Mike Reynolds isn’t afraid to dance with his kids. Well, as long as no one is watching.
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Over the past six months, my oldest daughter has become enthralled with the world of music and dance and ice skating and exercise moves and everything that involves her making herky jerky motions on the floor as part of “a show.” And the more she gets into it, the more I start to take part in these impromptu dance parties. So, to help you start up your own dance party, I thought I’d pass on a little information so you know what you do need and what you don’t need to have a five minute move wildly party with your kids.
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You DO need…music that you hope people outside of your house can’t hear you playing. Britney Spears works well for a dance party. So does Donald Duck or Usher or Pearl Jam or Sharon, Lois and Bram or pots and spoons—anything that makes a noise. Peeking out the window to make sure neighbours aren’t in their backyard might make sense because you have to blare that stuff to have a proper party.
You DON’T need…a mirror. Dear Lord, make sure there are no reflective surfaces in the area. Even a too shiny oven door can burn your eyes if you catch the reflection of a 34-year-old man trying to do the splits.
You DO need…to stretch. Even if it’s under the guise of dance move, you need to remember kids don’t have bones or muscles. They are full of rubber bands and Stretch Armstrong’s. They can fold themselves into a box and come out of that box feeling limber. You can barely reach down and touch your toes. And you will be asked to perform the splits.
You DON’T need…to be worried about choreography. If your child isn’t giving you specific instructions on which dance routine you’re supposed to be performing (in our house we do a spin ice skating routine, a ballet twirly toes routine and an exercise toe tuck routine), just jump up in the air and spin and hold your shirt like it was a ball gown.
You DO need…an asthma inhaler whether you’re asthmatic or not. Kids, likely to make up for their lack of proper bones and muscles, have an unusual amount of oxygen in their lungs and can dance forever without getting tired. Adults know, almost to the breath, when they are about to faint. So get your puffer ready even if it’s just a placebo.
You DON’T need…to stop when the first song does. When the song ends, grab your kid and spin them around to the next one, even if it’s your least favourite song ever sung by Ms. Spears. Your ears will recover from the bleeding far quicker if your heart is filled with joy. The smile of my daughters can heal just about anything and I imagine your child’s can do the same.
You DO need…to keep dancing no matter how old you or your kids become. The day you stop dancing is the day you’ve grown up. And after seeing how happy kids are, who wants to grow up?
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photo: katerha / flickr