Yesterday at the amazing “Rollin Deep” event put on by the Bay Area Roller Group, I got to experience all those life-giving feelings that dancing gives to me that I had almost forgotten:
- Seeing another dancer going off, locking eyes, and just vibing with them for a moment, a phrase, or whole song.
- Seeing your friend go into the jam and shouting out their name.
- That electric nervousness and excitement right before jumping into the jam yourself.
- Going into the jam and hearing people cheer. Then releasing whatever you are feeling in the music into your body.
Yesterday was the first time that I had felt — after 10 months of practice — that my skates were just a part of my body, and not this weird thing that was getting in the way of me moving the way I wanted to move. The feeling of just getting into the flow of the music and not thinking about what “move” I was trying to execute.
These are all the things that dance gives to me, and more.
NOTE: That isn’t me skating in the front. I’m in the back in the magenta jacket awkwardly hugging a couple of other dancers I have not seen for a year! So many awkward and wonderful hugs, fistbumps, and elbow bumps.