I bet that most of you out there have seen (and loved) Dirty Dancing. It is a classic with almost a cultish following - complete with t-shirts and accessories available that say "Nobody puts Baby in the corner." There is something about the movie that is raw and sexy ... oh wait, it's Patrick Swayze.
Dirty Dancing and I go way back. When I was elementary school age, my parents had a collection of CD's that I would occasionally steal. My usual suspects were Nat King Cole, Phantom of the Opera and Dirty Dancing. To this day the DD soundtrack is one of my all-time favorites.
Well I loved this music so much that when the talent show at my new school rolled around in third grade I knew that my talent would be performing a routine to DD's "Time of my Life." Let me make this clear - I had never seen DD. My parents were verrryyy strict about movies so I don't think I actually saw the movie until high school. But that didn't stop my determination.
So as Mr. Boyd passed around the Talent Show forms, under the Talent section I confidently wrote "Dirty Dancing." Needless to say, the next day he called me over to his desk with a concerned look on his face, "Grace, I am going to need you to explain this because I can't exactly let someone who plans to do 'dirty dancing' on the stage." I started to tear up, completely not understanding this man's problem with DD. I blubbered that it was my favorite song and he finally understood I was talking about a song from the movie.
So a few weeks later I donned a leotard and danced on-stage in front of hundreds of people to "Time of my Life" by myself. Let me tell you a little bit more about this. I did not choreograph a dance or have some specific moves - no, I literally got up there and just danced for approximately 4 minutes.
In the wake of the death of a great man and actor perhaps we can honor him by putting on "Time of my Life" or "Love is Strange" and just dance. Dance like an 8-year-old being watched by hundreds of people at her new school - completely uninhibited and satisfied to be dancing to a really great song.
I couldn't get the You Tube video in here but try this link to go to one of my favorite scenes in the movie!
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Stay Chic,
HSG
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This is funny!! I remember those elementary school talent shows...I had a very similar experience dancing to The Wilson Phillips...does that ring a bell? I know you are a bit younger. Well anyhoo, my music teacher asked that we bring in the lyrics to the songs we were dancing to. Later she pulled me aside to ask if I was sure that was the song I wanted to dance to because apparently the lyrics were super depressing. I assured her it would be fine...The show went on!
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