Dance Like It's 1984

I didn't go to high-school dances in my first two years of high school, and for good reason: I didn't dance. I was also awkward with girls and couldn't get them to dance with me, assuming I could gather the courage to ask one to dance.

I was shy back then, too.

By the 11^th grade, my circle of friends was fairly well-established, and we would go to the occasional dance, en masse, and hang out on the fringes of the dance floor. Dance? Not me. Nor did the majority of my friends. We just hung out.

Possibly, if we lasted to the end of the evening, I might dance with one of my female friends to "Stairway To Heaven," the quintessential high-school dance finale. Once or twice, when I had an actual girlfriend, we would dance to all of the slow songs but would find a place to make out for the faster dance tunes.

I wasn't one for dancing.

It was in grades 12 and 13 (yes, I'm that old, when high school was a five-year sentence) that my friends and I actually tried to dance. We would watch each other, try a few moves, and when we realized that we were all in the same boat of left-footed crew, we didn't care. We danced, like no one else was looking.

And over time, as we got into the beats and rhythms, we actually got half-decent.

In our final year, when we were old enough to get into the bars in Hull, we drove across the border, into Québec, and dance on Saturday nights.

By the time I entered the work force, and attended Christmas parties, I danced some more. I danced at weddings, I danced whenever the occasion called for it.

I danced by myself, around the house, as I cleaned it, my music blasting through speakers or headsets.

I can't remember the last time I danced. It's been a long time.

But no more. 

I'm attending a high-school dance, where they will play the music of my high-school days, from the 70s and 80s. They're even throwing in the music of the early 90s, which was probably the last time I truly danced.

It's a high-school dance for grown ups.

On Saturday, September 19, the Breakfast Club Retro Dance will be held at the Kent Street Legion. It's a fund raiser, with proceeds going to the Ottawa School Breakfast Program, which provides a healthy breakfast to kids who may not get one at home.

Tickets are a mere $20 each.

Dress up in your high-school era duds and dust off those moves. You must be at least 19 years of age to attend, so there's no risk of young whipper snappers showing you up.

While I'm not involved at all in the organization of the event, I am really looking forward to attending and I'd like to see as many of my friends attend as possible. If you love to dance, get your tickets and come out.

You can get more information at the Breakfast Club Retro Dance Facebook page and you can purchase your tickets online, through Eventbrite.

Come out and dance like you did back then.