“The first fact about a celebration, is that it is a way of affirming defiantly, and even flamboyantly, that it is a good thing to be alive.” - - G. K. Chesterton
The Dance
Dance occupies an important place in our relationship. Jene and I met at a dance. During our 25th wedding anniversary, we were introduced to ballroom dancing on a cruise to Alaska. It has been both an enjoyable and, yes, romantic activity we do together.
We do about 8 or 9 different dances with varying degrees of skill. None of them do we perform at any level remotely approaching professional deftness – and that’s just fine, because we think dancing is primarily about having fun! Whatever your style or skill level is in dancing, we invite you to come out on the dance floor and enjoy the magic of dance with us!
The music we’ve selected for dancing at our Anniversary Celebration will support numerous styles of dance – from the traditional ballroom dances, to Latin and swing dancing, to contemporary freestyle. Frequently, our music will allow for more than one style of dance on the floor at the same time.
Our dance floor for the evening, at 32’ x 40’, is going to be considerably larger than you might be used to. The larger size is meant to allow enough room for all dancers to enjoy the floor, regardless of which style of dance they choose to perform. Some dances, like the classic ballroom dances (Waltz, Foxtrot, Tango & Quickstep), move around the floor in a counterclockwise fashion, and require considerable space to execute comfortably. During these dances, classic ballroom dancers share the floor with each other in a flowing sequence of passing couples. Other dances, including Rhumbas, Cha-Cha-Chas, Swings and Freestyles, are usually danced in a relatively small area of the dance floor, where the dancers can claim a spot on the floor as theirs for the dance. We recognize that these floor patterns could be a little confusing if you’re not used to them, so we offer a little guidance to help you feel more comfortable.
1. Generally speaking, the classic (“progressive”) ballroom dances are danced counterclockwise around the outside of the floor, while “spot” dances are danced in the center of the floor. This may appear to be counterintuitive, as we all like to find an out-of-the-way corner to do our special thing. This tactic does not work well on a larger dance floor, though, as the corners and edges of the floor are where classic ballroom dancers will be whizzing by! It may not seem right, but it’s nevertheless true: the center of the dance floor is the most appropriate place for “spot” dancers to position themselves. (Note: It is never appropriate to linger on the dance floor if you are not dancing.)
2. There are other general rules for Social Dancing, but you don’t need to pay attention to them tonight. However, for those whose curiosity inevitably gets the better of them and who are just fine with TMI, these links might be of interest:
For background - General Ballroom Dance Guide, and
As added amusement for all you Jane Austen fans - Dance Etiquette in Victorian Times.
When all is said and done, we hope you will go out on the dance floor and just have fun!
Our Dances
We didn’t dance at our wedding (it was a low budget affair), but the last 50 years has been nothing if not an intricate dance. 😊. Tonight I’d like to celebrate our life together by dancing two dances alone on the dance floor with Jene, assuming she will accept my invitation! I hope she will consent to a Foxtrot, which is my favorite dance, and a Waltz, which is hers. Below is the music I have chosen in hopes for each.
