DDPP Twin Cities is having its first class THIS THURSDAY at Old Arizona.

Check it out! http://ddpptwincities.wordpress.com

See you there!

I really appreciate what you said about the show-off thing. I am an ex pro ballet dancer, and I have always wondered whether people think I’m showing off in DDPP when I flail around like a ballerina on drugs.

Truth is, whenever I catch a glimpse of myself in the mirror in class, all I can see is an out-of-shape dancer who is hopelessly confined by ballet muscle memory and who needs to lose more than a few. But I go anyway because darn it, I have fun flailing around with no choreography or bitchy artistic director to make me feel like shit about myself.

I hope someday to be able to stop judging myself and just have fun 100% of the time in class. It’s comforting to know that other people with totally different baggage than mine struggle with that as well.

I can’t wait!

Oh, and hey to DJ Buddmobile, whom I missed when she showed up. Really glad to see DDPP organizers are aware of this thread and can see how much interest there is.

Merci!

But this? This has got me excited again. REALLY excited. I am one of the freak shows mentioned here who darts around doing ridiculous moves (although “athletic” isn’t a term I’d use, but I’m flattered). And you know, from time to time, I do wonder if people think it’s a show off or they don’t care. Your point nailed it home completely – we’re all free to do whatever we wouldn’t do in front of other people, sober. And it just so happens I feel most liberated on the dance floor when I’m just losing control in a room where nobody cares.

I’m also so glad you mentioned the “no talking” rule. It wasn’t part of our original plan, but it became abundantly clear early on that if women talk to each other (which feels like the right thing to do in an awkward situation), it starts to feel like there are cliques in the room, which is what we’re trying to avoid in the first place. It divides us.

And in terms of DDPP’s meditative qualities – I couldn’t agree more. There is something almost transcendent about letting your body express itself for such a long stretch with a room full of other women doing the same. I feel like at the end of every class, nobody’s a stranger anymore even though we haven’t spoken a word. It’s like we all share this fantastic secret connection that needs none of the trappings of a usual friendship.

Ok – perhaps I’m assigning it a bit more meaning than it should have. But that’s another great thing about it – it’s as casual (i.e. just get a great workout) or as serious (i.e. having personal body/mind epiphanies while busting a move) as you want it to be.

I’m incredibly gratified that you wrote this posting and that you have such a fantastic community of women who are on this same wavelength. Once in a while I wonder if I should continue hosting classes because I can get a little burnt out going to ever class, but reading a post like this makes it crystal clear that we need something like this in the world. I hope more women are inspired to start more chapters or just dance with their friends in their apartments or wherever the hell they want to. If anyone has questions or wants advice about starting one – totally email me: dancedancepartyparty.com

And for those who live in cities with defunct chapters – send the organizers a little email and let them know how much you’d like to go! Sometimes these things die because a few rough weeks go by where hardly anyone shows and we just need to be reminded of how much people like it!

So yes! Fantastic blog! And hope to see you at DDPP again soon! We start Sunday sessions again in October…