Guest Author - Sandra Eggers
A national phenomenon is dancing its way to your computer at this very moment, and will be coming to a town near you soon. Think of it as a modern Bunny Hop, or an updated Macarena, with a new-age flair and hip-hop kind of attitude. There will be no Y-M-C-A arm configurations during the event.
The folks at So You Think You Can Dance (SYTYCD) have organized National Dance Day as a celebration of dance across the country. The idea is that on July 31, 2010, no matter where you are, or what you’re doing, everyone can join in the dance party, kind of like a virtual conga line.
That’s the good news. The better news is that there’s already a National Dance Day dance for everyone to perform. The bad news is that, for most of us, it’s not a simple routine.
National Dance Day features a hip-hop routine from SYTYCD choreographers Napolean and Tabitha D’Umo, aka Nappytabs. There are 8 sections in this “simple” routine. Good luck getting past the 2nd section, and especially after they put it to the music of Flo Rida. If you can get through it all, you’ll have a great workout and a lot of fun. Napolean and Tabitha break down the routine for you on YouTube. Just search for “national dance day” and you’ll find a few variations and lots of clips from those who have already got the moves down.
Anyone can join in the National Dance Day celebration, and more importantly, you don’t have to learn Nappytabs choreography to participate. There are hundreds of events across the country, including family dancing, group dance activities, free hip-hop and ballroom classes, line dancing, and more. It’s just a great day of fun and dance for all. Current events planned for New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Philadelphia, Dallas, Boston, Atlanta, Tampa, San Francisco, Nashville, Salt Lake City, Spokane, and more. Additional venues are being added every day.
Washington, DC is going to be dancing on July 31 as well. Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton will kick it off on the National Mall, recognizing National Dance Day with an official act of Congress. The celebration continues in the nation’s capital with local dancers and former SYTYCD finalists.
Warning: not everyone will find Nappytabs “simple little dance routine” choreography as simple as they make it look. Just saying, you might want to practice some if you really want to join National Dance Day out in the public.
Grab your dancing shoes and start practicing. Hold the date. July 31, 2010 is National Dance Day.
