Day011: Dance day

As I began my tightly scheduled day of classes and social dancing, I wondered how I could fit in doing something for this 365 assignment. I have been attending a 5-day celebration of the life of Frankie Manning, a man who is a major inspiration for me in dance and in life, and yet because dancing is intrinsic to my being, I did not think of it in relation to my self-imposed creativity assignment.Partway through my second class, where I was struggling to learn a routine -- an assignment I made harder for myself by taking the class as a leader -- I remembered: Dance is creativity expressed through my entire body. I enjoy the Lindy Hop above all other dances for its sense of joy and for the room that it leaves for improvisation. When I get stuck in the Lindy, it's usually because I haven't been pushing myself and haven't been trying new things. Today all pistons were firing in my brain and my body as I experimented with new ways of moving and thinking.After an afternoon of classes which pushed me, I had a great night of dancing to incredible live music. My body, my brain, my everything, was lifted outside of myself and into the realm of the creative. I was connecting with other people and with the music in ways that surprise me. It's a wonderful world and it is once again obvious to me why I have been so hooked on it for nearly 13 years. Silly Cianna to forget that.