This weekend I rewatched Dirty Dancing, the 1987 chestnut, or classic depending on who you ask. To me it’s a classic chestnut. It’s predictable with stock characters yet there’s something about it that endures nearly 25 years later. As I watched it, I realized how true it is in the sense that women come to life through movement. Whether they do zumba, belly dancing, hip hop, pole dancing, ballet, or freestyle in the living room, dancing brings us to life.
There are short-cuts to happiness, and dancing is one of them. ~Vicki Baum
Movies give us ample examples of this.
- Dirty Dancing – “Nobody puts Baby in a corner.” Most people focus on the love story of this movie. Yes, she does fall in love for the first time with the older, experienced dance instructor. What opens her up to this and all the other possibilities in her life is learning to dance. It changes the way she carries herself, the way she sees the world and gets her out of the “corner” the expectations of her father has put her into.
- Footloose – “What’s this I see? I thought this was a party. LET’S DANCE!” This is another one of my favorites (the 1984 original, I haven’t seen the remake yet). The movie is mostly about the new boy in town, Ren. His love interest is the preacher’s rebellious daughter Ariel. For Ariel, dance is a way to express herself, a way to escape the overprotective radicalism of her father.
- Stricly Ballroom – “A life lived in fear is a life half lived.” In 1994 Baz Luhrman, not yet famous for Moulin Rouge, created this story of frumpy Fran who becomes the partner of a professional ballroom dancer, Scott, after his regular partner leaves. This is an Aussie Cinderella dance story. Dance gives Fran confidence, self love and taps into her feminine power.
- Flashdance – “I don’t want you buying me anything. I don’t want you buying me, period!” In 1983 welder/dancer Alex demonstrated how following your dreams can be tough, discouraging and ultimately worthwhile. Alex’s entire self expression revolves around her dance. And who can forget the water scene!
- Save the Last Dance – “Let’s put some S-E-X in those H-I-Ps!” (2001) Sara was a ballet dancer. Her mom died and Joulliard rejected her. Her life fell apart. She gave up dance and it wasn’t until she met and of course fell for, Derek the hip hop dancer and had her dance expression reawakened that her life started to come back to a sense of order and joy.
These movies illustrate how dance is key to a woman’s happiness, power and expression.
To dance is to be out of yourself. Larger, more beautiful, more powerful. ~Agnes De Mille
Dance is the hidden language of the soul. ~Martha Graham
To watch us dance is to hear our hearts speak. ~Hopi Indian Saying
When is the last time you danced? And I mean REALLY danced. The kind of let loose, not worrying about what others may be thinking, completely in the moment, just for you dancing? If you can’t remember when – it’s time to change that.
Every day brings a chance for you to draw in a breath, kick off your shoes and dance. ~Oprah
Whether it’s turning on your favorite music at home and letting loose, going out to a club with the girls or taking a class – I challenge you to release your self expression – your soul even – by dancing.
Dancing faces you towards Heaven, whichever direction you turn. ~Terri Guillemets
The truest expression of a people is in its dance and in its music. Bodies never lie. ~Agnes de Mille
We’re fools whether we dance or not, so we might as well dance. ~Japanese Proverb
Enjoy, Christie