Dancing is music in action, and even if you move like Elaine on “Seinfeld,” you should do it once a day.
My son used to dance when “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles” came on the television. As soon as he heard their opening song, he was in front of the television going to town. I would dance with him until we both yelled, “Heroes in a half-shell. TURTLE POWER!.”
I’ve written about dancing before, because I think it is the personification of absolute joy. And more importantly, I think it can create joy when we don’t feel it at all. And I noticed I don’t dance as much as I used to.
5 Reasons Dames Should Dance
1. We are the women of the seventies and eighties, the era of some of the worst dances ever created.
- If we can disco and do the Watusi and the Freak, then we can do anything and look good doing it.
2. We need to rediscover our joy.
- Sometimes twenty-five years of kids and/or jobs and/or spouses knocks the joy right out of us. We’ve given our joy to other people and forgot to ask them to return it. Joy isn’t going to come from thoughtful affirmations, joy must be reawakened in the body first. Exercise is not always joyful, even if its Zumba, because we’re breathing hard and holding onto breasts that are desperately reaching for the ground. Sports create competition, which provides joy only if you win. That leaves either having sex or dancing. You make the choice. I’m guess that 80% of us are going to be dancing.
3. Dancing makes embarassing moments manageable.
- You’re having one of those days where you’ve attended a meeting and noticed people staring at your eyes. You feel beautiful and remind yourself to buy more of that eye pencil you just purchased from Lancome. You get back to your home base and go into the bathroom. You have your glasses on, and notice a huge blob of mascara at the top of your eyelid that you didn’t notice earlier because you didn’t have your glasses on. Now, dance. Dance like the wind and let your mascara blob stay right where it is, because it doesn’t matter anymore.
4. Dancing keeps annoying people from bugging you.
- I have this UPS guy that comes into our office and proceeds to sweat profusely on my carpet while talking about the most vapid topics ever. The other day, I had my Pandora 70′s and 80′s station blaring and answered the door dancing. I kept dancing as I signed his little signature pad. He left immediately.
5. We deserve to dance.
- We have spent 25-35 years impacting the world, whether we worked at home or in the workforce. We have been teachers, nurses, mothers, friends, CEO’s, actors, politicians, cashiers, waitresses, radio DJ’s and presidents of countries. This world is a better place for having us in it. So, what the hell? We deserve a little celebration.
No Rules Dancing
As women we spend too much time asking for the “rules,” to be sure we’re doing things correctly. This does not apply to dancing.
Dance without worrying about what is shaking or is too big or is too small. Dance because you can. Take all of the hats you have worn in your life and toss them into the air, spin around, and rock it out.
Flowers dance, birds dance, kids dance, sunlight dances, moonlight dances, leaves on trees dance, and eyes dance.
It’s your turn, Dames. Dance. Sparkle. Shine. And know that you deserve it all.
I had to chuckle because misery loves company! I've been in a funk for days now. I call all these types of things "the mosquitos" of life. It's like one more thing and you're going to pull the trigger. What I hate and this seems to apply to m
Oh my gosh! I felt your inner pain ... and I apologize for the fact that when I got to the part about setting your hair on fire, I laughed. I'm so glad you weren't hurt, and hair grows back. Perhaps a new hair-do would not only rectify the situation 
There is no such thing as a legal separation in my state..The only way I can get husband out of the house is to force him out..He refuses to leave..I would have to file for divorce and get temporary orders including a restraining order..
I feel so
Omg! I love everything about this article! Part Ginger Rodgers, Doris Day, and Erma Bombeck! Haha so cool!
Dear SapphireSky: I’m putting your comment on my wall to inspire me. The ultimate trifecta
. Thanks so much for your encouraging comment, and glad you loved it. I bet your dance a lot.
I totally agree with you on this one. I separated from my spouse of 29 years early this year and moved out in May. Bought myself a small fixer upper bungalow, did everything right in this bungalow. My 23 year old daughter lives in the basement apartment and I thank God for her wanting to live with me instead of her dad.
When I am home alone, I crank up the music and I dance. I just let loose and dance. It just makes me feel so good. I want to take ballroom, latin dance lessons in the fall. I sing and I dance and it is ever so therapeutic for a broken heart.
I just loved the song “I will survive” -
Dear NanaP: Thank you so much for sharing – most of us have been through this same situation and can totally appreciate both your pain and you courage to deal with it by dancing. “I Will Survive” has been a gift to many of us. I remember a friend of mine, shortly after her husband left her, getting up at a wedding where this was played and dancing her heart out. It was so powerful that we all just let her dance and gave her a standing ovation when it was over. I now give you the same standing ovation. Keep Dancing!!
I was born with a love of dance and I still perform (ballet) and whenever I get the chance. My true self….is a dancer. My facebook photo is of me in a white dress after my dance performance. I dance at home all over the house to my Sirius radio. I am a free-spirit, so it all fits, LOL
Alicia – I think dancers are the ultimate artists, whether they perform for large groups or simply dance for themselves. You all realized before the rest of us that channeling music is like channeling a language we all understand. I always thought the scene in “Close Encounters of the Third Kind” where we communicated with aliens through music was so appropriate. Thank you for sharing, and I’m so glad your spirit is free
.
My family believed that dancing was sinful so I wasn’t allowed to go to dances in high school (and when you live in a small town – and can’t go to movies either – it pretty much means you don’t date…). By the time I left home and *could* dance, I felt too awkward so I didn’t. Fast forward though a bad marriage, single parenthood, and the empty nest. At 55, I went to Spain to volunteer at an English school. One magical night, I danced barefoot in spilled sangria to ‘I Will Survive’, finally allowing myself to be filled with the joy of dancing, the joy of being alive. (I think we ALL owe a debt of gratitude to that song!) THANKS FOR THE WONDERFUL ARTICLE!!!
Sheila: What a wonderful, inspiring story. It gave me chills. I was a Baptist minister’s daughter who grew up in churches with people who thought dancing was a sin. Luckily, my dad didn’t. He played jazz on the piano, my brother played drums, and my mom jitterbugged all over our house. I’m so glad you got the chance to dance. I hope you haven’t stopped!
Thanks Donnah22! I grew up Nazarene – they thought the Baptists were going to h*ll because they weren’t strict enough…! You were so lucky that your family loved music! I still struggle with expressing myself dancing – I’ve realized that change is an on-going process, not necessarily a conversion experience. But I’ve not given up. Thanks – your words meant a lot!
Recently (this week!) started a Zumba class…..I just really don’t care what the 20+something age group thinks of my old (63 y/o) butt looks like shaking….I am having a great time. Lordy, I wonder what I will think if they start to “point and giggle”…guess I will just shake it more. I love to dance and hope someday to finally find a man that will take me out dancing.
creekmary: Good for you – shake that thing and enjoy yourself!! Dancing is all about the joy. I love to watch people’s faces as they dance. My husband looks like he’s in pain, but I know he’s having fun on the inside
. Thanks so much for sharing . . . and you will find that man who will take you out dancing!! And he will be one lucky man.
donnah22: My grand daughter loves to dance ever since she was able to sit up on her own. She would bob and giggle to any kind of music. Now that she is walking, she still loves to shake and stomp and giggle. I watch her and this is what dancing is all about. To be able to dance without any inhibitions, who cares at our age if we have 2 left feet. As long as we can still shake and boogie, we are very much alive!! When I took ballroom dancing with my ex, his put down was that I was too short to be a good partner. Taking dance lessons were stressful and not fun with him. It was awful. Well, I have to giggle now cos he is dating someone who is at least 2-3 inches shorter than me. Go figure! I did a Zumba class recently but I found that it was hard on my knees. I love to watch older couples that can really dance. They move together effortless as one.
NanaP: You bring up a great point — I think we should all dance with potential future partners and see how it feels. If it’s awkward, we should let ‘em go
. I wish I’d thought of this with my first husband.
That’s is, isn’t it? Kids love to dance because it’s all about the joy to them. We have to ‘learn’ to be inhibited and worry what others might think!
A couple of years ago I took a Texas two-step class for rank beginners and – as usual – more women than men were there. I ended up with a guy who kept telling me how much I was doing wrong. (He obviously *wasn’t* a beginner.) Totally quashed me! Later I danced with someone else and it felt lovely – I didn’t feel awkward or clumsy and I didn’t step all over his toes or anythin’! I was probably dancing just the same both times – it was the partner who changed and that affected me.
RE: Ex-hubby who blamed you for being too short. Perhaps the problem was that he was too tall! =]
Dance. Such a simple word. It has a mighty power when you use it. To bring joy, sorrow, renew life, change you in ways you never thought possible. I have danced for as long a I can remember. First simply in my back yard as a child to music only I could hear. Then when I entered college, as a way to get out of sports p,e. classes and it freed my very soul.
I have danced even when society told me I was too big, never letting it stop me from my joy in dance. Later in my journey, I began to teach dancing, to share my love of dance and have touched so many women who were pushed down, belittled, hurt and needing, that it brings tears my eyes to think about them. Dance saved me when my life got so hurtful that I could barely breath. Dance has brought me back to life by breathing life into my tormented and abused soul each and every time I have needed reviving. My body will always need dance. I know it will change as I grow older but I will always dance. In the classroom, in performance, in a nightclub or wedding, and around a bonfire to mystic drumming.
I am one with God and Earth when I dance. And I am so very grateful that dance found me and stays by my side in light and darkness.
Never stop dancing. Never let anyone tell you your to old, short, big, tall or uncoordinated to dance. They are simply jealous of your inner freedom!
Dance, dance, dance!
I am so grateful for having discovered the joy of dancing in my early fifty’s. I am 63 now and I am probably the oldest student in my Salsa class. I think dance is ageless and I will be dancing till the last moment of my life.
Elisa: I agree with you – dancing is ageless. It’s the one thing we all do naturally, no matter what language we speak, how old we are, or what our physical abilities or disabilities. Thank you — and you have the youngest spirit in your Salsa class.
I dance all day at home, instead of the TV on I play music and can’t help but move to the tunes. When my husband comes home we end up doing goofy dances together and laughing. It’s just unfortunate that my singing voice attracts all the alley cats…..
http://www.Ljsdistraction.com
flwrchyk: Thanks for your response . . . and there is no goofy dancing!! Is that site your jewelry site? Beautiful pieces!!
Thank you! Dancing is also good for shaking loose a little inspiration