Home Away From Home ~ Observations on the Road
I spent this past weekend dancing in Erie, Pennsylvania. I had never been to that part of the country before and yet I felt like I was home. Home, for me, is more about a feeling than a particular place. While there are definitely some physical locations on this planet I’m more attracted to than others, the feeling of home is one that can occur anywhere where there is love and a sense of belonging. The photograph just off to the right is me and Susan Black, my most generous and gracious hostess of the mostess, who helped make this event possible and made me feel right at home.
As I was dancing along the shore of the lake (which really did have a beach and looked like an ocean), I felt like I’d been there before. There, being a place in my heart, not the place I was currently stomping my feet in. And here’s what took me to that place…
The thirteen women who participated in the Beach Dance events showed up in a big way. They showed me their courage and willingness to try something new. They showed me their connection with nature and their companionship with one another. They showed me acceptance, appreciation, and gratitude. Most of all, they showed me what love looks like when you dance it. Love of self. Love of another. Love of something bigger than oneself. It was all there for the viewing and ladies, I took it all in.
I was reminded many times throughout the weekend how much we need each other. We need to tell and share our stories. We need to be reminded of our human-ness and of our limitless potential. We need to gather together and share experiences that move our bodies, stir our minds, and lift our spirits. We need to be there for each other to listen, to give hugs, and to acknowledge the gifts we each bring to the world. I am a lucky woman to have been in the company of these women this past weekend; to see their dance, to hear their stories, and to just be.
Friday Night Beach Dancers
Saturday Morning Beach Dancers
So, thank you Casey, Cassie, Christine, Dawna, Jackie, Jeanette, Judi K., Judy M., Lisa, Margie, Nancy, Sarah, and Susan. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to share Beach Dance and everything that comes with it with all of you. Thank you for taking part in a shared experience of love. Lake Erie was the first of what I anticipate will be many other Beach Dancing adventures away from Cannon Beach. My hope is to have many more experiences of feeling home away from home.
Enjoy the music we danced to this past weekend! There were just a few songs I couldn’t add into the player and they’re listed down below. You can listen to 30 second previews of those songs in iTunes. Tomorrow I”ll be writing about a special event taking place in Cannon Beach (and around the nation) this Saturday that will give participants of the June 26th Beach Dance a chance to take part in.
Songs not in the player from Friday
Under Paris Skies ~ Pearl Django
Approaching Silence ~ Bob Holroyd
Songs not in the player from Saturday
Les Tambours ~ Salsa Ghetto
Love is Here to Stay ~ Lewis Eley & Dick Hyman
Whispered Prayer ~ Michael Hanna
This entry was posted on Monday, June 21st, 2010 at 6:00 pm, filed under The Dancing Voice, and is tagged as Beach Dance, Cannon Beach, ecstatic dance, Erie Pennsylvania, Lake Erie Dance, playlist, Presque Isle State Park. 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.