Embellishments

I love to dance. Specifically, Country-Western. Mostly, Two-Step. And, Line-Dance.

The allure of line-dance is doing the same movement within a group. There is something uniquely profound in moving your body in sync with many other people. You see how their bodies move, and, in return, you learn something about your own.

Traditionally, it is expected and appreciated for everyone to do the movement in unison, with as few mistakes, and embellishments as possible. It truly is enough just to do the choreography with other people, sharing that dance together.

My favorite line dance is "Say Hey." If the dance-floor is my church, then "Say Hey," is getting chosen to be saved, baptized, and reborn again, all in about 3 minutes. And that's what happened one night when the spirit or endorphins were flowing; I found the dance.

I hadn't done any Afro-Haitian dance since college, but suddenly, the back undulations, the open arms and stomping legs returned. You could say, I was in the moment, like an actor who makes a choice instinctively. Suddenly, there was something inside myself that desperately needed out. Don't get me wrong, I was still doing the choreography, just wildly so.

It was as close to a spiritual experience as I can attest. When the song comes on again, I can hope for another re-birthing, but I'm happy just finding what the dance is that night. Sometimes it's remembering the first time, sometimes it's finding something new, sometimes it's just about sharing it with others.

Another line dance, Texas Tango, was choreographed by Susanna Stein. She is one of the founders of the Big Apple Ranch. It's a beautiful dance set to "Music on the Wind" by Suzy Bogguss, which has a unique 5/4 time signature.

Last night they played Texas Tango, and I found myself dancing next to Susanna. I thought, "Wow, how often do you get to do a line dance right next to the person who choreographed it?"

Normally, I like finding little things I can add to a dance to make it my own. This time, I chose to hold back and honor the choreography. I enjoyed it just as much, simply sharing the dance with those around me.