Hello, reader. How’s life? It’s never too late to dance.
I’m sorry if I didn’t invite you to the next zoom dance. It’s this afternoon, and it’s free. I would love to move with you. Here’s the link.
There’s some text I wrote to go with the flier on a local big activist texting thread for events. Sometimes I get the feeling people don’t get why transqueer fat disabled dance is important. So I try different ways to explain…
I am a writer, after all. It’s my job. Writers gonna write.
dance is ancient
Dance isn’t just for abled people. Dance is for people with assistive devices, people in pain, people who are paralyzed, people who are blind, people who stim, people who stutter, people who hear voices and see visions, and all kinds of disabled people.
Dance isn’t just for adults with money who go to nightclubs and bars. Dance is free. Dance is for poor people, kids, elders, and all ages of person.
Dance isn’t just for thin people. Dance is for all shapes, sizes, and weights of person.
Dance is ancient. Dance is more than just right now. Dance isn’t just for people you find attractive. Dance is for more than looking good.
Dance is a way of doing culture. Dance is release. Dance is prayer, for some. Dance is real in our bodies. Dance is beyond thought and logic.
Dance is collaboration with music. Dance is community. Dance is something your ancestors did. Dance is to express that for this short time, we are alive. Dance is for everyone.
yes
What do you think, reader? Yeah, it’s kinda ranty. There’s a repetition.
But I believe all that, with all my heart. Maybe another day I can try saying it gentler.
It’s never too late to dance in general. But please sign up for this dance in particular, if you want the link and if you want to contribute songs to the playlist. Thank you for considering.
virtual
I remember the incredulous stranger on a social media website who didn’t understand virtual dance. She thought it was absurd, that we would dance together over zoom in our own homes. There are a lot of disabled people with needs different from hers, that she had not thought about before.
I tried to be kind as I explained that there are different ways of doing things based on different needs. Maybe she was keruffled and couldn’t take it in. Or maybe she realized there’s more to life than what she has experienced yet.
You know that quote… to caged birds, flight is a disorder? Something like that. I think about it in terms of mental health. Hearing voices is ok for me. If you think it’s a disorder, maybe you’re jealous!
I could make a similar quote about disability like… what’s easy for you, might be hard for someone else. And what’s hard for you, might be easy for someone else.
Hmm, I guess that’s not similar. Or I could say, don’t yuck my yum, abled person.
Or I could say— to caged birds, zoom is a gift. Sure we need to use our imaginations more. My body has its pain and mobility challenges, but my heart flies around all day.
