Remember when Tina Turner made her comeback in the 1980s when MTV was blowing up the music video scene? She was closing in on 50 years old. Her dress was short short short with beaded fringe, her ebony skin glowed, and her legs were stupendous! Damn. She danced as if possessed by the goddess of sexy fire tower moves as she belted out “What’s Love Got to Do With It?” from her new album.

Thirty years later, I went to a jazz club in San Francisco. Pete Escovedo and his big band, including his daughter Sheila E, the cymbal-kicking mama from Prince days, blasted out sizzling Latin riffs. Sitting down while Latin music plays is painful. It was impossible to just sit there, tapping toes and drumming fingers on the tabletop. The band waved their hands upward, gesturing to the audience, get off your butts! And we did.

My partner and I kicked our table to the side and sprang to the dance floor despite the lethargy of the crowd. We didn’t want to miss a beat and we had the entire dance floor to ourselves.

We spun and salsa-ed and shimmied—oblivious—on our own isolated island of dance joy in the middle of the floor. Endorphins surged as we laughed in between the spins.

The show ended and, sweaty and exhilarated, we wandered with the chattering crowd into the lobby. We got a few claps on the back from approving peeps who’d probably wanted to be on the floor themselves but were self-conscious.

In the swirl of pressing bodies, a woman nudged in front of me. Her spiky copper mane was the first giveaway, then the distinctive creamy mocha skin. I stepped back and looked down. Sure enough, there were those chiseled legs in stylish mile-high heels– the same sculpted legs as the MTV days. Tina Turner was standing right in front of me. She’d been in the audience. I knew she’d gotten an eyeful of me on the dance floor. I was the same age she’d been when I’d watched her strut and stride across the stage in those shimmery tight dresses, belting out her sexy anthems.

So here’s the takeaway for today—get up off your butt and dance no matter what your age! It’s soul satisfaction on a grand scale. And ya never know who’s watching…

Here are some more over-the-top dance videos & stories you might enjoy: https://lisaalpine.com/category/dance/

copyright Lisa Alpine 2019