Dancing Machine

I love everything about music and one of my favorite offshoots, is the art of dance. Yes friends...I have been known to bust a move or two. Now I'm no Mr. Wiggles or Riverdancer, but growing up, I loved dancing and was a big time student of Michael Jackson (yea yea, hold the jokes).

Over the years, I've made a bit of a specatacle of myself, all in the name of Dance Fever! Sure I go out and do a couple of moves here and there, and occassionally participate in a "battle" if I'm in the mood, but those have been only sideshows compared to other occasions where I've popularized (and only slightly embarrassed) myself in front of the masses!

If we look at this chronologically, I suppose the first improptu show happened when I was about 11 or 12. I had this habit of always practicing my dance moves in secret whenever I found a suitable floor surface. I found one of the best floors to slide around on was at Costco! So when I thought no one was looking, I'd do a couple of spins and maybe work on my moonwalk.

Well at the time, I was taking this french class at the University, and apparently my French teacher was at Costco the same time that I was on one particular dance-happy occassion. I soon found out that I had had an unknowing audience.

The next day in the middle of class she recalls my little performace in her thick frech accent:

Her: "Hey I just remembered. I saw you at Costco yesterday!"
Me: "Oh yea?"
Her: "What in the world were you doing?"
Me: "What do you mean?" (I seriously didn't know what she was talking about)
Her: "I saw you gyrating and then doing some sort of Elvis Dance!" (Starts to demonstrate by doing some crazy cross of air humping, ice skating, and the hokey pokey).
Me: (awkward laugh followed by me thinking "What the hell are you doing!!! Those aren't my moves! And Elvis? ELVIS!?! Those were freaking Michael Jackson moves!")

Suffice to say, having a room full of college students laughing at her god-awful interpretation of my Costco dance moves was not a highlight of my dance history.

I got over it soon, and harnessed this embarassment into further popularity (and possibly embarassment). In eighth grade, all my friends knew that I liked Michael Jackson, and when a mini school talent show came up, I was goaded into signing up to do a performance of Billie Jean. There were no prizes or anything. It was for sheer entertainment.

The show was supposed to be for my "team" (In my middle school everyone was on "teams" of about 150 students each who shared core class teachers). I was the last act and, other teachers having heard about this little show, brought there students in to catch the end, just as school was ending. So now, instead of performing in front of 150 people, it was now more like 300 people. Great.

Well, I ended up getting the crowd into it and definitely being the most entertaining. I mean, you've gotta give props to a Chubby kid who's on stage in front of possibly the meanest age roup of people (Middle school kids) busting some moves right!?! I vividly remember walking through the crowds of people on the way to the bus pickup, getting high fives from random people I didn't know.

The legacy had begun.

Fast forward four years, and I'm a Senior in high school. I was actually moderately popular during my Senior year. Well, turns out there's a lip syncing contest, and immediately everyone I went to middle school with is pushing me to compete.

Honestly, the performance was one of the biggest rushes I've ever had. It was in an auditorium, so I was on stage with special lights programmed and "Billie Jean" blasting over the loud speakers. I came out and saw it was standing room only! 1000+ people in the audience! I came out and the crowd was electric. If that was not good enough, they seriously errupted when I did the moonwalk! I ended up winning second place, and I think the status I gained from that performance got me the "most spirited" senior class superlative.

From then to now, I've had some other moments. Freshman year in college, I did a speech about the history of breakdancing and proceeded to do a little demo with the class. Recently, I also won an impromptu "dance off" at the Shout House. There's two more little stories though.

So there's this upper class club in San Diego called Aubergine in San Diego that I went to with Aaron and Darren a few months ago. On the dance floor area, there's a stage in front with the DJ in the middle and a Go-Go dancer on each side. Well at point during the night, Darren and I noticed the Go-Go dancers were missing. We both looked at each other and new what to do.

Aaron meanwhile was talking to some girl. The conversation ensues as follows:

Girl:"Oh my God! There's two guys dancing up there!"
Aaron:(not looking at the stage) "Two guys?!? What the hell is going on?!? There's not supposed to be guys up there!"
Girl: "Well there are, and they're really rockin out!"
Aaron: (Turning around) Well they need to get off the sta...wait I know those guys!!! That's Arun and Darren!"

I don't know what happened after that, but she must have fallen in love with him by the mere fact that he knew US! I meanwhile was bustin my ass to "Welcome to Jamrock" on one side of the stage, high fiving the DJ.

Late night dancing can get crazy, but clubs and bars aren't the only place for them apparently. Last Friday night at about 2am, me and a big group of friends walk into Hoboken Pizza in Pacific Beach. People are getting rowdy, and the next thing I know, people are dancing on tables! The song changes and they're playing Journey!! (I'm a fan). Me being the type of person who likes to instigate craziness (see Football Fanatics )I hopped up on our table, pulled my some friends up, and started getting down!

To conclude, don't ever be afraid to dance anywhere. I've demonstated it can be done anywhere from a store, to a classroom, to a pizza place. The next time you get the urge, drop what you're doing, and bust a move!