Sometimes a movie encapsulates a period or a moment in all of our lives in such a way that it never dies.
Patrick Swayze
There are times that I am amazed at the way things fall into place…the timing of the universe…the way that we end up in the right place at the right time. I never know what is going to inspire me and motivate me to keep moving. Then something happens – it could be a song on the radio, a note from a friend, a quote or sign, a brief conversation with a stranger – something clicks into place and I’m reminded that this journey is the right place for me to be right now.
Last night was a quiet night at home. Well…as quiet as our house can be watching Virginia Tech football! Thanks to the technological wonder of social media, I can “watch” the game with friends and fellow alums who are spread all over the country. While “watching” together on Facebook, a friend posed this question:
I am compiling the best list of dance movies EVER! My personal favorites are The Turning Point and American in Paris. Yours? Go!
Her comment thread exploded! White Knights, Strictly Ballroom, Save the Last Dance, Footloose, Flashdance, Singin’ in the Rain, West Side Story, Shall We Dance, Take the Lead, Center Stage…the list goes on.
And of course, Dirty Dancing.
One of the most moving moments for me on Dancing with the Stars was the beginning of Season 11 when Derek was partnered with Jennifer Grey. For their first performance they danced the Viennese Waltz to Otis Redding’s “These Arms of Mine” – yes…fromthe Dirty Dancing soundtrack. When Jennifer was first told what song they would be dancing to, she was excited, elated! Then in a moment she was overcome by her emotions as she remembered dancing with Patrick Swayze. She talks about how alive and dynamic Patrick was and how he was one of the most fearless people she had ever met. She said that was how she was going to dance, fearlessly. And she nails it.
In just a few weeks, my best friend and I are having a girls weekend complete with a gorgeous mountain resort and tickets to a Virginia Tech football game! The place we are staying – Mountain Lake Lodge – is actually where Dirty Dancing was filmed. You can even make reservations to stay in “Baby’s Cabin”.
So my inspiration for the next two weeks, as I count down the days, is going to come from Derek, Jennifer, Patrick, Johnny & Baby. Derek and Jennifer danced for 10 weeks during Season 11, something like 17 dances – that’s about one a day. I’m going to take an extra day at the resort by myself for a little personal retreat to begin reading Derek’s book, Taking the Lead, that was released on August 5th. It came in the mail the day I was leaving for the wedding weekend and then with the craziness of the last few weeks I have not been able to give it my full attention.
I’m also “borrowing” my friend’s movie list as a source of inspiration for down the road. Got any other recommendations? Maybe I’ll create a page just for that list!
Dancing on…keeping my eyes, ears and heart open for inspiration from unexpected places.
Dancing with Derek 