Dance Like Your Kids Are Watching

"Say you'll always be my baby we can make it shine

We can take forever just a minute at a time..."

—Bee Gees, More Than A Woman

The song ended abruptly and we stopped dancing. We stood awkwardly in front of the line of teachers being honored at that moment, wondering what to do next. Our dance was to kick off a special part of the night's fundraiser, and while we weren't half bad, it was a little surreal. But it wasn't a dream either; we weren't dancing naked in front of everyone, although the year before we were half-naked. This time we were dressed up in glittery silver, ready to boogie-woogie-woogie till we just couldn't boogie no more.

Here we were again at our daughters' school auction fundraiser, and this year's theme was disco dance party. This was the second year that my wife Amy was PTA president and I also helped out more with our annual auction. 

But beyond all the planning and coordinating with many other amazingly selfless volunteer parents and friends to pull off another successful fundraiser date night for all the other school parents, Amy and I were relentlessly focused on dusting off our dance moves. 

Six years ago we were out with Amy's mom for some wine tasting on Valentine's Day, when a mixed gender barbershop quartet appeared and entertained us with some classic a cappella. They sang 1950's doo-wop and Amy called me out to dance. We danced a little swing and a little traditional hustle, some of the moves we remembered from our dance lessons years ago. 

And remember them we did. Dancing with her in that moment was delightful, just as it was the day I married her, when we actually made up our own dance, years before dance lessons. We choreographed our own dance to our song -- Ambrosia's Biggest Part of Me -- and it was so much fun to do.

Shortly after we were married, before the girls, we took formal dance lessons. Everything from swing to the hustle to salsa and more. We usually did this with an older couple who really knew how to cut a rug on the dance floor. It was fun, but admittedly, not always comfortable for me. Dancing was stressful and awkward; trying to remember each and every dance step didn't come easy. I used to be a much more literal learner, putting a dance together like I cooked -- one recipe step at a time while struggling with the big-picture end result. The sheer enjoyment of dancing magic. 

In the weeks leading up to this year's disco dance party, we started dancing to the Bee Gees' More Than A Woman from the Saturday Night Fever soundtrack. It was just the right speed for our muscle memory to reignite our hustle moves. Amy would write down what we'd remember and we again choreographed the first half of the song. The second half would just be mixing and matching all the dance moves. Both girls would hem and haw and say "Stop, Mom and Dad -- c'mon!" acting embarrassed by our dancing and in-between kissing. 

Even though the auction dance didn't go exactly as planned, we still pulled it off. And yet, the most intimate and special memories were those of practicing at home in front of the girls. Our connection in every beat, step, twirl and giddy laugh filled me with a relaxed and loving satisfaction that I didn't always have when we took lessons all those years ago. We also loved the fact that our children complained, because we knew this was another testament to the love we share, one we want them to witness it every day. That's why I recommend to dance like your kids are watching, whatever the "dance" means to you and yours (only G to PG ratings for the kids, of course). Show your children how important a loving and healthy relationship really is.

We can take forever just one minute at a time...