Groove Is In My Heart

Medieval Times seems like a funny place to have an epiphany, but ’tis what ’tis.

It was either 7th or 8th grade when our school made the field trip to the then-new “dinner & tournament” castle, years before it was made famous by “The Cable Guy” scene where Janeane Garofalo utters “There were no utensils in medieval times, hence there are no utensils at Medieval Times.”

After the dinner and show, our group made its way out of the arena and through the gift shop. We had some time before our bus arrived, so some scoured the swords and shields trinkets and such. Others were lured towards the bar where, for some reason, there was a DJ playing music. Taking our lead from the girls in our gang, we took to the dance floor.

At this point in my life, I had not given much thought to dancing. Sure, when I was younger my older sister and I choreographed routines to pop songs. And yes, as I grew a little older, cardboard was laid out in our living room for when I would perform breakdancing moves for my family. But I don’t know, that was pretty normal for me.

So we’re all dancing and a song came on that excited many in our group. I had a crush on a girl who was the best friend of “the hottest girl in our school.” Both were there that night and on the dance floor. At some point during the beginning of the song, my crush’s best friend made her way to me and we started dancing together.

I could feel the eyes of every guy and girl on us (yes, my crush too). But none of that mattered in the moment. I don’t remember the song but I remember that feeling. It was then I knew: I was a dancer.

We are Going to Dance… and Have Some Fun

My freshman year was not markedly better for me on the girl or crush front. Though I did find my place among the nerds, the choir and later (made the set complete with) the marching band.

When my best friend and I saw a notice for dance auditions to be part of an upcoming talent show, we were among the first to sign up. (Though unbeknownst to us, we were supposed to stick around and learn the routine for the auditions which would happen the following day. Oops.) By some stroke of luck and impromptu choreographing of our own, we both made it in.

In short, it was an odd time for me: I was short and I was odd. My best friend was in the dance group, but we were in different parts of the song, so I remember being solo a lot. During rehearsals I (yet again) fell for another girl, who of course had a boyfriend. Still, I loved every minute of the experience. I especially loved my part.

The song was Deee-Lite’s “Groove Is In The Heart.” I could not tell you now what the rest of the group did or even what I did the rest of the song, but I clearly remember my special featured moment. It was in the second verse, right after the percussive record-scratching when Lady Miss Kier launches into:

“DJ Soul (Soul!) was on a roll/ I’ve been told he can’t be sold/ He’s not vicious or malicious/Just de-lovely and delicious.”

I strutted on from the wings and across the front of the stage, pulling focus from whatever had just happened at center. On my arms were two other dancers, girls. During the next few bars into the rap I was stud-like, maneuvering and manipulating the two twirling girls around me and breaking into my own disco-like moves. We then all joined in with the rest of the group dancing together through to the end.

For a brief moment, albeit onstage and thoroughly choreographed, I was again the center of attention. And surely again the eyes of my crush. But once more, none of that mattered in the moment. I feel that same feeling every time I hear that song now.

I Dare You to Let Me Be… Your One and Only

“Our song” was solidified during a serendipitous moment as my then-girlfriend returned home from a business trip. Her taxi pulled up in front of her place in Brooklyn Heights. I was curbside eagerly awaiting her arrival. As she exited the cab and I made my way to help her with her luggage, an Escalade just behind us had its windows down. A song we had already grown to love blared out into the concert hall of brownstones.

We laughed at the ridiculously rom-com-ness of the moment as Adele’s “One and Only” became the soundtrack that underscored an already heightened reunion. We embraced and kissed as young lovers do in the sweetest PDA “get a room!”-type way. The moment could be intercut—in one of those sweeping, circling, Steadicam shots—with our first dance as a couple at our wedding reception.

It was everything my girlcrush-filled childhood could have wished for. I knew the eyes of every guest were on us. And none of that mattered in the moment. I swayed and held my wife, swimming in the gaze of my ultimate crush.

But, moments later, another unexpected thing happened. The DJ played Michael Jackson’s “The Way You Make Me Feel” and in a sequence right out of a movie, we launched almost instinctively into a re-enactment of the video. I followed her around the dance floor with some of my best MJ moves as she scoffed and strolled away from me with knowing smiles.

And once again, I got to dance with the hottest girl in the room.

This story was written as part of an Art Swap collaboration on the connection of songs to a memory. You can read about this project and all five stories here:

Jessica Jungton lent her skilled hand to my story with the incredible single-line artwork featured within. My artwork appears in Kayt Molina’s inspired reminiscence One Night I Fell in Love.