Me, myself, Ava Benedict, and a chorus of dancers in Brazil

Ava Benedict Image credit: images2.sina.com

Street revelry is one of my preferred venues for dancing like a free electron. Dance is a genuine Ava Benedict thing, and I feel better about it in the company of others. Naturally, festive dances are so me, and I’ve always been amazed at how they do it in other countries. Take Rio, for instance, the capital of uninhibited dancing.

Ava Benedict Image credit: img.ibtimes.com

It’s easy to flirt with the idea of dancing with the Brazilians during Carnavale season, if only because the whole thing is flirtation. The costumes are no less than other-worldly, adorned by women with little body issues and even less self-consciousness for the little they are covered by feathers and body paint. But what’s even more meaningful about the carnavale, in the Ava Benedict dictionary of dancing, is a shared samba movement to Afro-influenced drumbeats, a whole community gyrating and basking within the pulses of enduring, inter-generation dance steps. One wonders whether other dances could lend itself to the same longevity, like it’s a time-tested tradition or a visual history.

Ava Benedict Image credit: ticketforcarnival.com

Of course, the important thing is getting a multitude of people to perform the same thing, and for the same purpose. Ballet is one of those popularly accepted forms, but it could sometimes prove to be elitist and specialized, despite its timeless beauty and grace. Street dances know no such boundaries. They are set in the perfect stage for self-abandonment in the name of music. Plus, drummers turn up the beats anytime, less chances of technological fail there.


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