|
Greetings,
fellow dancers!
I would like
to take this opportunity to thank all of the readers
who took the time to send me pictures and letters
regarding the events that have taken place over the
past two weeks. It has been a difficult time for all
of us and dancers, overall, tend to be emotional people.
Dancing is a
great way to escape from the sometimes harsh realities
of life (at least for a little while.) Although we
cannot undo the horrific acts that have been done
and we will never forget, it's amazing how something
so awful, so unthinkable, can bring out the best in
people. It is at these times when we all take a moment
to reflect and take a look at our lives, to reevaluate
what is important to us and to try and take steps
to improve our lives.
One thing I know for sure is that we will all move
on. Many of us will dance our way through this. We
will continue to pursue our passions, our dreams,
and we will use our love of dance to renew our health,
both mentally and physically. So, if your feeling
a bit stressed out....grab your partner and do some
dancing. It's what our parents and grandparents did
when times were tough.
Several times
through out the year, Becky and I will get together
with our neighbor friends and go out for a Friday
night fish fry. If you live in Wisconsin, you know
what a fish fry is. If you don't know what a fish
fry is, well, you need to come to Wisconsin! Basically,
it's a Friday night ritual where you go out to a restaurant
for all-you-can-eat fish (baked or fried), French
fries, coleslaw, potato pancakes (with syrup), and
an ice-cold beer! Thank God it's not all-you-can-drink!
All the women sit on one end of the table and the
guys on the other. We tried boy-girl, boy-girl, but
the conversation just didn't seem to flow. They wanted
to talk about shopping and bargains and the new school
principal.....we wanted to talk about our jobs, football,
and our latest escapades in home improvement.... MAN
stuff! One of my buddies asked me if I thought America's
tragedy and the depressed economy would affect the
dance business. I really didn't even hesitate. The
answer is no.
Of course, there
are people who take lessons who will be laid off from
their companies. There are investors, who have been
hit hard by our sluggish economy, who may cut down
on the number of lessons they are used to taking.
But overall, I don't think that the dance industry
will be brought down and this is why.
As I said in the beginning of this spin, ballroom
dancing is a great escape. Whether it is taking a
lesson, dancing to the music or practicing with a
partner for competition, it is a chance to break away
from the real world. I always get a kick when I see
people at the gym, running on a treadmill while watching
CNN news on the suspended televisions throughout the
room. What are they escaping from? We all need a mental
break and dancing is one of the healthiest ways to
do it.
My grandparents were young adults during World War
I, my parents, World War II. When I look through my
parent's old photo albums, I am always amazed at the
number of pictures I find with couples dancing. (Maybe
it runs in the family! I don't think so.) I remember
saying to my Mom, " Gee, how come all of these
pictures were taken during the Depression and nobody
looks depressed?" Her answer was, "We couldn't
afford to be depressed". I didn't fully understand
what she meant back then, but I do now. They danced
to forget. They danced to be happier during difficult
times. (Some of my kin drank to forget, but that's
another story). We'll stick to dancing.
My point is this:
Dancing is a valuable asset to a country (world) full
of people who need that healthy escape. It is for
people looking for healing, people looking for an
outlet, people who need people...are the luckiest,
ok, ok, you get the message! Don't get me wrong. We
would be naive to think that there won't be some lasting
and painful repercussions from what has been visited
upon us, and maybe I am being to naive, but I don't
think so. I think dancing is needed! Keep the faith.
Dan
Messenger
10-01-2001
|
