Just Dance! :)

Have you heard that Lady Gaga song on the radio?
“Just dance, (It’s) gonna be okay… Just dance…”

I soo agree! In fact, I believe that dancing actually helps make everything okay! :)

And I have noticed that dance has been sort of like a beautiful theme running throughout my life.

A very curious boy by nature—David is always asking questions about a variety of topics—but he even questions me, regularly, about my biological father, John Bowes, who died in 1992, when he was only 61. For some reason David brings him up a lot and wants to know more about him.

Although I relay to him true life stories about my childhood, I also try to make a point to search my memories for sweet moments—that don’t include my father calling my mother and I names, chasing us around the house, or the police coming over! :)

Well, my dad and I had a nice connection around dance! We used to love to watch Fred Astaire and Gene Kelly dance—and sometimes when he was sober and in a silly mood he would do the Irish jig for me-- up and down the family room. :)

As a child I loved to dance—and like many little girls took ballet, tap and jazz classes.

By the time I was in junior high school—dance felt like the best way to take care of myself and get away from the hard parts of life, for even a little while. I remember almost daily closing my door and turning my music up and just letting loose. It felt good and lifted my spirits!

When I was in my twenties I used to drive to beautiful parks in the Mendham, New Jersey area, where I lived, to dance with God along the paths. I enjoyed the sunshine coming through the leaves in the trees and felt so close to the God of my understanding—when I did this. I imagined that He was with me—delighting in this connection that I felt with Him—as much as I was.

Interestingly, a few months after I met Werner, David’s “father-to-be,” he gave me the words to a poem that he had written before he met me and asked me to create a song with them.

No one had ever done this before and as I read through them I was touched and noticed immediately that they contained words about dancing. I tweaked them just a bit and they became;

“And so I dance in the spirit of love and laughter.
I dance in the spirit for here and hereafter.
I share with the Spirit my love and laughter
And here my soul is at peace”

Later that year, when I began to put my CD together—I added a simple melody to this little ditty and “And So I Dance” became the title song of my CD. It just seemed to sum up my life in a lovely and true way.

And when David was little, of course, I naturally danced with him all the time—but I became aware, early on, that he loved to dance as well.

By the time he was two or three he was shaking his hips in a particular way—so, I picked up an Elvis DVD and put it on and stood by, watching to see his reaction.

Sure enough, he stopped, and with his eyes wide open—said to me, “Momma! He dances like me!” :)

So, here we are—at age 8 1/2 and David has been competitively hip hop dancing for the past year and so much of our time is spent in hip hop classes and practicing and competitions! :) (Thank God I love dancing so much!)

Oh my gosh. I just flashed on a memory of my brother, Peter, as well.

I remember teaching him his first dance moves—when he was about four or five years old. :) He has definitely advanced tremendously since then, though, with his "lawn sprinkler" and "stir the pot" moves. ;) And, actually, a couple of weeks ago—he spent a Saturday with us and attended David’s three competitive hip hop classes and went home with even more supercool moves to show his wife, Kelly. :)

Funnily enough, he was telling David and me—in the car—that the night before he came down—after visiting with our Mom and Dad, that Kelly—at home in San Francisco—had asked, “What are you guys doing tomorrow?” And when Peter said, “Apparently we are going to a karate class and 3 hip hop classes.” She laughed and said, “No, really?” :)

Yup! It’s true. That is what our lives are about at this point in time. Peter was a total trooper and did come along with us and he and David kept me laughing all day and night. I just love them both so much. I am so blessed.

So, this is my plug for dancing! :) There is only positive that can come from it! :) And not only does it make you feel good—there are no negative side effects! :)

Interestingly, as I do hang out at David’s dance studio, A LOT, I observe that not only are the kids total sweet hearts and really good to one another—they just love to dance! They spend many hours of their evenings and weekends there and they are so happy to do so.

Sometimes after being there from like 11:45 to 5:30 on Saturday—I will say to David, “Is this too much, Honey? Would you like to decrease the number of routine you are involved in?” and he will look at me with this shocked expression and say, “Are you crazy, Momma?” (Which I feel is a totally separate issue—that we both know the answer to!;)) “No way! I love to dance!” And I feel extremely grateful that he already is involved in positive activities.

Another little story....When David first started getting into the whole “army guy” thing—I refused to fight with my figures when he asked me to play. Instead I had my army guys dance. :)
“Momma! Army guys don’t dance!” David would tell me with some slight frustration in his voice.

“Well, maybe if army guys danced more often they would be so busy being happy and enjoying their lives that they would forget to fight and we would have world peace and joy!”

And recently we met an actual army guy, Brian, at church, and when David asked him if army guys dance—he said, “Absolutely!” So, there ya go! :) There is hope! :)

Wanna spread love and joy throughout the land through dancing? :) Wanna? Wanna? :)

I have a bumper sticker on my car that says, “Forget your troubles and dance!” And I stand...or dance...by this idea whole heartedly! :)

SO, the next time we need a lift—let’s dance and know that everything will be alright—at some point—and that it actually is alright—right now—at some level.

We are always being loved and supported! Always! :)

With Love,
Kathryn