I don’t think I need to remind anyone that we’re in a pandemic which has led to the greatest shutdown of jobs, organizations, industries and borders we’ve ever seen in our lifetime! This is the stuff filmmakers and writers have been making millions of dollars on for years, a pandemic of global proportion.
And it feels like strange days, almost surreal. It’s quieter outside, the mood is muted and somehow, we seem hesitant to celebrate that spring has sprung.
Some days I feel like it’s all going to be okay and we’re going to come out of hibernation a little more grateful for all that we have and start acting accordingly. And then there are those moments (and sometimes days) where I’m really not sure how this is all going to play out and I start to run scenarios in my head – if this happens, I’ll do X but if that happens, I’ll do Y.
Let’s be honest, those scenarios are worst-case, which can be frightening. It’s pretty easy for me to go there in my head as none of our family and friends are nearby to ground us (we’re transplants from Alberta and BC), my husband and I are both working from home, and the dog, while cute, doesn’t say much, and our cat, well, he’s a bit of a jerk and not much help in a pandemic.
My husband and I are fixers and doers so it’s hard for both of us to stay in and essentially do nothing.
How the Deck Dancing' Party started
This is how the idea of a Deck Dancin’ Party was born. I figured that while I couldn’t control the spread of Covid-19 beyond doing my part and staying at home and washing my hands, I could control my thoughts, my feelings, and my behaviours. I could control whether I did something to make this situation better or worse.
As it happens, I am also a member of our condo’s Social Committee and unfortunately, we had to cancel all social activities. But at least in my head, that didn’t mean we couldn’t “socialize” at a distance. In fact, we could all dance on our decks, have some fun and remain separate.
I told my husband of, what I thought was a brilliant idea. Not surprisingly, he did not share my enthusiasm for dancing in public (he’s a little less “break out into dance or song” kind of person than I am! Shocking, I’m sure!).
But before this pandemic, I don’t think he realized the depth of love I have for music (songs that I choose) and dancing.
He actually asked me a few days ago “Stace, how much dance do you have left in you?”
I think I had some smart reply about an infinite source of dancing exists within my soul and he walked away rolling his eyes. I don’t think he read the very, very fine print of the marriage contract we signed 20 years ago – hahaha!
So anyway, I digress. My husband was less than thrilled about playing loud music on our deck and dancing in front of our neighbours, but I wasn’t swayed – I couldn’t do much but I would show up, play a few songs and dance by myself if needed.
I put a post on our condo Facebook page about my idea and lucky for me, I have some great neighbours and friends who were willing to look a little silly dancing out on our decks, to get some fresh air and remind ourselves and each other that we’re still here.
It’s important for transparency and honesty sake, that I confess how I think my superpower is making awesome mixed tapes (yes, I grew up in the 80’s!) and playlists!
I’ll be honest, I’m not good at most things but I can make a mean macaroni salad, I’m a great hugger, and I am an amazing playlist mix master! I have a playlist for every situation: when I want to sing or dance, when I want to get pumped up or chilled out. I even make playlists for meetings, road trips, moods, seasons, etc. The possibilities are infinite! In my head, my name is DJ Mix Master YO (YO is for my last names).
So honestly, this deck dancin’ party is my excuse to play loud music and dance, all in the name of connecting while social distancing!
How the Deck Dancing' Party Works
The nuts and bolts of the Deck Dancin’ Party are simple – we play 3 upbeat, danceable songs, get on our decks and dance at 6pm. Requests are made through Facebook and one of our Deck Dancers has made an Apple playlist where all songs are available for listening. Click here for the link.
What’s cool is seeing my husband show up and dance every single night. And even cooler is seeing more and more neighbours join us on the deck every night.
Nearby buildings participating as well!
Consider downloading our playlist and joining us on your own deck at 6pm. While we don’t have much control over Covid, what we can do is decide to show up at 6pm, sway to the tunes and enjoy some fresh air with our neighbours, because in the end, all we have is each other.