"i like have many friends because the colombian person we
exelents friends and sweet with the womens"
YES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Possibly my favorite quote of life.
2. I got a great email from my childhood best bud & long time friend Jessie talking about Latin rhythm & her experiences in Zumba classes. It is an interesting idea, that people could possibly have a talent based on where they were born, but I truly believe that Latin Americans are born with rhythm. Dance has been such a cultural experience for me here in Colombia. Every social event that I have been to has involved dance, but not the kind of dance we do in the US when we go to clubs - no bouncing while maintaining stationary feet, no head nods, and rarely any of the oh-so-infamous 'grinding' of my generation. Instead, no matter what the music is, there are couples dancing steps that actually have a pattern, a reason. I have been asked to dance every single time there has been dancing, and every time I have said no. It is not that I don't want to dance, but I realized the first time around that I literally have never danced with someone, unless of course you count the stationary sway of East Ridge Middle School dances.
I also spoke with a dear friend from Kashmir yesterday on skype, and I told him of my humiliation around the fact that I do not know how to dance here, and he told me a story of a Fulbright event that he worked on, and when the party finally started, no one was dancing, despite the DJ and dance floor they had set up. Fayaz decided to dance, to break the ice for the foreigners that seemed apprehensive to dance with a crowd of local spectators staring. His attempts to break the ice worked, and he was soon joined by a bunch of Americans on the dance floor. After a while he went to the bathroom, and en route was stopped by an American friend, who couldn't get over Fayaz's approach: "You dance to dance! It is so great. We usually dance to get lucky..." How sad but, maybe, true. I only know one American who "dances to dance" on a regular basis, and that is my sister Lauren.
Dance is a huge part of most cultures in the world. People dance to celebrate, to relax, to pray, to rejoice, to prepare, etc. What is it about American culture that has suppressed dance? Are we so concerned with our egos, with what others might think of us, that we are afraid to dance? And are we so judgmental of others that we would even think of the fact that others might judge us if we dance in a certain way? I am not sure if this is really what is at the route of my fear of dancing, but I find myself panicking when someone asks me to dance, and I wonder where that comes from?
2 comments:
How many times did we dance around 104 Main Street on the third floor with Doc Watson's Muskrat blasting away?I feel badly about my disregard for the people downstairs - but we had FUN!. I do think it is our ego/self consciousness that holds us back in dancing situations. I thought I was too cool dancing at the Georgetown Saloon sopping wet from the effort. Artie called my dance the Augie Shuffle - I thought it was a compliment! Oh well - there are not many opportunities to dance around here. But I guess your point about the Columbians dance at every event or occasion. Lets dance, put on your red shoes and dance to the music they are playing on the radio...
Pops, I knew you would comment on this, protesting the claims! There is nothing like memories of Muskrat... Good times indeed, but I was a kid! You are right though, YOU don't care what people think either.
p.s. I like the David Bowie quote.
& I want some Auggie shuffle when I am home, k?
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