On Dance and its Pharmaceutical Benefits

I am a great believer in the therapeutic value of dance. Not the hippie herbal stuff where you wear flowers and bells and dance counter-clockwise in a circle holding hands. I'd prefer to be impaled on a stabby bit of wood first. All power to you if that's your thang but for me it's your garden variety dance floor, the kitscher the better with a prettydrink in my hand and I'm dancin'.

The French understands this about me only too well, probably because we met on a dance floor (a story entirely tale-worthy but for another time perhaps). He knows that if I go too long without a dance floor hit I become a significantly less enlightened human being. Which is why I took myself off last night for a dose of my favourite medicine and right now although I am sporting a buzzy background headache I feel like one of those chilled zen buddhist monks. 

When I dance it's like all my pent-up angst and stress and STUFF just wants to get the hell out of there and disappears in a puff of cheesy dancefloor black ice.

The full gamut of human emotion is right there on the suburban dance floor, the good the bad and the very ugly. I love the voyeuristic possibilities, the optimist in the corner trying to punch above his weight with a pair of nordic blonds. The woman trying to discreetly worry her g-string back down inside her jeans mid-shimmy. The tender, charged glances of nineteen year olds too scared to make the first move. And of course, my personal favourite the 45 degree staggerer clutching both a corona and if possible the nearest woman's backside before being whisked off by a bouncer.

I strongly suspect that if we were all to really let it go on the dance floor every now and again we would be a happier, healthier and saner community as a result. And i think these guys have got that all worked out.

Comments

[sophie]

Look at those dancing men, made me smile and smile and smile!!!

[katiecrackernuts]

I was on the dance floor last week - great, great band. Swear you'd have liked it. There was jumping and groovin' and kickin' shoes off. (And the drunk you mentioned, he passed out in front of the stage.) So, who'd ya dance too, or was it just dancing for dancing's sake?

[Kate]

Just so ace.
All of it.
You mostly.

[lexi]

I totes need to go out dancing. I am way over due. WAaaaaAAaaaay overdue. I totes understand your dire need to dance.

And those old guys just crack me up. My favourite is the guy in the dark pants. Hilaire.

[Kate]

You are so right, there is nothing like a bit of dancing. And I love that my girls have inherited this love too.

[Kirsty]

This is stand out the best thing I've read online for months. Get your qwerty on more mate...you are really good at it. x

[Maggie]

haha, I love old guys! glad you shimmied your 'stuff' away.

[Monika]

Ive been visiting your blog for a few weeks now, really enjoy returning and reading it.

Monika

[suse]

That bear is precious. The small girlchild's not too shabby either. Can I borrow her occasionally when I need a daughter fix? Ta.

[shadygrey]

I love this post and I bet you're a good dancer too. My boys have cruelly said that they never, ever want to see me dance again after last new years eve. Alright, they might have some justification... I dance like other people fall down stairs. But pooh to the horror of onlookers and pooh to the approval of one's offspring, I say; and that's why I love this post.

[stencil helen]

I did enjoy this. It has been too long since I danced unselfconsciously, it used to be one of the great pleasures of life. I can not stay still if Nutbush City Limits is playing...but I think I now dance like your reader Shadygrey.

[Jules]

Such a good read Nan. You've inspired me to get my groove on again - had forgotten how riotously fun and funny it can be!

[Carole]

I could not agree more with the dancing therapy!!! Amazing blog!
Merci merci!!!!! Another french