To Dance
by MW Cook
Do you remember the ball scene in The Sound of Music? The children ask Maria, “What music is that?” She says, “Oh, that’s the Laendler.”
Oh, the Laendler. Silly.
And then the captain walks in. There’s no, “Hey captain, do you know the Laendler?” Of course he knows. It’s like saying, “Dude, can you hum the opening bars to Star Wars?” Of course I can. Silly.
Can you imagine living in a society where dances are as popular as Star Wars?
I was in Scotland once. They taught us folks dances. Actual dances that you can take from town to town and, when the right music is playing, people will know what to do. You can be cutting a rug in a pub with a whole bunch of strangers, and you’ll all be doing the same thing. A real, live musical.
What about modern western popular dance? I think it’s more of a bump-and-grind-rub-each-other-to-wild-music sort of thing.
Musicals and folk dances try to infuse everyday life with music.
Urban club dance tries to infuse everyday life with sex.
In our culture, I think music is a more precious commodity.
This is second-hand unless you’re reading it at http://www.theilliteratescribe.com
Matt W Cook 