Dance Like No One is Watching

When I was younger I was really in to dance. I started taking ballet when I was four and took it until I graduated high school. Ballet, tap, jazz, pointe, lyrical - you name it, I danced it. In high school it seemed as though I danced five days a week on top of cheerleading, swimming and soccer. There is something to be said for keeping your body busy, but dancing always felt freeing in a way no other activity did. I've never been a big club type dancer but I think had I been born during the renaissance era I would have loved all the choreographed dances and balls.

I always wondered in dance class if you were supposed to "dance as if no one was watching" why were there so many damn mirrors! I find the same true for Zumba classes. The only exception to this happens to be the classes that takes place in the gym where there are no mirrors. Not surprisingly these are my favorite classes. Everyone who has ever took any type of dance class I'm sure will agree that you want to believe your body is moving just like you think it is and those darn mirrors are an ugly reminder that it isn't. In Zumba class I have found a way around this is to look at the instructor and convince myself that my body is indeed moving just like hers.

It's no wonder to me that I gravitated towards Zumba dance classes as not only a way to get back into shape but also as a way to free my mind from the pain I'm feeling. I have now officially become a Zumba junky. I go to absolutely ever class I can at the Y and have already been researching where I can go to class in Charlotte when I head back to work on Homeland. The thought of being limited to classes only on the weekends once I start back to work is disheartening. There is certainly some truth to the old adage "dance all your cares away." I definitely feel as though dancing is healing in a lot of ways. Of course I'm sure it has something to do with the endorphines released during the workout and all that, but I think there is more to it than just some hormones. Dance, like writing, is an expression of one's self - ergo, it too is therapeutic to me.

In addition to physically going to dance class, I have also been jonesing for my favorite dance show to air - So You Think You Can Dance. Fortunately for me, my Idol girls are also big fans of SYTYCD - or are at least willing to watch it. Watching dances can have the same emotional power as watching a movie. Well choreographed dances that are preformed by strong dancers suck you in and allow you to escape into their world for a few minutes. These dances always stick with me for years to come and several of them are dances I saw performed on SYTYCD. The long awaited premiere for the show was tonight and although it was only auditions, I saw some performances that were astonishing, and some that were rather comical. There was even a cute little girl in her ballet tutu that performed and while she was memorable, her mother who performed before her was even more so. But, the one I remember the most and the one that had the most emotional impact on me was this very bizarre looking guy who claimed to be able to take all your pain away through his dance. Well, I wouldn't say he took my pain away, but his dance style was truly unique and engaging.

What did take my cares away for a few hours tonight was not only the show and Zumba class, but my friends. Once again it was a great night of talking, eating and laughing. There was even some drinking and hula hooping involved and since we had the room, some dancing. While none of us were remotely as good as some of the dancers on SYTYCD, we tried to mimic some of them especially the beat boy dancer. It's great to have friends that you can be yourself around and "dance like no one is watching," even though they all are!