One Good Thing: The Return of My Dancing

In the last couple of weeks, I’ve begun dancing again.

Almost always at night after Cat goes to bed. I put on headphones or earbuds and whirl and groove around the house– going up and down stairs and just letting loose.

The cats started off being confused. I was getting up and going around but not doing anything they recognized. But now they’re doing the equivalent of cat sighs and leaving me alone for the most part. For a while there, I had to be careful not to be tripped by a wayward cat!

I’d like to share a couple of songs I’m currently enjoying:

This is a jazzy one that’s good for warming up: Bob Moses “Tearing Me Up“
www.youtube.com/watch

I love how this song has 2 styles for dance in it. One that is just a jazzy beat, and then the second goes into a lovely twirly bit when it hits the chorus. So nice!

Once I’m loosened up, I’m loving getting really crazy with Sofi Tukker (Tukker is a dude with a deep voice, and Sofi is the sweet-faced soprano.)
They take South American beats and Anglicize them a bit and it’s the most fun dance music I’ve heard in quite a while!

“Best Friend” — www.youtube.com/watch

“Drinkee” — www.youtube.com/watch

“Purple Hat” — www.youtube.com/watch

These songs are funky and fun and not deep or meaningful in any way– just good to groove to for moving meditation. They work to help me do trance dancing. Good music for that is a little repetitive with switched up off beats to shift things up while the song moves along.

And for this pandemic and the lockdowns, they did an online set of shows for their fans who sent them videos of themselves dancing as Sofi Tukker sang live for everyone. Now it’s happening again, so this seems appropriate: “House Arrest” — www.youtube.com/watch

It feels good to be moving again. It’s also hurting! Dancing I move so differently than I do in everyday life! My muscles are complaining a little as I go, but on the other hand, my weight is staying down (because now I’m able to eat again) and I’m starting to feel better and better. I have to be careful not to dance during flares, but on better nights it’s okay.

I’ve missed this. I still can’t quite make myself just dance around when Cat is awake and close by. It just feels too weird. I have to get over that shyness. I dance at festivals in front of strangers, so why am I weird with Cat? Oh well… at least I’m back to it again. Maybe I’ll get there in the not too distant future?

Hope everyone is doing okay out there. Stay healthy!