Below is one of my columns I wrote that talks about my recovery from
a hit & run drunk driver accident and meaningful experiences with ballroom dance.
Dance brings us together
By Kimberly West, For The Globe Gazette
The
music was unmistakable. Slow, sensuous tones drifted up from the stage and embraced my boyfriend and me while we watched the
dancer's bodies entwine to a tango dance.Last month when I saw the event in the brochure, I couldn’t wait to go. He
wasn’t so sure, though (I think it was pre-season Vikings football time). Last week, more tango dancers were in
the spotlight on the premiere of the wildly popular TV show “Dancing With the Stars.”
I love shows like this. I love the costumes, the music and the entertainment. Many
people enjoy couples dancing, but I especially appreciate how it can bring people together.
I’ll never forget the first time I saw ballroom dancing. One day I stumbled
onto an Iowa Public TV show called “Ohio Star Ball.” I sat transfixed watching the couples move together perfectly.
What makes couples dancing so different from other forms of dance is that you need to be completely together — dancing
as one. That’s why there is one leader and one follower.
At the time, I was recuperating from a near-fatal car accident and was in agony. My broken ribs and foot-long, vertical
torso incision heaved back and forth with every breath. The thought of being able to just stand up without pain seemed very
far away. The thought of a man holding me (by my ribs) and leading me around the dance floor seemed as impossible as certain
city council members dancing a waltz together.
I
felt like Scarlett O’Hara as I vowed, “As God is my witness, someday I’d get through this and not only survive
but thrive — and learn how to dance.” It took me many years, but I did.That was more than 22 years ago and I’ve
had some of the most fun and meaningful times of my life floating over the smooth dance floors from Iowa to the Caribbean.
I knew I would enjoy the dance aspect — learning
everything from waltz to salsa (including the mambo). But the most meaningful came as a surprise: the way it brought people
together from all over the world. Different socio-economic backgrounds, different races, different ages all coming together.
While at the end of one California dance, I noticed
a sad-looking gentleman who hadn’t danced all night. He said in broken English that he was sure no one here knew the
dance steps from his country in South America. Feeling confident in my following abilities, I gently opened my palm toward
him and said, “Let’s try.”
After
he led me on a rhythmic whirlwind mambo, I saw his face light up as he said through an interpreter: “I have been feeling
so lonely and apart from every one here, but you followed me perfectly. What a present you gave me tonight!”
I thought back to that day while watching the “Ohio
Star Ball.” He had no idea what I’d been through to get to that point. Feeling grateful to be alive and well,
I smiled and assured him, “No, Señor, the present was surely given to me.”
© Copyright 2008 Lee Enterprises (Globe Gazette) reprinted by permission
