THE FIRST DANCE

I wonder about the first dance.  Think about it for a moment.  In an “Adam danced when he saw Eve for the first time” sort of way.  Someplace, somewhere, there was a first dance. 

It might have very well been a solo dance. Perhaps a hunter dancing after he kills a buffalo; because he knows his family won’t starve.  But then he gets home with his bounty and his wife steps out to greet her returning hunter and she spontaneously dances a twirl in celebration.  And then… it happens… two lone dancers realize that their celebration would be better with a partner.  And the husband reaches out with his hand with invitation and the first couple’s dance happens.

All dances since then are related to that first dance.  At some point in history, a man naturally, intuitively, in response to some inner song… in response to joy and passion… he raised his hand and a woman without hesitation moved into the opening and did the first underarm turn… the first… ever.  From that moment on there was no turning back.  Dance had begun.

A few days later, a neighbor happened to be walking by and saw the man and his wife dancing.  They briefly noted that their neighbor was watching, but they didn’t care.  They didn’t let it interrupt their dance.

Intrigued the neighbor later inquired, “What was that I saw you and your wife doing the other day?”

“Oh, that… we call it dancing.  Why?”

“Well… it looked like fun.”

“It is.”  And then he suggested to his neighbor that he should learn how.  The neighbor said that he didn’t know how.  The dancer said, “No problem.  I’ll teach you.  You and your partner can come to my place tomorrow afternoon at 5 o’clock.”  

And… here we are today.