Life as a Dance

Image via Wikipedia

There is a quote that says "Life is but a stage and we are the actors". And I ask, can it not be a dance floor and we the dancers? For we move to the change of time. We sway to the shift of political views. We jump to any exhilarating news enfolded unto us. We dip, pirouette, split and do back flips for any opportunity, good or bad, that life throws us.

My earliest documents dance presentation was nursery school. I don't know how it happened nor do I have any idea how I was tapped to perform. All I can remember was dad and I visiting his friend to borrow the son's jeans and white long sleeves for the dance number. 

Ballet shoes up in the air. Image by aussiegall

Then came Christmas presentations with me and a number of kids from the neighborhood dancing to the the medley of Michael Jacksons' hits. 

Michael Jacksons' Star. Image by F. Ikezaki

I think it was year four in primary school when I started the Menudo fans Club and five of us class buddies started performing in school programmes. Of course, using all Menudo hit songs. Don't tell me you don't know Robby Rosa?

If I have the inclination to dance, why didn't I or my parents encouraged me to develop this? We are a very conservative and practical family. Extracurricular activities are frowned out by my dad during highschool for i might not give proper attention to my studies. Besides, it doesn't matter how many stage performances you've done in school. What matter is the grade reflected in the report card. So instead of attending the chess club, painters club, volleyball varsity after school hours, we were directed to go straight home after school. Some activities are part of the class projects though. For that, we were encouraged to bring home our classmates and practice at home. Pretty much convenient for me and we have enough space at home for that. But I did rebel a bit, I don't know how I did it but I was able to perform in a number of school dance presentations and was even part of the sophomore cheerleading squad that made the championship. Some teams I did try out on like the chess team. I tried out, got in but didn't pursue it. i just want the challenge of making it in the team. All of these I did without making a dent in my school grades.

College days, boy was that tough! I didn't even look for any extra curricular activity. I only participated in one tiny bit of cheerleading stint which won us the gold in the College Intramurals. Sad to say, I don't even have a picture of that escapade. Only the cheerleading outfit tucked away under pile of old clothes in my closet back home. It was my trophy.

Wizard girls cheerleaders. Image by t. in Virginia.

After graduating, my first taste of real job was as a professor and what I did on my first semester was start a dance troupe. It was aptly known as Quiver Flex. We even did a main live band - concert with sponsors and the whole works at Cavite Colliseum.

The only time I paid an instructor to teach me the moves was summer 2001. My mom and I enrolled in Ballroom dancing and as of now, the only thing we can remember was that that was the first time my dad showed symptoms of unknown malady.

So whats the happy ending? Sad to say, not everything has a happy ever after. I plunged head on to my corporate career after that and was lost in the crowd. 

Holland dance festival. Image by H. Uitboro

Do I have any regrets? Nope. Nada. Living in a developing country makes you practical. Besides, there's not much organization then that train kids about this. Not even summer camps. If there were any, living in a province and being financially constrained was another problem. maybe nowadays its different. And when someday I have my own kids, I will make sure it will be different.

There's still my last chance for a dance....my future wedding dance. ;-)