soundtrack of my life...

Luther Vandross, “Dance With My Father”: The old-fashioned looking video shows a little girl with her father and mother. The girl talks about her childhood and her great love of her father. Specifically, “How I’d love to dance with my father again.” Throughout my childhood I had the opportunity to dance with my father and become very close to him. His features are very distinct and remain in my head when we are separated. His dark brown eyes are full of kindness and love. His short, curly brown hair is as soft as a fuzzy blanket. After a fresh shave, his face fells like silk to the touch. Though his size of 5’11” and 270 pounds can be intimidating and scary, he is nothing more than a large, loveable teddy bear. When he is full of anger, he tightens his jaw and scrunches his forehead causing wrinkles to form. His smile, however, with those straight, pearly white teeth, makes the room radiate with happiness and ease. His laughter, low and full of joy, is extremely contagious. Similar to his laughter, his hug warms the heart. Full of strength, his body holds others firmly yet gently to provide support. When we attended father-daughter dances at our church, the love and security I felt while spun me around were tremendous. I knew he was a man I could trust to never break my heart. By the look of this video, the little girl and I shared similar childhood experiences and the desire to dance with our fathers again.




Lee Ann Womak, “I Hope You Dance”: The video opens with a girl about six years old walking hand in hand with her baby sister. Any girl that has been privileged enough to be a sister can relate to how special a gift a little sister is. June 9, 1994 was the proudest day of my life as my “twin” was born. As the video zooms in on the two girls showing their similar facial features, I am reminded of my twin and best friend. Though her bald, melon-shaped baby head was laughable, her long light brown hair with golden highlights shimmers in the sun. Those big, bright hazel eyes shine with the innocence of a thirteen year old. Built with muscles and shape of a dacer, she has long muscular legs and a petite 5’2” frame. Though full of braces, her smile is big and beautiful. Along with her gorgeous smile, her face lights up and glows when she laughs in her high-pitched adorable giggle. In the video the girls smile and giggle together as they dance around. In seeing this, it appears that the sisters have a similar bond to the one I share with my sister. Walking hand in hand with me through life, just like the sisters in the video, Kerri has become my best friend. The lyrics speak my hope for her, similar to those any sister can relate to; as I hope that she will grow into a well-rounded woman and always choose to dance.




PYT, “We’re Dancing”: As the music begins, ballerinas are seen dancing across the floor. As the song continues, the video splices into clips of various ballerinas performing ballet moves in various settings. The scenes present the viewer with dancing attire that anyone who has taken ballet classes can recognize. When I was thirteen, it was a big deal that I was considered ready for point shoes after years of ballet dedication and practice. At the time, point shoes seemed so magical and everything about them was wonderful. The pink shade of the shoes was light and elegant looking. The satin material felt ever so snug, upon tightening the draw-string around the foot. The two, one foot long satin ribbons were sewn on near the ankle. Crossing in front and around the back, and then tied on the inside of the ankle, the ribbons wrapped ever so neatly around the ankle. Merely a thin piece of wood in the toe, it was powerful yet painful to be able to dance on point. Though I was far from being a prima ballerina, the point shoes allowed me to feel like a member of a professional ballet company, while performing leaps, turns, and many other difficult ballet moves. The light pale pink shoes formed to my foot and the arch bent to match mine, while up on my toes. It seems as though, while wearing the shoes, I felt as if I danced like the ballerinas in the video.




Drew Seeley and Belinda, “Dance With Me”: In this video several couples pair off and begin ballroom dancing. The do lifts and turns all around the large dance studio. The scene presents the viewer with a typical dance studio that is relatable to anyone who has taken dance lessons. Upon moving to Sioux Falls, I spent at least two nights a week at Main Stage Ballet and Dance Academy, as dancing has been a part of my life since I was three years old. At the time, the dance studio was a second home; in retrospect, the amount of time spent there seems a little ridiculous. The front wall of the room covered in full size mirrors allowed for perfection and improvement through viewing movements. Discipline and technique were established at the round wooden bars attached to the three white walls. The smell of sweat and rosin filled the air with an aroma of hard work and dedication. The light wood floor contained several black scuff marks from the endless hours spent dedicated to perfecting routines. A sad comparison to dance studios professionals use, the large room, upon entering though the sliding glass door, the white walls were covered with the colorful dance posters of the studio’s past recitals. The combination of the posters and light pink curtains, draped from the ends of the mirror, gave the room a homey-feeling. By the look of the studio in this video, it would appear that these dancers had an experience in a studio similar to my second home.




A*Teens, “Dancing Queen”: In the video, as the music starts, the room magically turns into a dance floor. A disco ball drops from the ceiling and lights begin to flash all around. The colorfulness and lights are similar to those of a show choir competition. At show choir competitions, which compromised my weekends during spring semesters of high school, my friends and I truly were “dancing queens” as we moved about the stage in our costumes. The royal blue skirt was made of several layers of sheer, delicate material. Upon turning, the air got underneath the knee-length material and twirled the skirt beautifully. The royal blue shade of the top matched perfectly with the skirt. Four silver, shimmery buttons closed the front of the top. The cut of the top was similar to a short sleeved jacket. Flower-shaped sequins were the only distractions from the short length and jacket-cut of the top. Completing the ensemble, the hideous, one-inch heel of the beige character shoes clicked against the stage floor during choreography. The hideous shoes, sparkly “jacket,” and knee-length blue skirt, though hideous in normal light, appeared dazzling from stage. Though laughable, the costumes, in all their glamour, allowed me and my friends to become dancing queens as we stepped on the stage at competitions. It seems as though the girls in this video also had an experience of feeling like a dancing queen.




Bruce Springsteen, “Dancing in the Dark”: As the video opens the audience members dance in the dark. The only lights are the bright, multicolored ones that shine from the stage. While dancing in the dark, on February 15, 2004 I received my first kiss. It was at my freshman year formal while I looked like a princess. The dress was a full length, light pink gown cut straight across at the top. The silver beads that covered the gown sparkled in the light from the disco ball. The beads cluttered together at the gather on the top of the dress where the material was brought together in a tight gather on the left side. The beads then became more dispersed towards the bottom of the dress. The smooth bottom was a complete contrast to the rippled effect of the gathered material of the top. The silky material swayed and swished as I moved about the floor. The skirt was composed of two layers, with the top layer separating in the front at the bottom of the gather right where the dress hit my belly button. The gown allowed me to feel like a princess as I danced in the dark with Mike. Just as in the video, while Mike held me around my waist on the dark dance floor, a fire was started with a spark. As the lights flashed, just like the video, mike leaned in and kissed me. By the words of this video, Bruce had similar experience to mine while dancing in the dark.




Garth Brooks, “The Dance”: “For a moment all the world was right. How could I have known you’d ever say goodbye?” Gath Brooks’ words are relatable to anyone who has been hurt by the pain of a relationship ending. Throughout the video, Garth Brooks is by himself singing about the pain of a love gone wrong. Coincidentally, my boyfriend Chris and I broke up after nearly six months, however, I will always hold a piece of him. The box containing his Christmas present for me said Birkenstock and contained a special pair of size seven sandals. The leather smelled heavenly and was as white as a new fallen snow. The two thick, white leather straps connected to the bottom of the sandals with silver buckles that shined like freshly polished silver metal. The comfort of the leather felt like rubbing a soft blanket as it rubbed the skin ever so gently. The clomping noise the shoes made while walking sounded like a horse hoof hitting the ground. Written on the outside edge of each sandal in black lettering was the word “Birkenstock.” The labels, in all their glory, proved the shoes authenticity. Just as the shoes were real, the relationship they represented was real. From the video, it would appear that Garth had a similar experience of love gone wrong. Seeing the shoes now reminds me that though the relationship ended and caused pain, I would not change the fact that it happened because it was a wonderful dance.




Whitney Houston, “Dance with Somebody”: This 80’s video starts out in black and white but then combines bright clothes, make up, and guys. The gray scene turned bright and lyrics provide the audience with a situation that anyone who longs for a new love can relate to. My recent Sunday evenings have been spent in colorful clothes at the Pla Mor ballroom for the weekly country dancing. The large, dark wood dance floor is filled with cowboys and cowgirls in colorful boots and cowboy hats. The hats and boots may appear laughable in everyday life, but at the Pla Mor they are high fashion. The perfect place to find a new love, the large room has a bright disco ball in the middle of the floor and a live band and slow dances. Located on the east and south sides of the room, the bands play country songs on the stages with lights flashing, providing a romantic atmosphere. Far from the popular clubs of today, the Pla Mor provides my friends and I to enter a world of hicks and play the roles of cowgirls with boots and a cowboy hat to look the part. Under the disco ball and lights from the stage, surrounded by genuinely nice cowboys, the Pal Mor has been a fun place to dance and look for a potential new boyfriend. From the look of the video, it seems that Whitney and I have shared experiences of wanting to dance with somebody who loves us.