Wednesday, November 11, 2009
DANCING . . .
I met Rosie (in blue) the first time, on my first of three days trekking the Camino towards Finisterre, Spain when I stopped to eat lunch and ended up dancing to the beat of the music for two hours. I had a song in my heart and my feet glided above the trail after my meeting with Rosie.
Trekking the Camino can and often does mean long days on dirt trails through beautiful countrysides, and this day was no different. Walking for six or so hours on this last day, my third day after leaving Santiago, Spain (where most Pilgrims stop walking, not many continue on to Finisterre) I noticed along the way bouquets of flowers laying on many doorways. I arrived in Finisterre early enough to spend time greeting the Atlantic Ocean (knowing that the only thing missing was my sweet, sweet man Marc) and discovered it was a night of feasting and celebration for the locals. A bonfire on the beach where Pilgrims would throw in something of their gear in honor of finishing the Camino, locals grilling the catch of the day, laughing and dancing, it was the Feast day of John the Baptiste. Legend says, John the Baptiste blesses anyone who lays flowers out for him.
After the bonfire died and locals went home I needed to dance some more. I found a few of my Pilgrim friends and convinced them to come dance with me. Out of many Pilgrims the only people who would go dancing and didn't want to go to sleep were two guys who ended up sitting at the bar having a beer while I danced, and danced, and danced alone. There was a local girl at the bar with her boyfriend and I motioned for her to please come dance with me. She did! We didn't speak each other's language but had so much fun dancing around following each other into the next room it didn't matter. Then her boyfriend and the two guys got up and danced following us all around, taking turns leading, deliriously laughing as the music played on. I trekked nearly 20 miles that day, afterwards danced with the locals, then danced till the sun rose the next morning. My heart was full.
In the picture above Rosie & I danced the second time in one week, in Spain, 2002, nearing Finisterre, along the Camino. I DANCE whenever the moment strikes me. On this particular day my friends and I were hungry after trekking for hours in the hot sun. Having been there a week ago I wanted to see my Spanish speaking friend, Rosie but didn't see her. Speaking only english I couldn't communicate what I wanted until I said, "Rosie." The smiling guy behind the bar went through a curtain to the back room and brought "Rosie!" Seeing each other we smiled, laughed, hugged, and kissed each other's cheeks, we were happy. And of course Rosie knew what I wanted...she turned up the music full blast and all us girls started hootin' then started dancing! Wooo Hooo we were the Wooo Hooo Women! WHATEVER IT TAKES!
Movement never lies. It is a barometer telling the state of the soul's weather to all who can read it. ~Martha Graham
I love many things, but dancing is first. I should have been a professional dancer, because when the beat is there, my body and feet just take over, no need of a partner.
As a little girl I watched my Aunt Dolly on the American Bandstand TV show, and then she'd come home to show me her moves. The first dance I remember was "The Twist" by Chubby Checker. Do you remember when things were really hummin', oh let's twist again like we did last summer. I remember like it was yesterday, my little body jumping and moving all around the living room. Laugh out loud. WHATEVER IT TAKES!
I love living in the Sonoran Desert where I can drive out to a dirt road in McDowell Mountain Park, opening the doors to my jeep, turning up the volume on the radio...my boots begin to move on the desert floor as my body sways to a lively tune. Just me, my jeep, the music, the desert, the plants and the critters catching a glance of the ecstatic Vibrant Woman! I imagined the critters were dancing too!
Many Years ago on the prairie in Spirit Lake, Idaho at two or three in the morning, at a weekend retreat when all the other women were sound asleep...I Danced.
A distant coyote howled while I danced in the cold black night. Stars sparkled above me, a cold breeze cooling down my hot sweated body, listening to music with my earbuds to some song that had me moving, dancing through the blonde knee high dried weeds. I was a Vibrant Woman dancing on the earth, my smiling face beaming towards the gods, arms flailing and turning as the drumming pounded through my soul. I was happy, delirious as I always get when I'm dancing.
Can you hear the beat? Listen . . .
Here are two treats, Enjoy:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eoaTl7IcFs8#watch-main-area
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eoaTl7IcFs8
Living Passionately,
AriZona
# posted by AriZona Williams @ 6:08 PM 
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