I used to wear glitter when I danced. I didn’t need any glitter. My glow was quite enough.  That first half hour of contra medley, I was smiling so hard that I had tears in my eyes. Ecstasy? Yup. I call it that. I danced from 7 to nearly 11 Friday and with some time off to wander around, Saturday I danced from mid morning until 6PM when we headed home.  I used to dance far more than that but for here and now, this was sheer bliss.

Wearing a pretty scarf as a sort of sling did keep my shoulder a little bit protected. People were very kind, and asked if I had a sore wing, and were careful of it. This means I can go back to Greenfield and get back to contra dancing, at least once in a while. Oh my!  We did lots of other kinds of dance, though, and this was exciting to me. Some were variations on dancing I am familiar with, like a whole session on Israeli dancing (thanks, Joan), Balkan dance, other folk dance. I loved the French couples session, especially the Bouree (sp?), which was pretty simple when broken down, but fun and flirtatious. We also did a session on Ragtime dance. Too bad the room was small and just too crowded, so we didn’t stay the whole time, but it was very fun to try out. I liked seeing how such simple steps could be embellished with upper body to make it look novel. You knew it was Ragtime as soon as you saw it. Also took a class in Zydeco basics. I loved all the clarity from the teachers, breaking things down really well. As I knew there would be, there was dance and music and color and excitement around every corner. Didn’t hurt that it was a gorgeous bright sunny day.

I am reclaiming my dancer self!!! Yahoo! I hated the times that I was wandering around looking for dancing to do. I am not a good audience. I didn’t want to sit in on a concert or watch others dance. I must dance if I am anywhere near dancing. Next year, if they offer it, I want to be sure to get to the tango session. I hear the teacher was really good. More dance! More dance!

Am I sore? Absolutely. Sore, tired, achy, my feet hurt. It is damp and drizzly today here but I am forcing myself to take a walk with a friend. I fear I will seize up otherwise. Nothing much more I plan on doing today besides baking cookies (for future goodie box for Juliana, yes, the tri-color) and making a pot of cream of celery soup. I am one very happy dancer.