And I went wow...

I'm the greatest dancer. Quick side note before I launch into this post. I always thought the lyric to Sister Sledge's "He's the Greatest Dancer" was "I wonder why...he's the greatest dancer!" But apparently, it's "And I went wow...he's the greatest dancer!"

So that's where the title of this blog post comes from.

But it's tongue in cheek because I'm NOT the greatest dancer. But I love it. I studied in college and there are things about moving my body in space that I miss. The thing that I didn't have as a dancer when I was young was strength. I was 5'10", 125 pounds. I was thin, thin, thin. And no muscle. So now with 45 more pounds on me, there's more power behind my movement. And it just feels good to articulate with my body. I'm good with the words, but haven't always been with the body. As a young dancer, I was trying to get to know my body for the first time since I wasn't an athlete. I had no relationship to my body at all. So moving was weird because my arms and legs would flail. I had no control.

I have more control now, but also I let go because honestly it's just fun at the gym. The other day my hip hop class had seven guys in it. It was great to be in the room with a bunch of women and 7 powerful guys who were bustin' a move all over the place. They rocked. And this is really the easiest way for me to get my cardio in. I love my running for sure. But dance is great because it's about music that takes you somewhere and helps you forget that your body hurts.

And it's making a difference. I'm looking good. My birthday's coming up next week and a personal goal for me has been to have the body that I want by my birthday. And initially, I thought that meant the pecs poppin and the muscles bustin and the abs workin'. I thought it meant what my body would look like naked. Now I realize that having the body I want is having a body that can take an hour workout in the morning, then a hip hop class at night. A body that can run for six, seven, eight, ten miles. A body that can sweat and be drenched. A body that won't quit. A body that has stamina. And yes, that body will look good naked. It will feel good. And I'm on my way to having that body by February 12th. That body won't be 10% body fat. It won't have a ripped tummy. But it will be fierce in hip hop class. It won't be ashamed to come out and play. It will be a body that needs protein right after a workout to help it grow. It's a body that wants healthy food. It's a body that gets a double take. It's a body that makes me smile with confidence.

And it's a body that is okay with forging ahead alone. A body that doesn't mind going out by itself without friends on a Friday night and will dance on its own.