"I was puppet dancing to the max!"

As a white American female, attending the University of Notre Dame, there are not very many times when I have the experience of being within a minority group. I tend to blend in with the outward appearance of the crowd and find comfort in knowing how to move and converse with those around me. Though, there are many things that set me apart as an individual, there are more things that make me a prototype of privileged white culture. 

This past weekend was a celebration of such around campus. It was the Blue and Gold football scrimmage, which brought with it patronizing alums, elaborate tailgates, and drunk collegiates and grad students who dedicated a 72 degree beautiful day in South Bend to the pursuit of blackout status. In the fall the MBA school hosts the most raucous tailgate of all, complete with a stereo system set to the Linebacker's greatest hits and many drunk 30 year olds dancing while eating chick-fillet and guzzling beer. This spring tailgate was a little tamer - - not as much shotgunning, not as much dancing. I was a little disappointed by the lack of dancing and ended up leaving the tailgate prematurely to attend various sporting events around campus.

In the evening I went to a rock concert. It probably was the fifth concert that I have been to in my entire life. The ones that I can recount are Dave Matthews Band circa 1998, TLC in 1999, Justin Timberlake in 2007, and Willie Nelson at Rivinia last summer. Besides that, my live music experiences have been concentrated on symphonic, operatic, and musical performances. So this pathetic list of attended concerts is rather embarrassing to say the least. The band was Umphree's McGee. Those familiar with this band appreciate their jam sessions, but I found their sound very loud and confusing. What I found more confusing though was how out of place I was in the crowd. In downtown South Bend, where I have never felt out of place within the walls of such places as Finnegans or Corby's, I was suddenly very self-aware. I had just come from a dinner party and was wearing nice jeans, a wrap-around sweater, and espadrilles. Those around me were wearing Harry Potter hats, grass skirts, no shirts, no shoes, and accessories like kazoos. My hair was neatly tied back in a pony-tail and my face slightly made-up. Those around me had their hair knotted up in dreadlocks and hadn't even washed their faces. 

For a lack of better title, the "hippies" engaged in gyration all around me - - a form of dance, movement, appreciation that I didn't understand. They bounced back and forth with the music, cheered when the band started jamming, waved their hands all around them, and looked to be having the greatest time. I just stood there afraid that everyone was judging me for not fitting in. I observed the sights, took in the smells of marijuana that permeated the air, and tried not to cover my ears when the music got more and more intense. 

I started to think about why I felt so awkward participating in this culture and in particular this dance. I LOVE dancing. And this dance that everyone around me was doing, wasn't that hard. I could have circled my arms and hands around my body, I could have bobbed back and forth with the crowd, but I just stood there. Whenever I go to a wedding, a formal dance, a bar, or a party where popular music is playing, I am the first one to run onto the dance floor and start flailing my body in every which way. I have no need to be utterly inebriated before performing what some have called puppet dancing and others have called public aerobics. I love the ability to pour my energy into the room and be the catalyst to what will soon turn into a rocking dance floor. My friends will wait until they are 2,3, or even 4 or 5 drinks deep before joining me. The alcohol somehow gives them the courage they need to express themselves rhythmically. I wonder why this is ... why are we scared to dance at times? Why did I feel so against dancing the hippy dance, and why do I lead the charge when the music is set to a dance club soundscape?

I think it's all about being in our comfort zone. If we feel out of place we don't want to draw more attention to ourselves. Dancing has become an activity that makes everyone feel a little awkward. My generation, for the most part, did grow up with social dancing lessons. We learned how to move from music videos or movies. Because most of the population is so unsure of their ability to dance it is largely done under the mind altering effects of drugs or alcohol. Most of the hippies around me at the concert were high on something or other. Most of the domers at the bar are wasted by the time they finally make it over to the dance floor. The "dance club" in South Bend requires significant pre-gaming before anyone will make their way onto the s

tage, or even into the establishment. I remember when I was at a high school dance, where I displayed the origins of my more evolved puppet dancing, the teacher chaperones confronted me to ask if I had been drinking. I had not had a sip alcohol that night, but they immediately assumed that my excitement at the music and dance floor was a sign that I was under the influence. 

I don't really know where I am going with this, but I thought all of this was interesting. I think if I dedicated my time to doing more research about dancing and our consumer behavior toward dancing, I would arrive at some interesting findings. However, I don't have time for that this morning. So, I will leave you with this challenge. This weekend, whether you are at the bar, a house party, a concert, or a wedding, try a new dance - - a dance that doesn't require being blackout drunk or the accompaniment of those you feel comfortable alongside. Get out on the dance floor early and often, forget about the onlookers and jealous judgers. Express yourself as you would in your car or while at home alone. It feels great and if you are as crazy as me on the dance floor, it is the best workout you will ever have! 

In the eternal words of Lady GaGa ... "Just Dance!"

Lo