Happily Ever Dancing
This past weekend’s events made me especially happy. Although this photograph was taken during the July 3 Beach Dance, it accurately depicts how I was feeling Friday night and Saturday morning. How could I not be enthused and excited when so many people choose to spend part of their weekend dancing on the beach? We had nine people at each event and many were first-time beach dancers.
It was wonderful to see so many new people be delighted by their own experience of moving to music in nature with others. When we give ourselves permission to let go of the voice inside our head (You know the one I’m talking about, right? The not-so-nice ego-based one that says “we’re not good enough” or “we’re not doing it right” or “what are people going to think of me?”) and listen to what the authentic heart-centered one has to say instead (things like, “this could really be fun” or “i can dance the way I want to” or “who cares what others think?) the body will naturally move more easily and the experience will be a much more enjoyable one.
When anxiety begins to disappear, confidence shows up in its place. I saw that happening all around me after only a couple songs were played. That makes me a very happy facilitator for sure, but it also makes me a happier dancer. When I can see others enjoying themselves, whether it be from the big grins on their faces or a particular way in which they move their bodies, my dance becomes a more enjoyable and emotional experience for me.
So a BIG thank you to everyone who participated this past weekend. I feel especially moved to individually thank each person so here goes…To Joe, my fellow ecstatic dancer from the Portland community and from Breitenbush, for showing up at both events. To his wife, Melissa for being there on Friday night. It meant a lot to me and I know it meant a lot to Joe. It was wonderful to watch the two of you dancing together. To Rich and Ryan, thanks for making the drive out from Portland and for being a part of the after-dance gathering of sipping, nibbling and storytelling. To Jess, for bringing your dance partners (the hula hoops were awesome!) and giving the rest of us an opportunity to add that element to our dance. To Gary and Katie, for being spontaneous and making the trip up from Manzanita at the last minute to join in the fun. To Jenni, Beach Dancer Extraordinaire, who brought two of her friends, Terry and Ally and told them “You just HAVE to do this while you’re visiting here.” Thank you, ladies, for saying “Yes” to Jenni’s invitation. It was wonderful to have a Virginian and a Washingtonian in our group. To Connie, who lives in Tennessee and spends some of her summer vacation here in Cannon Beach every year. It was great to have another Lighten Up reader take part in this relatively new adventure of mine. To the Younker family, Norman, Tess, Misha and Kathy, what an incredible treat it was to have the four of you be a part of Saturday morning’s event. Wouldn’t it be grand if everyone met their neighbors by dancing on the beach together? And last, but certainly not least, to James, my husband, who is my biggest fan and supports my dream of making Beach Dance BIG, you show me every day how to be a better woman and human being.
Next Beach Dance is this Friday night, August 7. Come start your weekend off by dancing your *#%! off. Without further ado, here are this past weekend’s playlists:
Friday, July 31
In the Summertime ~ Mungo Jerry
Everybody Have Fun Tonight ~ Wang Chung
Goody Two Shoes ~ Adam Ant
Quien Baila Quien Goza ~ Various Artitsts, available on iTunes
Ali ~ Midival Punditz
Big Cat ~ Afro Celt Sound System
Sea Eagle ~ WaterFlyMusic
The Middle ~ Vitamin String Quartet
Limehouse Blues ~ Pearl Django
Cinnamon Girl ~ dunkelbunt
Una Musica Brutal ~ Gotan Project
Let’s Dance ~ M. Ward
Peace ~ Mark Romero
Saturday, August 1
J’Y Suis Jamais Alle ~ Grassskirt
Koli Koli ~ Setona
Jhoom ~ Gabrielle Roth & The Mirrors
Yanna Hu Wey ~ Artist Unknown
Sancti Petri ~ Gerardo Nunez
Mambo Yo Yo ~ Ricardo Lemvo
Didji Dance ~ Ganga Girl
Neya Shera Neya ~ Cultured Natives
1Petite Galop Pour Mamou ~ Michael Doucet & Friends
Lamento Cubano ~ Bebo Valdes Trio
Radio Ballet ~ Eluvium
Dancing Spirits ~ Steven Cravis
Holy Morn ~ Tina Malia
This entry was posted on Monday, August 3rd, 2009 at 9:26 pm, filed under Beach Dance Events, and is tagged as Beach Dance, playlist. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.