good dancers. But I have to admit that is not the main reason I love to see them dance. Anyone looking at this photo can see the love and connection they have with each other. I feel happy when I watch; for them, for my wonderful marriage, and for all the other couples on the dance floor.

Music and dance are universal. This is why Gary and I can mix latin and swing and it works. This is why a Native group can add modern rhythms to traditional melodies and it works. And that is why in an air conditioned, pole barn of a building, my sister and her husband can interpret the sounds they hear as an expression of love just like long ago couples did in a moonlit glade or an open plain. The rhythm of life is as old as time. The trappings may be modern. But dancing taps into something ancient…something we all share.
As our favorite DJ, Ron Fentz, says, “let’s dance.”

It Ain't All Spice...

I've been sitting here in my half-dark office listening to the remnants of Ike roar through Indiana and considering our dance habits of late. It seems to me that a certain routine has settled in on us. We go to the Starlight Ballroom most weekends - at least once, depending on if one of our clubs is having a dance. During the week we have our dance lesson and - again, depending on the clubs we belong to - we go to the 8 Seconds Saloon for a quiet couple of hours spent honing what we've learned. On occasion we go to the Indiana Roof Ballroom and some weekends we go t the Riolo - but that's catch as catch can. That's our usual - our comfortable routine.

I started off thinking maybe the whole routine was preparation for the long, Midwestern winter ahead - kind of ant-like buckling down and getting things in order. Then again, I thought it could just be what happens in your second year of dancing - with experience comes and understanding of the things you do and don't like. In the end I wasn't able to come up with any definitive answers - all I can say is it's comfortable routine and I'm okay with that.

Somebody once said that variety is the spice of life implying we all should get out and have new experiences - and there's some truth in the assertion. The thing is you can't live on spice alone. Think of it in food terms - how about a big dish of tarragon? Maybe toss in a bit of black pepper and some cloves for texture? Doesn't that sound yummy? How about indigestible? Every spice in the world is meant to accomplish one thing - to be an accent.

I love checking out a new venue and trying a new step. One of the reasons I wanted to learn to dance was because I wanted to see the great dancehalls and ballrooms of years gone by. The thing is to dance and dance well - you have to embrace the routine as much as the 'spicy bits' or you'll wind up witnessing all those great dance floors as a wallflower.

Routine is practice. It's getting out there and doing the basic rumba step over and over until you can incorporate Cuban hips and make it smooth. I'm in to swing - and I mean really in to it. Every time we go anywhere we hit every swing tune we've got the stamina to dance and we throw all the moves we know at those dances. But it's the routine that makes it look good. I can't say how many 'ballroom swingers' I've run into on the dance floor - you know the type? They're stiff as a starched shirt and look like they're more worried about only touching their dates with two fingers and keeping a fake smirk plastered on their inexpressive faces than actually FEELING the music. The thing is, swing isn't routine for them so it looks stilted and frankly, pretty silly - it's all spice.

So that's what I'm thinking on this less than routine day and I figured I'd murder a few syllables to express it. Now, back to daydreaming…

Friday Night Starlight

Friday night is the night for dancing. It’s been that way almost forever – even if most everyone has forgotten that fact. The classic scenario – get your paycheck, take a little money, dress up, go out with the one you love, and escape the world on the dance floor. It doesn’t matter if you like swing, salsa, waltzing, or the hustle – what does matter is there you are with someone you want to hold, moving to the music.

This Friday was practice night at the Starlight Ballroom. It’s a good venue; I think I’ve mentioned that they’ve got a wonderful floor. Fridays the dance instructors play DJ and the tune progression is a little predictable (kick it off with a EC triple swing and finish the night with a waltz) but the crowd is small, the pressure is low, and for ten bucks there you are on the floor enjoying the evening.

We went to Starlight with Elcira and Jenette, two dear friends who’ve had dance classes in the past and who are debating a return. I’m urging them to stop considering and start doing – nothing good comes of considering (well, at least not if you’re considering whether or not to do something you love), you just have to get up and dance and see where your feet take you.