Everybody Dance Now
the sweetest smile of the night. more pictures here.
Last night I took the kids to International Night at Carter’s school. I’ve always been out of town for this event in years past, so I was glad to finally have a chance to go. Our school is made up primarily of the children of African and Central American immigrants, so the potluck was a fantastic display of homemade dishes from faraway lands. After dinner, we all wandered to the gym for a parade of nations and then a dance party with music from all over the world.
The whole thing was so incredibly happy–parents and kids from totally different walks of life, shoulder to shoulder on the dance floor. And we danced our hearts out–Ethiopian moms trying to show us how to shake our shoulders just so, me and Meg dancing in circles from the sheer joy of it. The whole thing was great.
But the best part was the kids. Both my kids get a certain shining in their eyes to take my hand on the dance floor. It’s as if their hearts spill wide open and all the longing and love and playfulness they crave gets poured in all at once. Multiply that by at least sixty kids and what you get is more than a little chaos and a whole lot of magic.
Even if that many little girls screaming will eventually give you (and Carter) a terrific headache. 
I left that party last night thinking that there is no problem in this world that dancing cannot cure. I mean seriously, what would happen if someone rang a bell everyday at three and you had to stop whatever you were doing and shake what your mama gave you for three whole minutes? What kind of shift would happen in the Universe? If everyday we had a chance to dance?
I hope there’s dancing in your very near future no matter what.
Dance, even if you have nowhere to do it but your living room. ~Kurt Vonnegut
March 9th, 2008 at 12:49 am
this, is amazing.
March 9th, 2008 at 1:00 am
I have this image in my mind of the earth at 3 pm happily bouncing up and down off its orbit as all of humanity danced. That’s part of the shift in the Universe I see.
March 9th, 2008 at 1:06 am
there is something to be said when you get diverse backgrounds gathering together for one common purpose. to enjoy themselves and their surroundings and share it all with others. you captured some very real moments and I felt what you saw thru your lens. what a great night jen….
be blessed
heidi
March 9th, 2008 at 1:07 am
A few nights ago I was up late by myself, journaling and listening to music. I stood up to go to bed when a cover of Edie Brickell’s “What I Am” came on. (sung by a man; anyone know it?) I started moving around the living room and ended up dancing to the whole song. I laughed out loud at how much fun and how liberating it was. Dance, dance, yeah!
March 9th, 2008 at 3:58 am
shifting the world with shuffling shoes
i was just thinking about dancing this afternoon, that i should like to join a class or group or something
nice little synchronicity to read your post
btw, one of the Beginning zine’s i bought, travelled to me in Australia, and is now going full circle as I post it to an Aussie friend who’s just moved to Michigan
March 9th, 2008 at 10:44 am
I love putting on my favorite get-me-going songs in the morning with my pjs on and dancing/jumping around my apartment. There seems to be no freer feeling in the world while I’m doing it. And I find it helps me to be happy all day long.
March 9th, 2008 at 11:08 am
Firstly-what a gorgeous girl and photo!
The evening sounds so fun. Dancing always changes my energy and mindset. I was doing really well dancing everyday for that purpose. I have been trying to take it up again.
I think I can handle 3 minutes:)
XO
March 9th, 2008 at 5:44 pm
Beautiful little girl/photo! Wow!
My husband and I love to dance in our living room. It always lifts our spirits up, and I’m happy to say that my little one starts to groove at ANY kind of music.
March 9th, 2008 at 8:03 pm
I took my kids to a family contra dance on Saturday — dancing with my 5 year old was just about the most fun I’ve ever had in my life.
March 9th, 2008 at 8:33 pm
I completely agree regarding dancing. I love to dance. It’s hard to be angry when you’re shaking your groove thing.
March 9th, 2008 at 9:08 pm
[…] I took this picture of Max and one of his best friends on Friday evening at his elementary school’s International Night. Last year we were so disappointed that he didn’t get into the Spanish immersion elementary where all his friends go. I couldn’t imagine the year Max would have at this school, full of strangers and I grieved the loss of my vision of his perfect kindergarden year. But it has turned out marvelously. At school Max runs with a group of Ethiopian and Eritrian girls who he loves and adores. He has learned all sorts of things about East Africa that I could never have taught him. He has grown in confidence, has become a leader and has stretched himself in ways he may not have had he gone to the school where he would have been comfortable and surrounded by his same old gang–a gang where he is the youngest, a gang where he is the follower. I asked him recently if he still wanted me to put in for a transfer to the Spanish immersion school for next year just in case a slot opens up. “Nah…” he said as he rushed off to find his gang. Our experience with this school reminds me of that old saying, “I got nothing that I wanted but everything I needed.” […]
March 9th, 2008 at 9:23 pm
What beautiful faces on your Flickr site. You and your family are enormously blessed to be able to spend time eating and dancing with people from so many nations and backgrounds. I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE your idea of stopping whatever you are doing at some designated moment and dancing - or “shaking what your mother gave you” as you so rightly put it. I’ve gotta start doing that more with my kids and my husband. I dance a lot when I am alone, but it’s time to include others in my frenzies!!! Thanks for sharing those photos and that story.
March 9th, 2008 at 9:33 pm
I love, love, love it that your school does this and that you GO!!! This truly is magic. It sure doesn’t happen in my community. Maybe someday …
March 9th, 2008 at 11:35 pm
The living room. Ah, that’s where the living’s at.
March 10th, 2008 at 10:53 am
All I ever hear parents in my neighborhoods say about schools involve academic critiques. Thanks for the reminder of the gift diversity is.
March 10th, 2008 at 5:04 pm
What gorgeous photos! Such spirit and life there–wow.
You just inspired me to go to flamenco class tonight, I had been on the fence…
March 10th, 2008 at 5:54 pm
I’m all for it! Let’s start a 3pm dance break!
March 10th, 2008 at 6:04 pm
I’m pretty sure dancing could lead to world peace. Love the post.
March 10th, 2008 at 6:25 pm
[…] On this dull, gray day — when to be honest, I had been feeling a bit melancholy — I suddenly felt a burst of summer sunshine in my heart and had a sudden urge to start dancing myself. Perhaps I was influenced by this jen lemen post? […]
March 10th, 2008 at 6:54 pm
She has the most beautiful smile!
love how you’re using your camera girl..
appreciating you,
a
March 10th, 2008 at 8:07 pm
seriously.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/dreemintrea/1036526318/
March 10th, 2008 at 8:51 pm
Another gorgeous photograph and another gorgeous subject!
March 10th, 2008 at 9:53 pm
wow.
forced to delurk and admit i’m spontaneously weeping happy hopeful tears as i type…(if my kids wander in, they’ll start to fret, this is not typical behaviour, tho’ perhaps being in the moment means allowing these tears? forgive me, i’m new to the process!)…
thanks for the gift of this post, i obviously needed a therapeutic “leaking” (aka cry…)and maybe i’ll grab of one of my babes & dance a bit before i tackle the mound of “homework” i brought from work.
thank you.
March 10th, 2008 at 11:19 pm
Wow! I love that Kurt V. quote. I have to admit that I’ve done more dancing in my living room than in public.
Lovely post, Jen! And I love the photos of all the kids. They are soooooo beautiful, every last one of them!
March 12th, 2008 at 8:56 am
I left that party last night thinking that there is no problem in this world that dancing cannot cure.
I just love that! What a great thought. Thanks for making me smile.