My Dear FDFs,
Last week I asked you dancing readers a question, “What moves you?” This week in a very special EWDr (Everyone’s Weekly Dance Report) of the DWDr, we have some of the amazing response I received. The depth of feeling from my fellow dancers is amazing. And I thank them for So in no particular order since I’m much too lazy to alphabetize, enjoy, and keep the hankies handy.
Jackie A wrote:
Remembering that my Mom and Dad, who have now passed away, spent many great nights dancing to Glen Miller and Tommy Dorsey and fell in love. even though she was Catholic and he was Protestant, which believe it or not, was a big difference back then!
YellowRose wrote:
When my dad who no longer knows who I am looks at me and smiles and I think just maybe he knows that this person loves him.
Hugging a friend I haven’t seen in a long while.
Hearing my nephew, Cayce’s voice when he is finally back on American soil after being stationed in Iraq.
Salsaagirl wrote:
My students move me every single day. Both to laughter and tears (though I don’t let the latter show). Yes, and they show me I’m human because teachers, too, make mistakes. We’re like a big family.
Rodeo Girl wrote:
dolphins in the wild
Seeing a school of billions of fish —-just all turn on a dime—with better precision than the “So You think you can dance” contestants.or any human doing anything.even water ballet…just all TURN..in one nanosecond…
Squink wrote:
Knowing that my few words can have a remarkable and maybe world-changing ripple effect. ergo: I’m going to Copenhagen on Sunday for the climate change treaty negotiations with a group I helped start last year “Mediators Beyond Borders.” Last week I was at a planning meeting and shared a sentiment I’d written earlier, that as mediators we’re providing hope and optimism for what is a very serious and scary situation for many people — life and death in some cases — who will go home and share their Copenhagen experience with others. I reminded them that our words and attitudes can have a profound and unexpected effect on people and got so worked up I was almost in tears. Today, one of the gals who was at the meeting told me she’d been talking with the leaders of the 500-strong youth contingency that will be at COP 15. They were planning to publicly express their anger at the UN and the world for failing to achieve a treaty in Copenhagen. She said that because of my words and passion, she talked them into changing their message from one of strident criticism that achieves nothing but perpetual angst and division to a message of inspiration and reaching out: “as young people we are are scared and angry at the changes the planet is facing; you as the elders and decision-makers, please — show us how to hope.”
I’m in tears as I write this, my friend. This is what makes my life work worthwhile.
DS wrote:
My son moves, motivates, and inspires me. You see, he wasn’t born with the same advantages in life that the rest of us had. He was born missing a single microscopic enzyme, and this missing protein has caused him many challenges to overcome. And he has done so with pure determination. Tasks we take for granted, such as being able to pick small objects up, requires a herculean effort on his part. Being able to reach above his head requires an effort equal to most people trying to slam dunk a basketball. And despite the amount of effort it takes, it brings him nothing but pure joy to help with the laundry (granted, his version of “help’ involves tossing the folded clothes haphazardly back in the laundry hamper), or to place the dirty dishes into the washer. In fact, he will stubbornly work and work on any project until he finally gets it, as long as he feels he is providing a solution to a problem. His teachers say that he has more determination in his little finger, than most folks have in their entire bodies. I believe this to be true. He may not have gotten the best lot in life, but he is a true inspiration to those who know him, and when he walks into a room. everyone smiles. If in the end when the angels come for him (and I WILL be there), that this is his legacy, then that is far more than most people will ever be able to claim.
Almost the Queen of the Desert wrote:
That a-ha! moment I get a good connection when dancing. When the lead/follow just flows effortlessly. Swimming in the deep blue sea. That moment I step off the airplane and come home to Hawaii. (hell yeah sista!)
PM (no S) wrote:
that magical, illusive moment of merging with a dance partner, losing all physical matter that usually defines us, and becoming one in an energetic expression of the music. Divine!
The Happy Nurse wrote:
Being on the dance floor surrounded by dance friends & realizing that we have shared much of our life’s events – happiness, tears, injuries, divorce, weddings, births, unemployment, prayers, holidays, heartbreak, death(s) of fellow dancers – over the past 10 years just by what began as a causal association in our growing passion for Dance.
Countess Arugula wrote:
In addition to great live music and a dance partner that’s fun, quirky, and just loves to dance, I feel blessed to realize that there are many things in life that move me — a friend sharing the news of her first pregnancy with a healthy baby at age 42; a group of friends who present you with the unexpected gift of something you’ve wanted for a while; the segment in White Christmas where Bing Crosby & Danny Kaye do the Sisters routine complete with feather fans.
Just last week I was moved by a long line of colorful hand-made signs at the end of my street. They started almost at the house on the corner and continued on and on for at least 7 or 8 different and adjoining lawns. They all had messages reading, “Welcome Home David!” “David Is Back!” “We Missed You David!” The final house, that had multiple signs, also had a large American flag proudly waving by the front door and small American flags bordered the edge of the grass along the driveway. There was a giant, bright yellow ribbon and bow around the tree out front. And a large, long banner over the garage that read, “We love you David, Welcome Home.” At first I thought it was kids trying to mimic the Burma Shave signs of days gone by. And then as it dawned on me, and I got choked up as I drove by knowing this family was rejoicing at the return of a son, a dad, or brother — and a neighbor. A native son was coming home for the holidays…and it wasn’t in a flag-draped box.
Dancers is the coolest peoples! Okay if you’re done frying your computer terminal by emptying your tear ducts onto your keyboard, we’ll get back to the regularly scheduled program.
Here are a few more places where you can get your Santa Boogie on from Friday, December 11 all the way through New Year’s Eve and slightly beyond. Just fourteen more shopping days folks until you can. uh, shop some more. Jeez. See you on the dance floor.
D
SATURDAY, DECEMBER 12, 2009
Etta James’ sax man JIMMY Z goes wild with his Z-TRIBE of blues at HARVELLES SANTA MONICA- 1432 4th Street (near Broadway) Santa Monica http://www.harvelles.com.
But never fear because there will be dancing aplenty as one of our favorite blues venues, THE JUKE returns to NADIA’S RHYTHM ROOM in Sherman Oaks. They start off the first hour of with their own dance class/seminar called The Blues Muse at 9:00pm. Then from 10pm till 2am, it’s time to get down to the music for the rest of the night. You get all this for $8! But, what? You want some more? Said Mr. Bumble. Okay Oliver. If bluesing your derriere off isn’t enough for you, this week THE JUKE is enticing you with prizes since they’re celebrating the holidays! There will be a random drawing for some allegedly kick-ass prizes (and no that does not mean you will get a kick in your ass you literal minded devotee of the Marquis). If you’re wondering “How do I enter the drawing?”the answer is be, “Just show up!”. You can increase your chances by dressing festive-like. Wear your red & green to get extra entries. (So if I come wearing spinach and beets I should be a shoo-in right?) If you’re not in the spirit, defy the crowd and wear grey & black, and a single candle you refuse to light. They say you may still get bonus entries, but I believe that as much as I believe the claims on sweepstakes that “No purchase is needed to win” Yeah right!. And for those who love a mystery, they say there will be other ways to earn entries, but you’ll have to discover those on your own… Prizes will be given out around 11:30, so be sure to get there early!. THE JUKE at NADIA’S RHYTHM ROOM – 14261 Ventura Blvd., Sherman Oaks, CA 91423-2714. http://heptothejive.com and/or www.nadiasrhythmroom.com
MONDAY, DECEMBER 14, 2009
And there’s always Blues, Soul and R&B to be had with the KIRK FLETCHER BAND at HARVELLES SANTA MONICA- 1432 4th Street (near Broadway) Santa Monica http://www.harvelles.com.
THURSDAY, DECEMBER 17, 2009
And grab your bunny ears. I’m actually quite serious, grab your frelling bunny ears and make your way to HSM for the second outing of GRILL’N BUNNYZ, a very interesting band that mainly does covers and whose fans all wear bunny ear headpieces, tonight at HARVELLES SANTA MONICA- 1432 4th Street (near Broadway) Santa Monica http://www.harvelles.com.
FRIDAY, DECEMBER 18, 2009
Her Royal Hotness JESSIE PAYO will be bringing her sultry form of down home blues to smoke up the stage at HARVELLES SANTA MONICA- 1432 4th Street (near Broadway) Santa Monica http://www.harvelles.com. Bring towels.
And out way east of LaBrea DO SOMETHING BLUE is cooking up some good times at a their NEW LOCATION. It’s still in P’Dena, but at least now there are NO SHOE RESTRICTIONS. But everything else is the same, great DJed blues, starting with a blues dance lesson 9-10pm, then a regular dance 10pm-2am and a reasonable cover of $8. DO SOMETHING BLUE now at the PASADENA CITY DANCE CENTER – 1368 N. Lake Ave., Pasadena, CA 91104 – www.dosomethingblue.com
SATURDAY, DECEMBER 19, 2009
Will there be any room for you to dance when BLOWING SMOKE AND THE FABULOUS SMOKETTES bring R&B big band style to the stage and a quarter of the dance floor at HARVELLES SANTA MONICA- 1432 4th Street (near Broadway) Santa Monica http://www.harvelles.com.
MONDAY, DECEMBER 21, 2009
And there’s always Blues, Soul and R&B to be had with the KIRK FLETCHER BAND at HARVELLES SANTA MONICA- 1432 4th Street (near Broadway) Santa Monica http://www.harvelles.com.
WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 23, 2009
But as long as you don’t block the patrons’ view of the band there is no longer a kibosh on dancing at the almost weekly WIACAIG event where the music is provided by THE INCOMPARABLE BARBARA MORRISON, ably backed by the Stu Elster Trio at the HOTEL CASA DEL MAR in Santa Monica. 6:30pm-10:00pm. HOTEL CASA DEL MAR – 1910 Ocean Way, Santa Monica – (310) 581-7714. But do BYOP.
THURSDAY, DECEMBER 24, 2009
It’s Festivus Eve. No dancing tonight as you must prepare yourself for the feats of strength. I suggest a good dinner of venison pasty with elfberry dressing. Yum!
FRIDAY, DECEMBER 25, 2009
There will be dancing all over the place today. But I think unless you’re already invited to where it’s happening you won’t be going. Sorry.
SATURDAY, DECEMBER 26, 2009
But that’s okay, because it means you’ll have no excuse now to miss CAFÉ R&B as Byl and the Fabulous Roach give you a show to remember at HARVELLES SANTA MONICA- 1432 4th Street (near Broadway) Santa Monica http://www.harvelles.com.
SUNDAY, DECEMBER 27, 2009
After several weeks of keeping you at bay and sometimes at gulf, RICHARD HALPERN’S HOLLYWOOD CALVACADE opens the doors to you tonight at MAXWELL DEMILLE’S CICADA CLUB – 617 S. Olive St. Los Angeles, CA 90014 http://www.clubcicada.com.
MONDAY, DECEMBER 28, 2009
GONZALO’S GYPSY JAZZ JAM brings you L.A. Balboa Night with 8:30pm lesson 9pm tonight at JOE’S GREAT AMERICAN BAR & GRILL – 4311 W. Magnolia Blvd, http://www.danceatjoes.com
And there’s always Blues, Soul and R&B to be had with the KIRK FLETCHER BAND at HARVELLES SANTA MONICA- 1432 4th Street (near Broadway) Santa Monica http://www.harvelles.com.
TUESDAY, DECEMBER 29, 2009
It’s a night of Honkabilly Roots with KARLING ABBEYGATE tonight at JOE’S GREAT AMERICAN BAR & GRILL – 4311 W. Magnolia Blvd, http://www.danceatjoes.com
THURSDAY, DECEMBER 31, 2009
If you can’t get out of the Westside and don’t have a lot of bucks to burn just to note that your old calendar just outlived its usefulness, then I have a plan for you, but be warned, the dance space is a little challenging and not for the meek. It’s highly appropriate that as our economy barely survived sliding into another Great Depression, that New Year’s Eve at CHAYA BRASSERIE in West Beverlywood will celebrate with an artist who specializes in music from those bygone days when it was raining stockbrokers. MARIE MACGILLIS (whom many of you know from her frequent appearances at The Cicada Club) performs classic jazz and swing from The Roaring Twenties from 8:30 to 12:30. And in keeping with the era of breadlines and bathtub gin, there’s No cover charge in the lounge (that’s WIACAIG for those of you who only speak DWDr-ese), but the seating first come first served, and if you’re planning to dance know that the space is tight, though manageable if you’re skillful enough, but to be safe BYOP. The club asks that you dress to impress, and period attire encouraged, but I doubt they’ll kick you out if you come as a comma or a question mark (okay, there was two ways I could have gone with that joke, be thankful I took the high road!). MARIE MACGILLIS performs classic jazz and swing NYE at CHAYA BRASSERIE – 8741 Alden Dr., Beverly Hills 90048 310.859.8833
LINDYGROOVE has just taken a New Year’s Eve celebration and pushed it into the sublime with not only a number of deejays and three rooms of differing kinds of music ranging from straight up swing, to blues to a jazz jam café, but have made their offer irresistible by adding THE INCOMPARABLE BARBARA MORRISON! Hurray! Now those who were wondering where the big NYE dance party was going to be held, have a central location. And LindyGroove is offering a two-fer on top of this three-fer and suggesting you dance all night, then stay and watch the world famous Rose Parade where all the pretty girls and boys march in synchronization because it’s good be like everybody else (Editor’s note: Back off D, you’ve already had your say and some people like parades, so don’t ruin it for them!) and there will be ponies and sunshine, because for some strange reason, no matter how bad the weather is before the Rose Parade, or after it, when all the eyes of the world’s chilly places tune in to watch the Rose Parade, it’s always sunny and at least in the 70s, as though the P’Dena city fathers have some unknown pact where they get great weather for those four hours in exchange for sacrificing a few nubile near virgins beneath the Masonic Temple (Editor: D! Quit it! You’ve been warned already!) so that three months from now there are at least 1500 more people in line in front of you at Big Lots because they all just moved here from Minneapolis after seeing the Rose Parade. (Editor: Oh, I give up!) But still you get to dance with Barbara Morrison and for a ridiculously reasonable price which gets more ridiculously reasonable the further in advance you buy your tickets. So I say, pounce on that puppy now! LindyGroove’s NYE party. Check out the details at http://www.lindygroove.com
FUTURE DANCEDATES:
And then on January 2, 2010
And yes, I will eventually get around to posting an item about the upcoming New Year’s dance party DANCE, DANCE RESOLUTION, but I’m still trying to figure out a way to include a surprise THIRD STREET POTLUCK DANCE on that New Year’s Sunday, so check back next week once I’ve got it figured out. But if you need to know more about it before then check http://www.bluelistla.com/2009/11/ddr-new-years-weekend-party/
SAN DIEGO FUSION EXCHANGE (SDFX) January 8-10, 2010. Tired of hearing all of the “no” in dance? Start saying “yes” with fusion! Fusion is the combination of dances in such a way that allows dancers to use all the techniques, connections, and movements of many dances (in particular swing and blues, or blues and tango, or west coast and blues). Fusion is imagination in motion. http://www.sandiegofusionexchange.com
CRUISIN’ FOR A BLUESIN’ is “doing it again in 2010!” They’re shipping off from Long Beach to Ensenada Mexico again March 5-8, 2010, and this time, they’re scored GARY ALLEGRETTO to teach a blues harmonica workshop onboard as well as a lot of dancing to be had each night. 4moNfo visit their website at http://cruisinforabluesin.net
Now, for the acronymically impaired, here’s this week’s glossary:
BYOP = Bring Yer Own Partner
DWDr = Darrell’s Weekly Dance Report
PBDA = Pasadena Ballroom Dance Association
TSCoCM@LG =The Sweet Cacophony of Canned Music at LindyGroove
WIACAIG = Free (Which Is As Cheap As It Gets)
The DWDr Final Quote
“I think the folks up top already said it all. Now get out there and move somebody.”
DLH
DWDR was another Mamakehimstophe’sdoingitagain Production
Related posts:
OOOh! I think the potluck should involve legwarmers, gloves and hats!
We’ll call it “dance of the seven layers”!