Dance to the Music

 The Dance
By Paul Laurence Dunbar

    Heel and toe, heel and toe,
    That is the song we sing;
    Turn to your partner and curtsey low,
    Balance and forward and swing.
    Corners are draughty and meadows are white,
    This is the game for a winter's night.

    Hands around, hands around,
    Trip it, and not too slow;
    Clear is the fiddle and sweet its sound,
    Keep the girls' cheeks aglow.
    Still let your movements be dainty and light,
    This is the game for a winter's night.

    Back to back, back to back,
    Turn to your place again;
    Never let lightness nor nimbleness lack,
    Either in maidens or men.
    Time hasteth ever, beware of its flight,
    Oh, what a game for a winter's night!

    Slower now, slower now,
    Softer the music sighs;
    Look, there are beads on your partner's brow
    Though there be light in her eyes.
    Lead her away and her grace requite,
    So goes the game on a winter's night.

 

 *****

"Whatever music you beat on your drum there is somebody who can dance to it."

Chinua Achebe

I love to dance with my husband. In the past we've bopped along to many a great soul classic, but more recently have enjoyed a more sedate waltz, or slow foxtrot. We've been having ballroom dancing lessons some quite some time, I'm not sure we are any better now than we were at the beginning. However, we enjoy it and there's something very special and intimate about dancing with the person you love. 

Click here for some great Motown dance tracks.

Writing prompts:

• Dance around your living room (alone or with a friend) then describe how it felt.
• What music do you 'beat on your drum'? Write about it.  
• Who is the person that dances, or has danced, to your music? Set a timer for six minutes and write about them. 
• What's your favourite kind of music? Write about how it makes you feel - emotionally and physically.