Square Dancing
Moving through time and space.
“Swing your corner like swingin’ on a gate.
Now back to your partner if you’re not too late.”
Hand on a waist, hand in hand, spinning round with a partner, circling up with the group, trading partners and back again, more spinning with the group - sweat flying, feet stomping, hands clapping - the night was filled with innocent excitement, experiencing something completely new.
Recently, I had the opportunity to be in Mountain View, AR, adding to a potential documentary. The main focus was a square dance held on a hot and humid Saturday night. As the light faded, I finished filming and put the camera down.
Having watched enough of the fun, I couldn’t merely be a spectator anymore.
I had to join in.
The trick was, I’ve never square danced. But in small-town manner, the folks there were kind enough to try to teach me on the fly. Figuring out left from right was more difficult than it should have been, but I had never felt so alive.
My saving grace in this whole ordeal is a good sense of tempo. Playing music has been an integral part of my life, including jazz, which is its own beast when it comes to rhythm. So, even when I got the moves wrong, I could still stay in sync with the group and get to where I needed to be next. In the almost-chaotic movement of the circle, the energy flowed and the connection to others felt so natural. Young, old, experienced, novice, it didn’t matter, everyone was joined together, moving through the beat. Then, the music stopped and the next dance called was completely different.
The waltz.
Again, I have no skill with dancing at all, but I had filmed one of the waltzing practices earlier, and wanted to try it. Now, with a waltz, there is no hiding in the chaos. You’re on the hook to make it work, hand in hand with a partner - which sounds like a life lesson in itself.
I had my eye set on a particular girl to dance with. I had watched her earlier in the day struggle to find a groove. Part of that was a poor set of partners, but the another hindrance to her smooth waltz was her need to be right on the beat, at the beginning of the beat, anticipating it so much that she was bouncing into it almost early and then trying to pull it back.
Knowing my sense of music and tempo (though again, no real experience with the actual dancing) I thought I could be a suitable partner in that fashion. In a moment of boldness, I got up the nerve and called out to her before anyone else could snatch her away.
Mission accomplished. Now my inexperience was put on full display, heartbeat ringing in my ears.
In my mind (and I may be completely wrong), a waltz is a bit similar to certain forms of jazz. You can’t rush it. You have to slide into it and relax, meeting the beat at the last possible moment in order to fit the movement into it. I worked to calm down and adopt this mindset, but this was the opposite of what the girl had experienced that day.
One two three. Two two three. Push two three. Together two three. Step on her foot two three.
It was a rocky start, and my nerves were getting the best of me. This was much harder than I thought, but eventually we began to settle in, communicate, and find a rhythm together.
One two three. Lift two three. Twirl two three. Back two three.
Her eyes would brighten when the movements felt right, and in those moments the air was suddenly alive and every sense was heightened. “Maybe we’re getting the hang of this,” I’d think.
And then I would screw something else up, and we’d be back to square one.
Sadly, the waltz was over too soon. Given just a few more moments, I think our flow could have been considered almost graceful. Alas, time is gone just as it’s getting good, and I was off in another circle doing my best to keep up with the myriad of calls and staying in concert with a group of 8 - again trying to remember my left from my right.
But none of this is really about dancing.
Life requires us to connect with people, trust people, and find rhythm with those around us. It is essential that we feel the tempo and slip into it. If we anticipate too much, we’ll rush and it becomes jerky. We have to relax into the beat and hear the music that God has set in our lives. It’s not always easy, especially as we’re dealing with others’ sense of timing as well.
Sometimes we step on toes, move the wrong direction, or lose the beat.
Sometimes we find unison and the world melts away.
In the end, we just have to dance