I Wanna Dance With Somebody :)

So, my dear friend Danaé is getting married soon and I can’t wait to dance at her wedding.  Seriously.  I love to dance, but I’m the first to admit that it’s not my number one talent.  My sense of rhythm is kind of lacking—unless the dance is choreographed, or if it’s line dancing, or if it is one of the traditional ones that I can do with a man (because then I’m like, “I got this!”).  Thank God for the cotillion classes and the hula and tap lessons I took in grade school, the dances I signed up for during my high school Red and Gold days, and the concerts I've been to because they have given me the basics and keep me from looking like a complete newbie out on the dance floor.  Even though freestyle dance isn’t my thing, if you give me a little while, I’ll eventually ignore that fearful, insecure voice in the back of my mind that wants to hold me back and I will dance the night away!

What got me thinking about dancing today were two songs I heard on the radio: Whitney Houston’s I Wanna Dance With Somebody and Chris Brown’s Forever.  I love these dance songs.  Whenever I hear them on the radio I find some way to dance to them, either with my fingers taping on the steering wheel or with my foot tapping on the floor (but not my gas pedal foot!).  I grew up listening to I Wanna Dance With Somebody and I can remember jumping around in my room as a little one, wearing my special “dance costumes” (which were long full skirts and silken scarves wrapped around my arms, neck and hair), waving the Ribbon Dancer around and belting out the lyrics at the top of my lungs (I obviously wasn’t as self-conscious then as I am now…but what child isn’t self-conscious at the youngster age, right?).  Whitney Houston’s song brings back so many flashes of happy childhood memories to me and it’s that wistful nostalgia that keeps my love for that song strong.  I first heard Forever on the episode of The Office when Jim and Pam finally got married.  I’d been waiting for that marriage since Season 1 and when it finally happened I was so excited!  Of course, I didn’t understand that The Office was spoofing a youtube video until after the episode was over—but once I saw that youtube video I loved the song even more!  I’m still not quite sure how I feel about the bridal party rocking out to that song as they dance down the aisle in a church of all places…it’s really not very respectful…but the concept was original and I can forgive their lapse because they looked like they were so happy and were having such a good time!  Then I heard Forever at Molly and Bryce’s wedding when we were all out dancing in the nighttime air in-between the gardens covered in Christmas tree lights.  That was another special moment because the joy was palpable…everyone was smiling and laughing and dancing and even singing along! 

Whenever I hear those two songs I always think of all of the happy moments they are now always and forever associated with, and I know my husband and I will dance to them at our own wedding.  But until then, I hope Danaé plays them at hers so I can dance to them (and hopefully with somebody)!

<3

Here's that youtube video!