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May I Have This Dance?
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Subject: BS: May I Have This Dance? From: Jerry Rasmussen Date: 17 May 04 - 12:44 PM Last night, my wife and I went to a 45th wedding Anniversary celebration of friends of ours. At one point in the celebration, the mc asked all the married couples to get up on the floor for a dance competition. My wife and I were sitting with our friends, Joe who sings bass in the Gospel Messengers, and his wife Corrie. Joe and I kinda rolled our eyes, because neither of us are good dancers, but we led our wives out onto the floor. They had a great band there, and the female singer launched into a very soulful version of At Last, and my wife and I just beamed. That song, by Etta James, is one of our favories, and it was one of the songs we danced to at our wedding six years ago. As the dance went on, the mc started asking the couples who had been married the shortest amount of time to sit down. He started with those who'd been married less than five years, then ten (and my wife and I sat down.) When he got up to 46 years, our friends who were celebrating their anniversary sat down and finally, the only couple dancing (with a spotlight on them) were Joe and Corrie. When the mc asked how long they'd been married, Joe said 56 years. As they continued dancing, the spotlight followed them around the floor, and I was out there taking pictures. Remembering last night, I think of the song May I Have This Dance For The Rest Of My life by Anne Murray. And I think of my parents. I only saw my father dance with my mother twice in my life. Once, on video, and once at their 65th wedding anniversary. My father wasn't the romantic type, and when he wanted to learn to dance in his younger days, he drove to a neighboring town to take lessons anonymously, so none of his drinking buddies would know. If you're not a romantic, then this thread is not for you. In my parent's generation, most of the men I knew weren't much for dancing and had to be dragged on to the floor by their wives. Almost at gunpoint. And I feel sorry for them, for all that they missed. I wrote a song many years ago for the lavender haired widows with the following verse: "Where are the men who can find their contentment In a livingroom waltz or a walk by the sea Who still know the meaning of now and forever And a love that can last through eternity" Did your parents dance? Do you? I mean the slow dancing that is so romantic. It seems to be a vanishing art. Too bad. Still romantic after all these years Jerry |
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Subject: RE: BS: May I Have This Dance? From: Sooz Date: 17 May 04 - 02:07 PM My Dad (a miner) bravely took dancing lessons in his fifties and then proceded to make up for lost time. Not as romantic, but interesting to me, he also took swimming lessons so that he could enjoy the pool with me (a late arrival to the family) a thing he'd missed out on with his older kids. I wish he'd lived just a few years longer so that he could have learned more new skills to share with his grandchildren! |
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Subject: RE: BS: May I Have This Dance? From: Wolfgang Date: 17 May 04 - 02:17 PM Both my parents did (and still do) and I do on a regualr basis. Wolfgang |
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Subject: RE: BS: May I Have This Dance? From: GUEST,MMario Date: 17 May 04 - 02:21 PM my parents are coming up on their 60th anniversary - 'May I have this Dance?' is one of the songs we plan to play at the party...(we're collecting a bunch of songs that remind "us" (their nine kids plus associated spouses and offspring) of them. |
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Subject: RE: BS: May I Have This Dance? From: GUEST,amergin Date: 17 May 04 - 02:41 PM I don't dance....it is a safety hazard...with me stepping on my own toes...and tripping her...and then getting black eyes.. |
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Subject: RE: BS: May I Have This Dance? From: Jerry Rasmussen Date: 17 May 04 - 03:20 PM amergin... I've learned that, for the safety of my partner, my feet never leave the floor... I just glide.. Jerry |
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Subject: RE: BS: May I Have This Dance? From: Rapparee Date: 17 May 04 - 04:11 PM My wife loves to dance, I never really learned to dance either fast or slow. One day I'd like to take lessons and then surprise her. Unfortunately, there don't seem to be many places for dancing anymore. |
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Subject: RE: BS: May I Have This Dance? From: black walnut Date: 17 May 04 - 04:57 PM I can't believe this is in the non-music section. Dance = music = dance = music = ..... ~b.w. |
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Subject: RE: BS: May I Have This Dance? From: Jerry Rasmussen Date: 17 May 04 - 06:32 PM You're probably right, b.w. I guess that I was thinking of it more as a reflection on social changes than about dancing, as such. Either way would work fine. Jerry |
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Subject: RE: BS: May I Have This Dance? From: Ellenpoly Date: 18 May 04 - 10:30 AM My 66 year old flatmate has just started taking tango lessons, and he's having a ball! I miss dancing...the REAL kind with a partner, and I'd give a lot to have one again who knew my every move, and a venue close enough to go regularly. The only problem is that I've sworn off dresses, and I've always thought they look so wonderful when one is swirling around the dance foor. Now if I could only talk my flatmate into a slinky number..xx..e |
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Subject: RE: BS: May I Have This Dance? From: open mike Date: 18 May 04 - 12:50 PM Every month i play music at the local contra dance . We always have a waltz just before the break in the middle of the evening, and at the end of the night. Sometimes we squeeze in a polka. The nice thing about is that everyone gets a chance to dance, and there is no need to bring your own partner. This is a very healthy way to be able to have good exercize, and social contact. Many singles attend as this fulfills a need in our lives that we miss out on by not having partners. Dance Therapy! We often have a family dance, or large circle mixer dance, usually a waltz, where everyone gets to dance with everyone. my partner of nearly 25 years rarely wanted to dance, and so if i wanted to dance, i got to by going to the contra dance. I have heard that Baptists are against sex, because it might lead to dancing. |
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Subject: RE: BS: May I Have This Dance? From: Jerry Rasmussen Date: 18 May 04 - 01:45 PM Sounds real nice, OM: Reminds me of a place I went to as a young man called The Cabbage Patch. They had a three piece band and a small dance floor. "And the last dance they played, it was always a waltz And they took it real nice and slow And it made no difference who had the last dance You knew she'd be taking him home." "And what can you do when the last dance is done And the band is all packed up and ready to go? Just bid them good night, and when you turn off the light Say a prayer for the sailors at sea" Jerry |
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Subject: RE: BS: May I Have This Dance? From: Wolfgang Date: 18 May 04 - 03:27 PM Dance only with sliding feet?? That would exclude Vienna Waltz, quickstep, and several other dances. But it still leaves a lot. Wolfgang |
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Subject: RE: BS: May I Have This Dance? From: GUEST,lurker Date: 18 May 04 - 03:38 PM The only dance I would ever do...is the Wilbury Twist |
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Subject: RE: BS: May I Have This Dance? From: greg stephens Date: 18 May 04 - 03:43 PM To answer your question |
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Subject: RE: BS: May I Have This Dance? From: Jerry Rasmussen Date: 18 May 04 - 04:55 PM Just kidding, Wolfgang.. Although I am not a very good dancer(not dancing much more often than my father did) I usually don't injure my partner. I really do lift my feet. Truth is, over here there is very little opportunity for what we call "Ballroom" dancing anymore other than at Wedding Anniversaries and Senior Centers. Dancing these days seems to be a pantomime of the sex act. Shake your booty... Jerry |
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Subject: RE: BS: May I Have This Dance? From: black walnut Date: 18 May 04 - 05:07 PM Jerry - the romance of this thread is delightful. I remember that my dad used to waltz with a broomstick quite often. He thought he was the best dancer since sliced bread. He put down the broomstick and danced with my mom on anniversaries. When my husband and I got married, we had a folk dance teacher come to the reception and we all spent a wonderful evening doing a zillion different kinds of line, circle, contra and partner dances. These days I contra-dance and step-dance, and have been known to thoroughly enjoy a good waltz. Here's from a song I wrote: When I dance in your arms With a step and a spin There's no way of telling Where the next one begins It's a waltz for two And the words are few And it's starting all over again ~b.w. |
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Subject: RE: BS: May I Have This Dance? From: lady penelope Date: 18 May 04 - 05:21 PM My parents will be 44 years married this year and still regularly put 'trained' jivers to shame. My Father thinks any bloke that doesn't consider dancing ( as with a partner ) as part of their kit for dating, to be a fool. Even Parker has attempted it to win my favours. For smooching my Mum loves waltzes, 'cos you can be as intimate or flambouyant as you want. My Dad loves a syncapated rythym, so anything from a two step upwards. I think what my parents really like is their dance partners. After so many years together, it's still such a kick to twirl onto the dance floor and let rip. oooh I'm brimming........ TTFN Lady P. |
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Subject: RE: BS: May I Have This Dance? From: mack/misophist Date: 18 May 04 - 05:57 PM None of my relatives from my parent's generation danced. They didn't disapprove, they just didn't like it. I detest it. |
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Subject: RE: BS: May I Have This Dance? From: Jerry Rasmussen Date: 18 May 04 - 06:21 PM Good posts, bw and lady p: Sometimes I think that the folk community thinks that the only true waltz is with bears. Nice song, too, bw. It's funny, as a pretty lousy dancer, who many songs I've written with waltzes in them. I wrote a song about a woman in a nursing home who was paralyzed to the extent that all she could do was tap one finger to the music I was playing. A song came to me about her, imagining that she was thinking back to the time when she was a young girl, being asked to dance. "She moves to the music, although she can't dance With a far away look in her eye Then she's back once again on that warm summer night As if none of the years had rolled by He bows so politely and asks her to dance And she smiles as she offers her hand Then they balance and turn in three quarter time And you swear she can still hear the band" Jerry |
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Subject: RE: BS: May I Have This Dance? From: black walnut Date: 18 May 04 - 06:55 PM Jerry I'll sing you my song if you'll sing me yours! ~b.w. |
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Subject: RE: BS: May I Have This Dance? From: Burke Date: 18 May 04 - 06:58 PM My mother loved to dance, my dad barely tolerated it. I think that's why she had all her children in ballet lessons really early. I'm the only one who really took to it. I quit ballet a long time ago. I did international & contras for a long time. My body objects to it now. I love a good, turning waltz. The way most people waltz, at the contras I've been to, is an abomination. Culturally dancing is usually for the young adults. A chance for private interaction in a public place. |
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Subject: RE: BS: May I Have This Dance? From: YorkshireYankee Date: 18 May 04 - 07:15 PM I have heard that Baptists are against sex, because it might lead to dancing. open mike, the version of that joke I heard is that Baptists don't approve of the missionary position 'cos it might lead to dancing... I remember -- at summer camp one year -- being absoloutely amazed when one boy said he wasn't allowed to dance because it was against his religion (he was Baptist). As the daughter of a dance teacher, the idea that dancing could be considered in some way evil or immoral was a truly alien concept. I felt sorry for him; I thought (and still think) that dancing is such a healthy, joyful activity, and for people to be denied one of life's innocent (IMHO) pleasures is a sad thing indeed. As for me, there are few things as deliciously wonderful as a waltz -- with a partner who also enjoys waltzing. My parents used to dance together when they were younger (rarely now, due to Dad's bad back & knees) -- particularly slower dances. I remember Mom telling me that they used to refer to a slow, intimate dance as a "Ydance"... i.e. "Why dance?" ;-) Cheers, YY |
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Subject: RE: BS: May I Have This Dance? From: Jerry Rasmussen Date: 18 May 04 - 07:57 PM Hey, YY: I iz a Batpist, as is my wife, and 90% of the people who were dancing at the Anniversary celebration last weekend. Not just waltzes. either, but the Electric Slide, where folks really get down. There are as many kinds of Baptists as there are biochemists :-) Jerry |
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Subject: RE: BS: May I Have This Dance? From: black walnut Date: 18 May 04 - 08:07 PM Amen brother! ~b.w. (who was raised 2 kinds of Baptist) |
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Subject: RE: BS: May I Have This Dance? From: Hrothgar Date: 19 May 04 - 01:22 AM Highlight, National Folk Festival 2003: At the start of the Festival Ball they played waltzes. Now I reckon there is nothing as good as waltzing with a woman in a big dress. The lady I was dancing with is a really lovely dancer, and just to top it off, the band didn't play standard stuff like "Ye Banks and Braes" or "Believe Me If All Those Endearing Young Charms" - they played Strauss. It was magical. We only touched down at the corners of the ballroom. The band, by the way, were a South Australian family group called Tamarisque. |
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Subject: RE: BS: May I Have This Dance? From: YorkshireYankee Date: 19 May 04 - 01:37 PM Hrothgar, you sound like my kinda guy! Hope we have a chance to waltz together some day... Jerry, I'm truly delighted to learn that not *all* Baptists disapprove of such harmless pleasures -- thank goodness for that! |
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Subject: RE: BS: May I Have This Dance? From: Jerry Rasmussen Date: 19 May 04 - 03:14 PM Yorkshire Yankee: There's white Baptists and black Baptists, southern and northern. I am the sole (soul) white male member of a black Baptist church with a congregation of over 1,500. Now that we've moved, we don't get down to our "home" church as often and we go to a Baptist Church where we live, most sundays. It's primarily a white Baptist church, although there several black families (and my wife is black.) Dancing is not only common at the black Baptist church, it happens spontaneously during the service. Three years ago, our black church took a trip to Ghana and we attended a Baptist Church there where they put everyone to shame as far as vigorous, enthusiastic, rhythmic dancing is concerned. We brought some of that back in our Spirits, and it is becoming a more frequent part of our service here. The mostly white Baptist church where we live now has square dancing at the family picnic during the summer, and everyone dances enthusiastically. Several members aprticipate regularly throughout the year in square and contra dancing. Over the last few years, my group has played in countless Baptist churches, mostly black. I've never come across anyone who wasn't enthusiastic about dancing. One of the first times that my group sang in a church was for the funeral of one of our member's wives. I was singing the lead on a song "When I Get To Glory" and half of the church was not only on their feet, but were dancing in the aisles. That was a new experience for me. The Baptists who get the bad name for all Baptists are some (but not all) of the Southern Baptists, who are very strict. But, even there, the Pastor of our wonderful, warm, inviting, multi-cultural dancin' church that we go to where we live is a Southern Baptist. It only goes to show. Jerry |
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Subject: RE: BS: May I Have This Dance? From: YorkshireYankee Date: 19 May 04 - 06:33 PM Jerry, It does indeed... Thanks for the overview -- very interesting. |
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Subject: RE: BS: May I Have This Dance? From: bbc Date: 19 May 04 - 09:05 PM Hi, Jerry, Actually, there still *is* ballroom dance in the U.S. You just need to know where to look for it. After an 8-year break, I am back with a man I danced w/ for 6 years in the past. We do square, round, & ballroom dancing regularly & really love it. We are each approximately 50 years old. Give my love to Ruth! best always, Barbara |
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Subject: RE: BS: May I Have This Dance? From: Padre Date: 19 May 04 - 11:14 PM Jerry, I seem to remember that you wrote and sang a really wonderful song about a couple dancing on a cruise boat called The Silver Queen? ...or has my memory gone completely... If that is true, could you post the words. Padre |
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Subject: RE: BS: May I Have This Dance? From: Roger the Skiffler Date: 20 May 04 - 04:23 AM My parents only interest in music was-is it danceable to? They loved ballroom dancing in a social, not a competition way, right up to my mother's death at 85. My own dancing style, rarely seen these days, is a sort of jive plus free form flailing that embarrasses my lovely wife whose Charleston is the envy of many, who has been a hit at many impromptu taverna evenings (including acclaimed participation in Ikarian Leaping Dance and Kalymniot dancing on bartop). My own attempts at Hasapiko with Yorgos and friends...well, guess who's the one out of step - can't tell my dexia podi from my aristera! I have occasionally tried to prove I could once do the twist (or the Eagle Rock as we called it in the old days!) but just can't get down low any more without ending up on my backside. RtS |
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Subject: RE: BS: May I Have This Dance? From: JennieG Date: 20 May 04 - 04:23 AM I have waltzed with Hrothgar....a truly divine experience. And yes, I was wearing a big dress. I wasn't the partner for the Strauss waltz, however. Cheers JennieG |
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Subject: RE: BS: May I Have This Dance? From: JennieG Date: 20 May 04 - 04:27 AM I have waltzed with Hrothgar........a truly divine experience. And yes, I was wearing a big dress. I wasn't the partner for the Strauss waltz, however. Cheers JennieG who loves to waltz |
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Subject: RE: BS: May I Have This Dance? From: Hrothgar Date: 20 May 04 - 06:23 AM Thanks, Jen. I love dancing with you, too. See you in Maitland in August? Our ball up here is 14th August. |
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Subject: Lyr Add: NO TANGO TONIGHT From: 42 Date: 20 May 04 - 07:30 AM just as I was thinking about posting a tender story about how patiently my Dad tried to teach me to waltz when I was a young girl up pops Jerry's reference to waltzing with bears. I've just finished a show with my grade one class (6&7year olds) in which they all learned to waltz (with a partner of the opposite sex- eeeuuuu) and actually enjoyed themselves. Imagine if you will ten couples moving gracefully about the floor - boys dressed in old cloth fedoras and their fathers' suit jackets...girls as various species of bears with flouncy skirts...all singing at the top of their lungs and smiling their faces off...ah the romance. Dancing as a co-operative endeavour seems to have fallen by the wayside somehow...it all seems to be a competition of some sort...much to my sorrow and the detriment of the human race. No Tango Tonight - waltz time in C "Drawn by the music we drift to the dance. Footwork cuts patterns in time. Eyes tightly shut to the swirl of the crowd. I'll open yours and you mine. I'll open yours and you mine. As we sway in this waltz, carefully counting each step We think on the canvas we paint. Brushstrokes of harmony, palette of tears Draws a bittersweet, tender restraint, A bittersweet tender restraint, And it's one two three; one two three one two three; one two three...no tango tonight. it's one two three; one two three one two three; one two three...no tango tonight." There's more but I have to go to work now. j |
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Subject: RE: BS: May I Have This Dance? From: YorkshireYankee Date: 20 May 04 - 09:07 PM There's a *lovely* song about an older couple dancing together by Laszlo Slomovitz (half of the Ann Arbor duo Gemini (they're twins)). Here's the chorus: As they started to dance like old lovers Who know and cherish each other's grace And his arms never pushed nor pulled her And her eyes never left his face Here's a link to the rest of the song |
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Subject: RE: BS: May I Have This Dance? From: Jerry Rasmussen Date: 20 May 04 - 10:41 PM Thanks, Yorkshire... it's a lovely song. Jerry And, I posted the words to Silver Queen as requested by my friend padre in a separate thread. |
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Subject: RE: BS: May I Have This Dance? From: JennieG Date: 21 May 04 - 03:43 AM Sorry about the double posting above, the computer was having a hissy fit at the time.....I just luuurve technology. Roger you will most definitely see me at Maitland, my room at the pub is already booked! Cheers JennieG |
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