A Love Affair With Dance...

In the Saturday, May 9, 2020, World Line Dance Newsletter, a story was shared... and I asked for (and received) permission to pass it along to you.

The story begins....

“I believe that most of us have a distinct memory of our love affair with Line Dance. 

 “I do not use the term love affair lightly.

“When I fell in love with line dance, it was EXACTLY like falling in love.  That feeling that just cannot really be stopped and can barely be described.  It was a long time ago when the US went ape $h!t over country music and line dancing all in the same year. Achy Breaky, Boot Scootin' Boogie, No One Else On Earth, Don't Let Your Love Start Slippin' Away, Shake The Sugar Tree.... also know as 1992.  I had a busy, lucrative career and completely ignored it from Wednesday to Friday night.  If a client made me work on Friday night.....I was not a happy camper. 

“If I arrived at the club on Friday night later than 6:45, there was not a table to plant my stuff...didn't really need to sit much, but the stuff needed a place. I was amazed that I was allowed to join this world of a big family of people dancing and enjoying this great music.

“It was a big club, too..... with an 1800 Sq Ft dance floor....perfectly square(you do not see that very often). I refused to go on Saturdays because the couples made me crazy. I used to dance on the very corner of the line dance group to guard people from the couples.....I would tell them that I could make it look like an accident.  Ha! Friday night was IT at the home club.   The floor was tile for 2 years until it was updated to wood.  I can remember waking up with my feet tingling for all the stomping and non stop dancing. I can remember telling myself to relish every minute of this because it brought me such joy. The place was only 6 minutes from my house for crying out loud. I can remember that some dances felt funny in different places in the music....like... well ..like you had to force yourself to do it. 

“Saturdays were reserved for a group that kind of formed to traipse all over the midwest to find other clubs in which to dance.  We went miles and miles to do this.  We had bus trips to do this.

“I even told my husband I had fallen in love with it. 

“I could not think about much else.  On Wednesday afternoon I would visit one of the many country western stores to get a new shirt or a belt or something for Friday night. 

“On Friday I would leave the office by 3 to go home and iron(THINK ABOUT IT...I IRONED!!!) my shirt AND the WRANGLERS, sponge off my hat, decide which bling to add to the entire outfit and wait impatiently for 6:15... then  beat feet out the door.

“I spent tons of money on Wranglers( because a guy at the club scolded me for not having any ) Stetsons, Acme Boots[they fit me best], accessory jewelry. Even now I still visualize any clothing purchase as 'how will this look on the dance floor'.

“I attended classes 3 nights a week ...practiced dances at home while my hair dried before going to the office every morning.....slept less to dance more at home.

“I became best dance buddies with my instructor and others from the club who were equally addicted.

“This euphoria went on for 4 years until.....wait for it....

“I attended my first EVENT!!!  Back then it was UCWDC events only.....they didn't care for us much, (in my opinion). Us being social, addicted, line dancers. When the Line Dance Events became the thing.....we had it.  COMPLETE  'I want a new Drug' territory.

“I think I danced at events for maybe 10ish years without my butt hitting the chairs very much at all.  It was a good run. 

“The dances!!!!  The instructors!!!!! The not eating so I would not miss anything!!!!!  The massive ballrooms with floating hardwood floors. 

The adrenaline of preparing for an event, being at an event and relishing an event is the dragon I chase today...even as it is in my home office with a mirror on the back wall and a set of new speakers.

“You can't learn and know them all.....unless you are Jessie Chan.”

She goes on to describe what it’s been like participating in the online dance events and online classes, the ability to support the LDF, and accessing the saved videos later ending with...

“We all do what we can, but one thing is for sure....you cannot stop creativity with a mere deadly virus. 

“I wonder how all this is going to change the relationships we have when we are able to safely see each other again. I feel like there will be more classic songs that will not have to wait until after midnight to be played. I feel like people will stay in the ballroom longer for awhile after we get going again. 

“I hope we can all find one new person to get hooked on events whenever that is.....”

I could relate to her story so much! I just had to share with you! Have a great day and remember to enjoy YOUR story!