Traditional Dance

Today my friend, Dick McCreight, sent me an e-mail with photos he had taken on a recent mission trip to South Africa. I loved living in South Africa. The red earth seems to settle on your body and soul like a ceremonial robe passed down through the family of humankind connecting you with the very beginnings of our collective history. From the time I stepped on the continent of Africa I felt a primative sense of being home. Thinking about South Africa and seeing the people and places I loved represented in Dick's photos really tugged at my heartstrings.

In some of the photos I saw children dancing and it reminded me of a time we visited some native African friends from our little Methodist church in Lichtenburg, RSA. We were invited for dinner and as we were having something to drink and starters (appetizers) I asked the little girls to show me some of their traditional dances. They tried to teach me some of the steps and girations and I soon became tired. They have such a natural sense of rythm and movement and when the music begins everyone seems to instinctively know what to do.

For a while we were entertained by the dancing of the little girls. As they wound down, I asked them if they would like for me to teach them a traditional American dance. They were very excited to learn something new. The adults were interested, too.

We all laughed and laughed as I taught them how to do the Hokey Pokey!