24 Comments
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Maura McInerney-Rowley's avatar

I will be dancing today because of this reminder! Thank you.

David Spinks's avatar

beautiful as always.

i love dancing. and this is reminding me to keep it going.

i don't get to dance in public too much these days. but our family dance parties at home give me so much joy. the $10 party light we bought on amazon has been the best roi imaginable

Carolyn Gregoire's avatar

Link to the party light, please! We need this in my house :)

Eaddy's avatar

Beautiful insights and beautiful essay. Such an interesting point - regardless of our after life beliefs, not having a body anymore is certain. Memories and wishes and regrets about the body surface as much as the emotional/relational feelings. Contemplating Death is such a great angle, I’m here for it 🧡

Carolyn Gregoire's avatar

Thank you for reading, Eaddy!!

Martha Bayne's avatar

Thank you for this. I started dancing again after going through cancer treatment and it is pretty much all I want to do anymore. It has been transformative, and truly healing. Also, I know it's tacky to link to one's own stuff here, but I think you might appreciate this, which I wrote about Dying For Sex. https://marthabayne.substack.com/p/dying-for-sex-is-a-dance-show

Tania Strauss's avatar

This is a beautiful reflection Carolyn. As someone who used to dance all the time and doesn’t do enough of it these days, it really landed.

Carolyn Gregoire's avatar

Thanks for reading, Tania 🧡

Lord Gaga's avatar

Love this! It is exactly why, after about a year of sharing 80s music videos with my daughter, I bought her a disco ball for us to dance under. "We are watching and listening but not dancing enough", was what I told my wife.

It takes my breath away sometimes when I think about it.

Carolyn Gregoire's avatar

I love this so much. Need to get a disco ball for my son Max (and myself, obviously!)

Lord Gaga's avatar

I suggest one that has a motor and lights built in. It didn't cost much to make jaws drop.

Ari Mostov's avatar

I danced for the first time in what felt like years yesterday. I needed that release and it made me feel like I was a kid again - a beautiful feeling.

When the ineffable needs to be expressed, we can let it out through dance.

Checking out 5Rythms this week!

Carolyn Gregoire's avatar

Amazing—I'm glad you got to have that experience. Definitely check out 5Rhythms. It is such a powerful healing practice!

Elisa's avatar

I go to see every Led Zeppelin cover band playing in upstate NY. I dance my ass off for a couple of hours. Sing every word. Age almost 65. Nothing gives me more joy than becoming 17 again for a little while. Never taking this for granted. Delicious.

Carolyn Gregoire's avatar

I love this so much, Elisa!! Amazing. I plan to be doing the same at 65+!

Tessa's avatar

Thank you for this piece. Totally agree!

Pravin R's avatar

I love this article as it iterated the fact that life is temporary.

Lynne G Sabean's avatar

Decades ago, I had a copy of Roth’s “Dances of Ecstasy

” DVD. I had to clear the coffee table out of my living room to follow along. I forgot to pack it the day I left my first husband. I am so glad her work lives on. You are so lucky to live near a studio teaching it.

Carolyn Gregoire's avatar

I do feel very fortunate for this. She was and remains an incredible teacher

Julia Wilson's avatar

I’m 51, and just attended my first dance class since 2008. It was sweaty business, but I was 100% embodied for those 90 minutes. Thanks for the post, I feel so seen!

Carolyn Gregoire's avatar

Good for you, Julia!! That is awesome. I hope there is more dancing in your future :)

Annie Griffiths's avatar

Love this. One of my favorite things to photograph is dance, in part because I find myself dancing as I do it. Somehow I just give my physical self over to the music and the scene I'm recording. I'm sure that I look ridiculous--but I don't care!

Alice's avatar

Loved this...and commemorated this beautiful post with a kitchen dance.