I'm twerking over the holidays

Guidance from my dance instructor's
African Goddess Rising deck.

Some people are born to dance. Their limbs move and flow seemingly effortlessly. They are grace and beauty. Watching these dancers move is spellbinding. I have always wanted to move like that/ I yearn to move like that. I’m not envious of many skills but I am envious of the ability to dance and float. 

And so I sign up for dance classes. Belly dancing. Burlesque. I learn moves; learn choreo. I walk away with my head a little higher with more confidence. Poised? Yes. Graceful? Not really. I enjoy them immensely, meet wonderful people and learn a little about life. 

And even though I’ll never be the dancer I aspire to be, I look forward to the stress relief and the way it challenges me to be aware of my body, and the way it connects me mentally and physically. 

The Christmas season is busy and, as I was scrolling through my Instagram feed, a dance workshop caught my eye. It was being taught by a dancer I had seen in a burlesque show this past summer. I had admired her and the opportunity to learn from her intrigued me. 

The name of the workshop was Santa Baby Twerkshop. I giggled a little at that. Although my clubbing years are well behind me, the thought of learning how to pop my booty sounded like fun, frivolous and stress-free — something I could use at this time of year. 

The twerkshop was three Thursday nights and it was very clear from the moment I met the instructor, Char, that this was not going to be what I thought it would be. Fun? Yes. Frivolous? No. 

Let me introduce you to my instructor. Have you ever met another human being and been immediately blown away by their warmth? Their spirit? Their energy? Someone with whom the only words you’ve exchanged are, “Hi, it’s great to meet you,” followed with a warm, welcoming hug? Someone who knows they’re incredible but doesn’t know it? This is my instructor. 

She majored in women’s studies. Writes and performs her own music. Teaches yoga. Dances burlesque. And is the proud momma of the most adorable baby girl. She believes in sharing her gifts and empowering others. As eager as she is to teach, she’s eager to learn. She’s smart, funny, beautiful inside and out. And if it sounds like I’m in awe of her, well, I am. Why? I’ve been travelling this new path for over three years now, becoming stronger and more confident. Learning how to be single at my age. Embracing and empowering who I am. And when I meet other women who exude the qualities I’m working on, I want to bask in their energy. I want to absorb their knowledge. And I want to share my knowledge and energy. I want to expand my circle of sisterhood. That’s why I’m drawn to Char; in many ways, we are kindred spirits.

With Char setting the tone, the class was already set up to be successful for me. The three classes were conducted in roughly the same format: grounding and guidance, sensual warmup and choreography. 

It was the grounding and guidance that had the biggest impact on me. We cleansed our space. We breathed. And each class Char pulled an oracle card from her African Goddess Rising deck and read the message in the accompanying guidebook. The first message was about grounding. The second class, the message was on divine lineage. The card and message for the last class was about letting yourself shine. And with the class intention set, we began our warmup. I opened my entire body as I prepared to dance but focused on my hips, pelvic area and glutes. Once complete, it was time to dance;

Our choreo itself was sensual, seductive and energetic. It paid homage to the sacred lineage of twerking the sacred movement of African dance where the drums and the beat and the body are aligned. My instructor moves instinctively; my efforts are not. Still, as I looked in the full-length mirrors of the yoga studio where our class was, I saw a woman who, although she moves differently, moves with energy, joy and sensuality.

I embraced all the goodness of those classes: the chats with other students, the love that radiated from Char. I took another step forward in letting go of my own preconceived notions I have with my body, how it looks and moves, and embraced, owned and loved on it. And although I try to live in gratitude and positivity, I elevated it just a bit more. All the good things. 

The answer to the unasked question is: yes. Yes, in addition to every other good thing I learned to tuck my pelvis, pop my booty and shake my tail feathers! And while I won’t be practising on a local club floor anytime soon, you never know when the opportunity to show my stuff could present itself. And I’ll be ready when it does!