This piece, Memories of Dancing, was an exercise assigned by a group I participate in. I had fun writing it. The criteria for the piece are written into the last line.
Memories of dancing…a black and white photograph helps me to remember. Running my finger over the photo, over the X that my mom marked above a little girl in her tutu. Unfortunately I do not remember the dance lessons but I do remember the tutu and dancing with my childhood friend, Diane. Etched in my mind is the recital depicted in the photograph. How I remember the song we danced to at that recital so many years ago is amazing. Glow Little Glowworm, Glow. Wondering if Diane remembers?
So the picture sparks memories of the beginning of my dancing gig. Glow Little Glowworm, Glow. Wow, it’s so fun to think about, especially since my little granddaughter has a Glow Worm toy. You press a button and the glowworm lights up. Perhaps I should order one because I really like it, and when I saw it for the first time it brought back such fun memories.
Several thoughts of dancing come to mind. Dancing was a part of my childhood, dancing is fun, dancing is good exercise, and dancing is a social event. To think about all the good times makes me smile. Every time I hear a polka I think back to my dad especially, and then both my mom and dad’s friends dancing the night away up north, or at weddings. Several times I think of Mr. Ken asking me as a young woman where I learned to dance so well, as he was dancing with me. Even though that happened such a long time ago I remember. Reminds me to be to be careful of the words I use.
Early in life I took dance lessons as a little girl, a few anyhow, since I remember the song we danced to and I have my recital picture to prove it.
Then it was off to junior high and senior high school where I danced modern dance, whatever that was at the time. Enjoying the dances in junior and senior high school was a part of my schooling. Girls stood on one side of the gym and guys on the other. Rooms were dark and bands were playing – we actually had live bands back then. Now a days I think it’s all DJ’s playing records, or I mean cd’s.
Sub Club was another a hot spot for dancing during high school for me. Every Saturday night when we were up at Farm Island Lake, in northern Minnesota, all the folks in my parents friend group went to the Sub Club to dance. Eventually us high school kids would all end up there too, and join our parents in the festivities and dance with our elders. Sub Club music was mainly polkas and waltzes, my favorites.
Sub Club was not the only dance hall I danced at. The Bel Rae Ballroom was another hot spot in the peak of my dancing days. Several nights in high school, and beyond, were spent at the Bel Rae Ballroom, dancing the night away.
Years have gone by and I don’t dance much anymore but I have good memories of dancing, and a recent good memory of dancing is with my son at his wedding.
Gosh, to think back on dancing is fun and maybe I could write more about it another time when I don’t have to start each new sentence with the letter the previous sentence ended in.