Dance Like Nobody's Watching

Early in this series I did a piece about dancing with joy. Some will remember the photo of His Holiness the Dalai Lama at his 80th birthday party, dancing with Archbishop Desmond Tutu. It’s a delightful photo, and a great reminder that dancing is for everyone. 

It’s been more than five weeks since then, and a lot has happened in our world and in our community. Now we are all at home, unless we are in an essential service, and some may be finding it harder to muster the energy or ambition to dance. If that describes you, then perhaps today’s videos will get you back up on your feet. Not only is dancing an easy way to get your heart pumping, which can lift mood. It can bring you into the moment, which can lower anxiety. And it can be a way to connect when we cannot be physically together. See what I mean? Global Dance

Seeing these dancers go all in, I’m reminded of a recent e-mail from my good buddy Ted, who sent this little message. You might have seen it before, but it’s one we can use again now:

You got to sing, like you don't need the money,
Love, like you'll never get hurt,
You got to dance, dance, dance like nobody's watching,
It's got to come from the heart if you want it to work!

I loved watching that video, but many of the dance moves were beyond me. I’m more of a spontaneous kitchen dancer, myself. It would take me quite awhile to learn that whole thing. Maybe that’s true for you, too. Or maybe you don’t think that you’re a dancer at all. So what would you say if I told you that you could do at least part of a solo dance by the late Merce Cunningham, widely considered to be the most influential American choreographer of the 20th century? But before I go there, take a look at the trailer from a film about him that was released at the end of 2019: Cunningham

Merce Cunningham laid the foundation for modern dance. He's known for his abstract and precise movements. But it turns out that he also created a solo work, “50 Looks,” that can be done by anyone, of any age, with or without formal dance training. And it’s suitable for small, confined spaces. Better yet, it's now accessible online. Cunningham Workshops   

“50 Looks” is a series of 50 still positions randomly assigned into a sequence of 91 poses.  Patricia Lent, a former member of the Merce Cunningham Dance Company, broke the dance down into smaller parts in a series of free video workshops over the last few weeks, and they are available for viewing now: "50 Looks"   You can pick up the dance at any point by watching one of the recorded workshops. The eighth and final video, “Final Rehearsal and Showing,” which invites us to simply watch and dance along, includes footage of Cunningham himself performing the work.  And don’t be surprised if you see Lent’s dog walk through the room, too. Like all of us, she’s sheltering in place, so she’s dancing in her home. I found it charming. 

If you still don’t think you can dance, I dare you to sit still during this:  The Twist  The closeness looks strange in this time of physical distancing, but this is a happy dance we can all do on some level, in a small space, sitting or standing, and with or without a partner.  Just listening to the music will almost certainly turn up the dial on your mood. And for those of us who were there, it will likely bring back fun memories, so there’s a two-fer.  And if you want to see how the pros do it, here’s a version by one of my favorite dance duos:  Steve and Chanzie   I’m with the commentator who wrote,  I am 67 from Russia.. I say to my children: When I die and you switch on TWIST, I will awake and get up...

Until tomorrow, take good care and be well in body and spirit. Maybe you’ll dance your way there. Nobody’s watching, so go for it!

Love,
Nancie/Mom/Mimi/Grandma

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