Chris at Horizon 51 is hosting us this month with the prompt, Shall we dance?
I immediately thought of our favorite local musician, Nancy Stewart, who hosts a Maypole Dance in the park each year. Here's Nancy's pic and report from Instagram of this year's event.
I've never been much of a dancer myself, but I had a delightful partner four years ago. We were eating outside at Pagliacci's Pizza and listening to the strains from Music in the Park across the street. When we moved to the park after dinner, Jack invited me to dance with him.
At two years of age, he was my youngest dance partner until yesterday when I asked Jack's youngest brother, Ollie, to dance with me. He took me by the hand and led me to his parent's bedroom. It took me a few moments to figure out the two words he kept repeating, "Turn on, turn on, turn on." I finally figured out that he wanted me to ask Siri to turn on the music. Unfortunately, I don't have a pic of mine and Ollie's dance to the music Siri provided for us. But Ollie is now my record-breaking, youngest dance partner at 21 months of age.
There's something very special about dancing with my grands. We twirl, we spin, we sing along in pure joy and delight.
As I was thinking about this theme, I pulled a favorite picture book off the shelf. It's one that I enjoyed sharing with my students each year around Mother's Day.
". . . Mama would say:
'Bless the world
it feels like
a tip-tapping
song-singing
finger-snapping
kind of day.
Let's celebrate!'
And so we did."
The mother and daughter dance
through each of the seasons. But my favorite parts of the book are the "And afterward . . . " sections, the things that occur after the dancing, You'll have to read the book!
Thanks, Chris, for inviting us to this joyful celebration of dance for the merry month of May.
Oh, Ramona, I love those lines from the book you share, and your very young dancing grands. Lovely! I will definitely look for that book. "My mama had a dancing heart" is precious.
ReplyDeleteRamona, I just love hearing about your grands. Dancing partners are so much fun to have, especially when they are little. I need to see that book you shared. I want to have another celebratory day. Next weekend, the girls come over again while my daughter and son-in-law continue preparing for the newbie princess who enters the world on June 1st. We all plan on going to a brunch for Mother's Day so that will be our extra special celebration day.
ReplyDeleteRamona, what delightful dance partners you have. Having a dancing heart gets us through happy times as well as sad times. The unabandoned joy of a child dancing can't be beat. Keep on dancing.
ReplyDeleteDancing with these little people -- what could be better? Ruth, thereisnosuchthingasagodforsakentown.blogspot.com
ReplyDeleteOh my, Ramona there is nothing more joyful than holding toddler hands and twirling and spinning and laughing. I look forward to that day when my own grand can join me. Thank you!
ReplyDeleteRamona, like you, I was never much of a dancer - a little incongruously, as I loved performing in plays in my youth and some were musicals. I had to work so hard on the dancing and was terribly self-conscious about it. Never really overcame it, although I have always been awed by dancers and their extraordinary skill and grace. I look at my Micah (and your grands and many small children) and marvel at the way dance comes so freely to them - such an uninhibited means of expression and artistic response to music, which, let's face it, is certainly thriving somewhere in our bones if we are poets. These days I dance and dance with my granddaughters with such joy, exactly as you describe. And what a great book - I am endlessly amazed at the books you know and are able to tie to themes! I am grateful for all that you share. -Dance on!!
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