Akron dance experience and lunar phenomenon mingle for an enigmatic evening
When someone asks you to cover a piece on a group of women in Akron who get together to dance with no boys, no booze and no judgment, you have to be intrigued. Then when they tell you that they dance to homemade music mixes with no teacher, no talking and not even looking at one another, you have to wonder what you have gotten yourself into!
Dance Dance Party Party (DDPP™) is a national organization of women with regional clubs in cities such as New York City, Chicago and even Toronto. It caters to women of all ages, shapes and sizes who want to come to a safe and comfortable environment to dance without the pressure or awkwardness of dealing with men in the bar or nightclub scene. One wears what makes her happy, whether it is a gym outfit or dressed up for a Friday night. This club asks for a donation of $2 to cover the studio rental and snacks were available for under $1.
When I arrived to dance on March 18, at the Martell Dance Studio in historic Highland Square in Akron, I was greeted by a friendly, casual group of women who chatted briefly before getting down to the dancing promptly at 7:30 p.m. With a 1990s music theme for the evening, everyone began dancing in a bright and airy studio with two walls of windows looking out past ballet slippers, which hung from the open windows.
At first it felt odd to just get into your own head and get your groove on as part of a large group of strangers with no need to acknowledge anyone else or face in any particular direction. However, as the sun began to set, and the 90s music mix ranged from up-tempo rock to a slower Caribbean beat, I realized how relaxed I felt at the end of a long week.
A woman tapped me on my shoulder and pointed to the huge, full moon that was rising over the roof of the neighboring shop. I found out later that it was the Supermoon, which hasn't occurred for 18 years.
As I gathered my belongings and prepared to leave the studio, I realized then that these women were getting back to what humans have done since the beginning of time. Our ancestors danced to make the moon rise, danced to make it rain and danced to make the sun come out. With this powerful feeling of being one with nature and the universe, I left the dance studio and stopped to watch a young student play classical music on his accordion in front of a busy coffee shop on a balmy Friday evening.
For more information, visit http://ddppakron.wordpress.com.
