Saturday, January 3, 2009

Why I love the Interwebz

Tonight I was - wait for it- social, and actually went out with some friends on Main Street.* In the course of conversation I interrupted someone's salsa dancing story rather rudely and began blathering about - wait for it - Tahitian stick dancing. I believe the thrust of my argument was something along the lines of "Dances Lizzie Can't and Shouldn't Do", but I had a difficult time convincing my companions that Tahitian Stick Dancing really existed and is not just a figment of my overactive imagination.

Now, this really should go without saying ... but in my experience most things that go without saying usually go with saying, so I'll say it. In approximately 1992 I saw Tahitian Stick Dancing on the local cable channel. It was part of the coverage of some community dance extravaganza, I'm sure. The stick dancing was pretty mesmerizing. It left an impression on me... in 1992.

Now in 2009, I am trying (and failing) to describe this art form to a bunch of rather skeptical interlocutors. Within minutes of arriving home, firing up my computer, and typing some keywords into Youtube... what do I come across but several videos of Maori (not Tahitian) Stick Dancing. Which I promptly forwarded to my skeptical interlocutors. Amazing.

In case you're wondering, here's an example: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sOfvTi0SaCk&feature=related

*"Going out with friends on Main Street" makes me sound like a hipster. But a hipster I am not.

1 comment:

Jean said...

Albeit a bit late commenting on this post, I just have to tell you that in the 1970s when I worked with youth groups, I used to teach kids how to do Maori stick dancing! It was one of the highlights of the year - the kids loved it, the parents thought it was awesome, and even someone as uncoordinated as I am found it surprisingly easy to do once I "got it" - kinda like riding a bike. The rhythm and motion is mesmerizing, and it is actually a very relaxing activity.
Hearing that song again sure brought back memories - thanks!