Dance Like No one's Watching

Saturday we were treated to a magnificent feast of the soul and eyes. On the stage where some of the greats have performed, the renowned Virginia Tanner creative dance students held their recital.

Class by class, they moved, swirled and pulsed to the music... as a group, yet individually moved by the music, they moved in their own way as well. Each number was a trip to a feeling- an expression, mainly a feeling of freedom and joy.

As one group took the stage, the audience took a minute to identify what was different...it was a special needs group. Each dancer had a partner that helped them to feel and move to the music. The girl in the wheelchair was spun, and twirled and posed while she smiled to herself... lost in the music. Another dancer was completely immobile and crumpled. He was slung on another's body as she moved and swung him. I could not see his face, but I could feel his joy in the music as another moved his body. One young man in a lilac dance suit, skipped, twirled, and spun, and skipped some more... showing us with every movement his joy, his beauty. I turned my head and in the dark saw Briz wipe a tear from his eye.


We knew ladybug was dancing in silver but nothing else. A silver group started dancing, but we agreed that the graceful dancers were much too poised and old looking to be our Ladybug's group. The number was half over before we realized that the dainty dancer that leaped through the hula hoops was none other than our Ladybug. How? When? What happened to our Ladybug? Who was that assured YOUNG LADY? Tears fell as I had underestimated my little one again. I met her at the flag my eyes bright with unshed tears, her eyes were alight, her head held high... "Momma? Did you cry?"


"Yes little one. There is nothing I love so much as to see you happy. You were so beautiful."

"I didn't make any mistakes. I just thought about the music and not the audience and enjoyed myself."

Hearing the music....not thinking about what others thought. That is what I took away from tonight... The elderly gentleman who danced entranced through the adult women class, the boy with Downs Syndrome, and my challenged little Ladybug. They all danced like no one was watching and my soul is the better for it.