So it started I was watching film trailers at Apple and I clicked on “Step Up 2” one of those break dancing movies like the ones I loved so much in the 80s and I heard a song had to have. I spent the next 30 minutes tracking it down, it’s Cupid’s “369” and it samples “the Clapping Song” by Shirley Ellis (1965) which I hadn’t really heard either, but I used to hear the girls in the neighborhood singing this while playing double-dutch or clapping hands and so I paid a dollar for Cupid's version and Ella and I listened to it at least 5 times in a row last night and twice this morning.
While buying the song I decided to look for another song that was in an 80s dance movie called “Breakdance 2 Electric Boogaloo.” I used to skate to it in the 80s and recently at practice the new rink we were at dusted it off and played it. I’ve been thinking of it since then and it took me a considerable amount of time to figure out what it was called... it’s Din Da Da by George Kranz. I didn’t pay a dollar for surfing around trying to find it I did find Artemisbell on You Tube dancing to it. She dancing with such abandon, it’s so raw and true I almost feel like I’m intruding by watching. I went on to watch her do Zoot Suit Riot, Groove is in the Heart, Little Pretty One, White Wedding, Proud Mary, Rico Suave and the Safety Dance. She writes
“Have Fun...Do what you want to do...even if you're criticized.
This is a Dance Mania debute! If nothing else, perhaps you'll like the music. It's a new hobby for me anyway. It's my workout too! I'd like to thank and pay tribute to all the great song writers and musicians and celebrate this great music with my dance.
Dancing is not my discipline, but it sure feels good. I'm having the time of my life!
Thanks for watching and sharing my fun…”
On the third song I realized there’s a different painting in the background of each video and then I realized she’s a painter. So I backtracked and read: “I'm an artist and if you like art, feel free to visit: http://www.dianacampanella.com/”
I visited her website to have a closer look. She’s in Scottsdale AZ and it turns out she put out a magazine from Aug.1994-Dec. 1995 called "Art & Politics", focusing on challenging vending laws and testing the 1st and 14th Amendment Rights, and how the Supreme Court finally ruled that Art, as it is speech, and is protected. I wanted to follow this train of thought more but about that time Ella fell down the stairs and bonked her head pretty good and I had to read Thumbelina while holding ice to her forehead. She's perfectly fine, just scarred and fully comprehending why we tell her not to walk down the stairs with a blanket wrapped around her whole body.
Anyway - go watch Diane dance and hear Cupid's 369 it'll be fun.
I've been skating the bike-path almost every day it doesn't rain and even once when it did. It's 4.5 miles-ish and it's taking me about a half hour. I enjoy looking at the river and seeing how the waves are. Some mornings it seems to barely move, it's all reflective and glassy. Other days there are waves and I know going into the wind is going to be difficult. It'll feel like I'm a giant kite battling the wind with my legs and I'll hear my heart beating in my ears on those days. I'm enjoying seeing the sames sorts of people each day. There's the regular runners with workout gear and headphones moving on down the road. There are the walkers in business attire and tennis shoes on lunch/break gabbing with each other in pairs and threes. There are the new mom's looking frazzled strollering and pulling and adjusting their clothes uncomfortably. There's a dog who always barks at my skates and at the other end of the leash a pet owner who looks surprised by the outburst. There are the fishermen/women sitting in folding chairs and pop-up tent shades along the banks, they smoke and have some sort of game their listening to and a five gallon bucket for the catch of the day. There is usually a biker looking seriously stoic under a helmet going by in a gust. Then there's me, wearing all of my derby pads because if I fail to jump or dodge an erratic goose and I it takes me out, it'd be a long sore embarrassing walk home covered in scrapes and goose feathers. I'm swish swishing along red faced, sweating and listening to Proud Mary, the Tina version of course.
