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September 27, 2005
Dance till I Think I Can Overcome
I have wanted to dance since a very young age. Unfortunately, I was blessed with two characteristics that directly contradict with such yearning: clumsiness and extreme self-consciousness, which led to the end of my short stint in ballet class at the age of seven, though I suspect that my true motivations lay in the acquisition of a leotard and pink tights.
All types of dance enthrall me, mainly because I cannot fathom how people move their bodies so fluidly, so powerfully, and so seemingly unconsciously, to music. I have never been able to leave the present when attempting to dance. In middle school, I was the kid who either stood on the outskirts of the crowd or against the wall, making fun of the activity because I could not, no matter how hard I tried, shed my fears of what others thought. To this day, it is incredibly hard for me to just stop caring, to realize that no one is looking, and to just have a good time.
Sometimes there are moments when you watch someone enjoy themselves so wholly, so entirely that their entire body radiates joy. At the Atlantic Antic this Sunday, Alexis and I witnessed such rapture in the form of two older women. They danced with every iota of their souls, moving to some sort of samba, grinning, and most of all, not caring. It melted my heart. It made me yearn. Most of all, it reminded me of the moment I knew that I wanted to spend the rest of my life with Lex.
It was the first time in my life where I danced for hours without a care in the world. The only thing that mattered was my partner, the movement between us, and the happiness that I felt. Who knew that such an easy letting down of guard could determine a lifetime? Perhaps that simplicity is why life is so sweet.
* Note: But what is not simple is finding a DJ for our wedding. Any suggestions? Our only requirement is that the DJ not speak.
Posted by callalillie at September 27, 2005 7:06 AM | Introspect , Wedding
i've seen a ton of people dance this year (stupid weddings) and one big reason i don't dance is that i don't want to look like them.
so what were you two dancing to? hip-hop? death metal? some happy medium in the middle?
oh, and you could always be your own dj. set up some stuff on itunes and press play. i was the one responsible for pressing play at my friend's wedding.
Posted by: tien at September 27, 2005 10:49 AM
i guess the point is to have fun and not care what you look like...
i don't think we can handle an ipod wedding. neither of us wants to care about it...and we don't want to inflict the duty on someone else. plus, our friends might be too drunk.
Posted by: corie at September 27, 2005 11:01 AM
I think what's lovely is your continued inclination to embrace joyful things. I think everyone who knows you well, or has even read your blog for a while has witnessed your transition from cynical to open and less selfconsious. I hope you continue to explore all things the inner adolescent in you would frown upon. Believe it or not, the more you do something the better you get at it, so don't be deceived that all who seem do dance well seem to born doing it. Likely, they may have been born less selfconsious about dancing and made a fool of themselves unknowlingly for a while until they found their groove (like me). :) Happy Dancing--can't wait to join you at your wedding, or for some practicing when I'm in town before then.
Posted by: kar at September 27, 2005 12:37 PM
PS
My DJ was great--he really just did what we asked--no more, no less. We didn't mind that he wanted to do a little interactive stuff, but he would have nixed it if we contracted him to do so. He followed our "don'ts" to the T and yet seemed to go with the flow. Whoever you pick, just make sure you feel like they are working with you like he did with us. It's your wedding--if you say, "say nothing but the announcements", no props or chicken dance, a good DJ will do what he's paid to do--give you the experience you want.
Posted by: kar at September 27, 2005 12:41 PM
I came across a DJ on-line called Starry Night...ONLY does music! Check it out
Posted by: nancy at September 27, 2005 2:12 PM
We want a silent DJ as well at our wedding so we're opting for programming all the music we want (various playlists in case things don't get pumped up) on to the computer and hooking it up to a sound system. A friend of mine will make "annoucements" as necessary (first dance, etc) but that's it.
Posted by: carrster at September 27, 2005 9:43 PM
i'm all about the itunes/computer hook-up that people are describing. we were just married in July and i programmed all the music - it was a long task but fun and the music was exactly what i wanted to hear and judging by the amount of dancing going on - what everyone else wanted to hear. i can email you my playlist if you'd like, just for an idea (you probably have better taste than i). it'll save you money for sure! i also had songs on the sidebar, just in case--- you know, Thunderstruck if the mood was right.
Also - about the dancing - a word of advice, practice your first dance, especially if you feel self-conscious in front of others. we didn't practice because i thought it would be a breeze - but it felt so awkward and the song seemed to go on FOREVER. i kept beckoning people to join in but they all stood aside and i was bossing my husband around because i didn't want us to look like amateurs (do something! dip me! twirl me!). in the end we were dancing too fast and were probably pretty boring too watch. not very romantic, but i don't care because it is over and once everyone joined in it was a PARTY!
Posted by: leah at October 3, 2005 11:28 AM
woops. sorry about that. just realized you had already said you don't want an ipod wedding. missed that comment! anyway, i look forward to hearing how it all goes!
Posted by: leah at October 3, 2005 11:33 AM
