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Today’s Blog Post
My mom will be 90 on January 28, 2011. Born in 1921 she has seen some amazing things to say the least.
Today she uses a walker almost everywhere she moves. He steps are slower with each month passing. But she still remembers the younger things in her life…. Younger days long ago.
She told me a story of her great love for Dancing. I think it was about the mid 1930s when she really began to kick up her heals. She was about 13 or 14 then. Her comment one time, “I loved to Dance…” said it all as her voice trailed off.
As I often do lately I use the YouTube videos as entertainment and fun. It is amazing what you can find each time you visit.
Today I discovered again the Charleston and the Quick Step. I grinned from ear to ear as I watched the videos – both old and new. Here were my mom’s dances from the mid 1930s.
The grainy black and white videos had captured men and women doing things with their limbs that make it almost impossible to imagine how a person can do such a thing… and all of it is done magically to a very bouncy and bright music played live.
The Al Minns and Leon James were dancing in the Savoy Ballroom in Harlem. The link is at the end of this post. Amazing!
Then there is the great video composed of many old films and some amateur shots taken back then.
Mom told me too… that her Dancing stopped when the family got “religion”. Actually that isn’t the way that she said… but it was my impression.
Prayer, going to church services and summer church camps replaced the younger, wilder days on their teen years. They were to all face a new threat when their brothers, uncles and even dads would leave for an ugly war and never return.
Prayer was not bad in those tough times… but Dancing might have helped too.
As a minister is a fairly rigid and upright(uptight) group of Christians over these years… it has taken time for some to loosen up.
At most weddings now, the dance is a key part of the celebrations. Rigid or not so much Christianity now allows this to happen. Lots of things have changed.
When my mom sees the old dances she grins. She misses it I know.
Now I look at my own aging process and the way that I am looking back more and more… I miss lots of stuff as well.
I found Elvis doing his Jail House Rock… watched the whole thing again… WOW! Elvis was doing many of the steps that Al and Leon did in the Charleston – only the music was very different. It was 1957 and I was 13 years old.
I typed Michael Jackson and the 1982 Music Video of Michael performing Billie Jean. Double WOW! Michael’s steps and dancing looks a lot like Al and Leon’s…. only very different music.
That led me to Michael’s “Thriller” (1982) – music very different, dance steps like the old days… and now a wee bit of really off the wall Spiritual Stuff… with Vincent Price’s words… and then the Ghouls Dance… My daughters were about 13 and 14 – same as their grandma was.
Interesting… now my Grandkids are averaging between 12 to 14… and Justin Bieber is the newest and hottest musical wonder. His dance videos all have steps similar to the Charleston as well. Can you believe it!?
Now my mom watches a different world that has really changed much… but maybe not that much. Hmmm?
So what is your story? How do you dance?
~ Murray Lincoln ~
http://www.murraylincoln.com/
Resource
Charleston with Al and Leon
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=57sfRo26fAc&feature=related
Flappers and Hair Bob and Dancing
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3svvCj4yhYc&feature=related
Elvis and Jail House Rock
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tpzV_0l5ILI
Michael Jackson
Billie Jean
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zi_XLOBDo_Y
Thriller
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sOnqjkJTMaA&feature=channel
Justin Bieber – Baby Baby
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kffacxfA7G4
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