We Shall Dance

My family dances.  The best wedding I have ever attended was my sister Lurene's, who married Tim, both of whom are professional trombone players and who invited Tim's Big Band to play at their reception.

The Southern Stardust Big Band.
Tim standing on the right.

We danced for about 5 hours: cha-cha, waltz, tango, foxtrot, and the like.  I stopped once briefly to get a drink.  Heaven really!  One of the best parts was dancing with my nephew and niece as we taught them how to ballroom dance.  With some reluctance they learned, then within two songs they all refused to leave the dance floor and foxtrotted, cha-cha-ed and waltzed into the evening.

Cheri and daughter Chlesea cuttin' a rug.
Arta and Richard dancin' it up in the background.

Oh we danced!

We all danced!

Another highlight was dancing the tango with my dad.  My sister grabbing a shot of us together but first handed me a rose so that I could plant it in my mouth.  I love my dad's face in this shot.  Nothing like making an amazing man laugh.

Me with my dad, Greg.

It has been eight months since I have seen any of my family members, which is a long time when I had been living in the same city with them for 5 years and saw each of them at least weekly.  I miss them.  Each one a different personality.  Each one interesting.  Each one with whom I have a different relationship.  Have I mentioned there are 25 of us now?  That is the kicker.  A large and delightful family.  I am one of the fortunate ones.  Here is another member, my hilarious mother, Wyona with the gorgeous white hair.

Not sure what my mother is doing to
her nephew Richard, but the comedy!

The family-missing-sickness will be over soon as we meet up at the family cabin.  In preparation of our frequent and enjoyable dance parties each night (either that Bridge or Settlers) I have made mix CD's, reminiscent of teenage mix tapes.  Yeah, you know what I am talking about.  We all made them.

The one CD turned out to be three.  Here is the playlist that I shall be enjoying with my family on the deck, with the cabin's disco ball turning, shining, and the outdoor stereo system singing out into the night.  A mix of rock, dance, big band, ballroom and other enjoyable ditties.

CD Uno

Tic Tok - Ke$ha

The Ills - Mayer Hawthorne

Little Brown Jug - The Swingfield Big Band

Big Apple Contest - The Solomon Douglas Swingtet

Forget You - Cee Lo Green

Metro - Coolooloosh

Your Love is My Drug - Ke$ha

Baby - Da Beibs (Justin Beiber)

Ain't No Mountain High Enough - Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell

Chattanooga - The Swingfield Big Band

La Cubana - Allistair Elliot

Pink Panther Theme - The Swingfield Big Band

Perhaps, Perhaps, Perhaps - Pussy Cat Dolls

Comme un boomerang - Ngabo

Swimming Over London - The King's Singers

Full Steam - David Gray & Annie Lennox

Rolling In the Deep - Adele

I'm A Rover - Great Big Sea

So What - Pink

Firework - Katy Perry

Now That We Found Love - Heavy D & The Boyz

It Don't Mean a Thing If It Ain't Got that Swing - Joe Carrol with The Ray Brown Quintet

Greg and Wyona shakin' things up since 1966.

CD Duo

Leap Frog - Les Brown & His Band of Renown

Chanson des filles - Mauvais Sort

Baby I Need Your Loving - The Four Tops

Wild Young Hearts - Noisettes

Don't Stop Believin' - The Glee Cast

Bright Lights Bigger City - Cee Lo Green

Born This Way - Lady GaGa

Pon De Replay - Rihanna

Burnin' Up - Jonas Brothers

Celtic Dub - Delhi 2 Dublin

Tightrope - Janelle Monae

Mercy - Duffy

Beuatiful U R - Deborah Cox

Sweet Caroline - Neil Diamond

Sing, Sing, Sing - The Swingfield Big Band

Ronnie's Samba - Matt Bianco

Recipe for Love - The King's Singers

La derniere Gigue - Mauvais Sort

The Ghost Inside - Broken Bells

Just Ain't Gonna Work Out - Mayer Hawthorne

One Great City - The Weakerthans

Come Let Go - Xavier Rudd

Teague, Tim, Lurene treating us to live music.

CD Trio

Just Say Yes - Snow Patrol

Here It Goes Again - OK Go

How About You - Bobby Darin

Big Noise Friom Winnetka - The Swingfield Big Band

One O'Clock Jump - The Swingfield Big Band

Satisfied - Cee Lo Green

Opus One - The Swingfield Big Band

Love Song - Sara Bareilles

Live Your Life - T.I.

Single Ladies - Beyonce

Only Girl - Rihanna

Black Horse and the Cherry Tree - KT Tunstall

Get On Your Boots - U2

Passenger 24 - Melissa McClelland

Soldier of Love - Sade

Happy to Be Unhappy - Captain Tractor

We may get through them all, we may replay a few and skip a few.  Whatever happens we can dance, sing-a-long, rotate lead singer, move like back-up dancers, basically have a great time.

Include some music and dancing into what is left of your summer and think of me and my family, dancing in front of the most beautiful view in the world.  Before you go, tell me what you will be dancing to, to pump up the last month of the summer.

The view.
The very best of views.