Changing Lives through Dancing by David Woodbury Arthur Murray Santa Monica
Growing up in Nashville, Tennessee in the 50’s, my daddy was always singing or humming a little song. As he walked down the street, he had a cool stride and walked with a visible pep in all his steps. My mom was always singing, sharing a song, or remembering a favorite hymn from their Baptist Church.
As years went on, I began to remember momma saying to me “Keep a Little Song in Your Heart”. And I started singing and humming to myself my favorite songs. As the years have gone on for me and my health has taken some challenges, I remember daddy in his late years singing a lot, and now I sing a lot. I always have music in my mind, heart, soul and body. With dancing at Arthur Murray, music truly becomes a part of your essence as a dancer and a person.
To keep a little song in my heart, I am not going to talk about the last 3 years anymore. I’m moving on. It’s not good to talk about what happened to the small business world. Remember the story about Lot’s wife? As Lot and his family were fleeing Sodom and Gomorrah, God told them to not look back. Lot’s wife did look back and she turned into a pillar of salt. It was not because she just looked back while hearing the destruction of her cities, it was because she longed for her former home. I do not long for the former years of quarantine. I am a people person and I need the life of an active, happy, busy dance studio to keep me going!
What keeps you from having a little song in your heart? Sadness, illness, loss, or the past holding you back. In my life, I struggle with depression. It’s just there. Outwardly I’m an outgoing person, full of joy and happiness. But as St. Paul said about his thorn in the flesh, “For when I am weak, then I am strong”. My weakness has made me an advocate for those who cannot reach out for help. To help those who live in the ‘normal’ world, but they are not ‘normal’. S.O.S.A survivors are in need of that little bit of joy in their hearts and I am called to introduce to them the music of the heart that will be the breath of life for them. This is my life’s purpose.
Where do you find that song to sing in your heart? I find it through the great music that I dance to at Arthur Murray. Perhaps you could find a favorite playlist of songs on YouTube. Pull out your vinyls, your cassettes, or open Spotify and search “Songs to Sing”. For all you Holiday enthusiasts, Christmas is just 135 days away and the music of the season can really get into your soul.
Seek out your favorite songs and sing along. Ask your mom and dad, your siblings their favorite songs. Try this, pick a great song with a strong beat and take it to your Arthur Murray teacher and say, “Let’s dance a number to this song!”. You’ll be happy you did.
Not matter how you find your joy; you deserve to be happy in your life. You deserve to sing through your whole life and truly know how to walk with a pep in your step.
Stay happy. Never give up. It will get better.
Thanks for reading,
David Woodbury