Just Dance

I've loved to dance ever since I was kid. The Michael Jackson concert-for-one memory is probably fonder for me than my mom. Now, I'm not the personality type that will start a circle at a party and show off any moves, but I love to dance with my wife at weddings or when Damien Rice finds a way to sneak his way out of our home's speakers. Lately, though, Damien and Norah Jones have been replaced by Tchaikovsky, and Eden and Avery have stolen the dance floor.

Eden was bitten by the ballet bug this past Christmas. Avery followed her big sis and now both are smitten. Sure, they were dancing before. Bob Marley and Two Door Cinema Club were favs, and we'll still throw on some hip-hop mixes every now and then, but this is different. Their passion for dance has skyrocketed to a whole other level thanks to our Russian comrade.

I'm not sure how much Swan Lake my earlobes can handle, but does it really matter? My kids' hearts (and bodies for that matter) are fired up about something wholesome, healthy, and rewarding.  When I watch their little arms flail wildly or their short, skinny legs attempt a running air splits, my own heart soars and my soul rejoices. I've asked myself before, Why is dance so fulfilling--whether I'm watching my kids or even participating with them (Yes, I'll often play the part of Baryshnikov, but I don't do tights)? I think dance frees the soul from worldly inhibitions, the things kids could care less about. The worries about bills or health issues seem to lift like newly-inflated balloons. Cares of the world are drowned by the noise of laughter.

I think David, Israel's second king, understood this when he wrote his Psalms to the Lord. Music and dance were his refuge. Movement helped him to connect to God. It was his companion during those lonely years hiding from Saul in caves, fleeing for his life. And I'm sure dance stayed with him until his death as he continued to strive to please the heart of his God.

My kids remind me of this connection between dance and God every time their tiny toes hit the floor. I'm so thankful for their gift to me--the lesson that whenever I'm tired, frustrated, or filled with worry, all I have to do is ask them to dance.