Experiencing rhythm and dancing are one of the most basic forms of communication there is. I once met a wonderful woman in the Washington, DC area named Liz Lehrman who infected me with her enthusiasm.  She taught me that voluntary movement is dance. When you deliberately move anything to a rhythm--even just your eyelids--you have have experienced voluntary movement. You have danced.

The intent of the voluntary movement determines the kind of dance. Many dance forms have been formalized, codified and documented, but they all began with someone, somewhere just doing what came naturally. This means that anyone can dance and anyone can experience rhythm. Granted, not all of us experience it the same way

Although not all movements are suitable to all people, I enjoy the relationship between them and how they make it possible for anyone to feel and dance. I cannot by any stretch of the imagination call myself a dance anthropologist, but I love the fact that there are people who can say, "Show me how you dance and I’ll tell you where you’re from!"

I believe strongly in everyone developing their own individual style, and I also strongly believe in learning technique that will preserve your ability to dance at your personal comfort level.

I will not expect you to dance like me; you will find your own way of expressing yourself. But I will expect you to learn the physical as well as verbal vocabulary to keep your options open and your body safe.

Maybe you won't love dancing as I do. Maybe you'll  love it more than I do. Or maybe you only want a fun way to exercise. Your mind may change fifty times every class. Remember that you have something to say, and dance it!