Let’s Dance!

Hand in hand with singing, as part of my nannying repertoire, is dancing. I love to dance, always have, always will. It is a great outlet for energy and a wonderful way to bond with the kiddos. In some ways nannying is a lot like dancing. Supernannies leave stage fright at the door, as do dancers; people who are inexperienced with children have the same pained facial expressions and awkwardness as someone who doesn’t know how to dance. Supernannies just go with the music, and no matter the moves, feel natural. Confidence is king in nannying, just like on the dance floor.

A goal of mine in nannying is to keep kiddos’ self-consciousness at bay for as long as possible. Precocious children are naturally so, but there is a difference between a child who is mature beyond his/her years, and one who is cripplingly self-aware. I want the kiddos I nanny to have confidence in themselves, and feel comfortable just being a kiddo, not already trying to be cool. There will be plenty of time for that in the future. One of the best ways to make them feel comfortable in their own skin and following their own instincts, is by dancing. There is no better feeling than to let go of everything in the car, in your house, with friends, alone, whenever, and just let your body move to some music!

Dancing can happen spontaneously, ignited out of a perfectly ordinary day/night. During an evening with Big Cat, after dinner we ended up listening to Elvis and dancing, which eventually led to me riding the imaginary elevator/escalator behind the couch, him dancing and laughing, “Do the elevator again!” (I think my imaginary elevator impression’s appeal is improved by my pretending to check my invisible watch after I press the pretend button for my imaginary floor.) We didn’t limit ourselves to “The King” that night, just let Pandora guide us from dancing tune to dancing tune. As you all know, I play a wide range of music, hopefully inspiring a full spectrum lesson in the evolution of dance!

Rebel, in particular, loves to dance as much as I do, which is saying something. No matter what genre of music, he finds the appropriate groove and moves with the music. He loves when I pick him up and we dance around together- often pouting until I do so- clapping and laughing the whole time. Many times, Doc will let us know when the dance is over, “Quit dancing, you two!”; Doc enjoys music also, but prefers to enjoy it by nodding his head in time, or running around to it. On a particular day, the three of us were out in “Miss Cheryl’s car” listening to music. I tilted the passenger seat all the way back and Doc spent the songs gliding down the seat as if it were a park slide, while Rebel, standing in my lap, and I danced Night at the Roxbury style to “What is Love?”, by Haddaway. This song is a ginormous hit with everyone! Mr. Man, Big cat, and I spent many a car ride, bobbing our heads to the beat, and laughing.

Boss Lady and I have epic dance parties, of hours and hours proportions. Pop on the Lady Gaga Pandora and we’ll see you next Thursday! Captain Awesome and Princess, are all too eager to learn new moves, hear new songs, and dance party until bedtime; Princess, often teaches me a thing or two, after all she does take lessons! I’m so grateful that dancing around and being goofy is not only accepted but encouraged at my workplace; or as I often think of it, my dancefloor.