I went to a going away party for Ellen, a friend who is relocating job and home across the country at the age of 62.
She is tremendously excited about her move but wanted to share one last night out with local friends.

We met at Sinbad’s, where the food is middle eastern, the place filled with large families, teenagers celebrating graduation and the usual run of private parties. Saturday night is entertainment night and we weren’t disappointed . A young, shapely belly dancer wound her way between the tables and made her way to center stage, inviting us to dance with her.

At first, only Ellen joined her, closing her eyes and swaying in the beat of the music. It took two more numbers before the rest of us had the guts to peel off our jackets . One by one, timidly at first, then warming to center stage as if it was our natural habitat, we began to sway and undulate to the seductive rhythm of the dance.

When I thought about our evening later, I realized some things I don’t often think about. For example, you don’t need a partner to dance. You need music, a place to dance and the desire to move to the rhythm.

Then there’s the feeling of all eyes watching you. Surprise! No one is watching, and no one cares. People are involved with each other and don’t care if you’re ‘doing the dance’ right. By the time you’re in midlife, you have a lot of freedom to move the way you want to.

As we undulated to the beat, trying to mimic the belly dancer’s moves, I realized that beneath our clothes, we’re all belly dancers. Our moves may look different, but the intention to dance to the music is the same.What better place for a group of women to bond without words and express their collective joy?

None of us looked like we were doing a belly dance, but it was dancing – and it was good.

This entry was posted on Sunday, June 15th, 2008 at 11:06 am. Visit the archives for all blog posts.