Is Life A Dance?
Recently I took up ballroom dancing as it has been on my vision board for a couple of years and something I have wanted to do for a long time. Now that Covid restrictions have significantly lifted, ballrooms are now open and ready for dancing. I admit that I didn’t know what to expect. But I will tell you that I am having a ball – pun intended! My dad had tried to teach me many years ago and that didn’t fare well. I seemed to either step on his feet or try and take the lead! I now realize that he was teaching me from the leader’s perspective and not the followers. It makes a difference!
As the dancing bug has truly bitten me, I began to see parallels with life and relationships. Most of us are familiar with LeeAnn Womack’s song “I Hope You Dance”. It is about living your life to its fullest with all the ups and downs and joys and sorrows! We can only live our own life and not live the lives of others. So, what does that mean? Dance! Dancing is a creative way to express what we are feeling. It is great way to get some exercise and improve your mood. And you don’t need a partner. Put on your favorite song and dance away!
Moving back to ballroom dancing, however, you do need a partner! It is so exhilarating to waltz around a dance floor. But I have found that I prefer dancing with some men over others. Why is that? It is how they take the lead and communicate the non-verbal signals to indicate the next move. I am not talking about the lead the horse to water type of lead, I am talking about being in sync with your partner. While one person is the leader and the other follows, both partners must be in sync with how the other handles the moves and communicate, typically with one’s body, the next move. There is nothing more graceful and beautiful than a couple dancing in sync.
So how does that relate to relationships? Same way- each partner must be in sync with how the other moves (or rather thinks) and communicates. Yes, there is an ebb and flow. And good communication is a must. You also need to trust and respect your partner as you dance your way through life. That means having each other’s back, supporting each other, and, of course, loving each other. Sometimes, though, we find a dance partner that can’t lead us or follow along with us as they should. Guess what? Find a new dance partner! Life is too short to have your feet stepped on all the time or not able to lead and follow.
I love the scene in the movie, “Shall We Dance?” with Richard Gere, Susan Sarandon, and J. Lo. Richard Gere, looking debonair in his tux, is seen coming up an escalator in a department store with a single red rose to give to his wife, played by Susan Sarandon. Surprised, Sarandon asks him why he isn’t at the dance party. Gere responds that he needs a partner and that he needs her. He then asks her to dance with him, right there in the department store. Sarandon says she doesn’t know how to which Gere responds that she does as she has been dancing with him for the last 19 years. For us ladies, it gets us every time. And, at the end of the day, that is what we all want……to find that partner to be able to dance through life with. I know I do. Shall we dance?
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Until next time, Dieu Le Veult!