RuPaul speaks the TRUTH.

As a general rule, we den mothers try to leave our problems at the dance studio door. We know y’all don’t need to hear about how that person at work is driving us up a wall or how traffic was suuuuuuper annoying that afternoon. And normally that’s pretty easy, because we love explaining DDPP to newbies or chatting with the regulars while we take your cash and punch your frequent dancer cards. So I hope you’ll indulge me for a second when I confess that over the past few weeks, I’ve had a harder time of it. I’m going through Rather A Rough Patch™ in my personal life and it’s been a struggle to plaster on my usual DDPP smile and dance my usual goofy dance moves.

So on Wednesday night when DJ Careless introduced her playlist, I was still bracing myself to try to survive 60 minutes of no judgment of myself or others. Imagine my relief and surprise, then, when our DJ cited the closing words of RuPaul’s Drag Race as her inspiration. What, you don’t know them already? Well here you go:

Can I get an amen in here?!? That’s right, DJ Careless devoted her entire playlist to songs that had that “be okay with who and where you are, right now” vibe. She might as well have hung some of these posters up around the room:

It was sixty minutes of daily affirmations bookended by the classy crooning of Ms. Nina Simone. In between we had time to shake our tambourines, remember what makes us beautiful, and clarify that we want exactly NO scrubs in our lives, thankyouverymuch. It was inspiring and energizing and one of the first times I’ve felt normal in weeks.

DJ Careless told us that, while leaving her apartment on the way to her first ever DDPP, she asked her husband and dog to applaud her bravery for trying something new all by herself. I think her exact words to them were: “I think the apartment needs to applaud me.” I know sooooo many of us have similar stories about how apprehensive we were the first time we walked in that creaky back door off of Belle Plaine. So I just want to publicly applaud DJ Careless for trying something new and for sticking with it. And for making a playlist that reminded me of the healing powers of music and dancing.

So I think one more affirmation poster is in order. Hey, DJ Careless?

 

Do You Know Where You Are?…. You’re in the Haus ‘O Whax, baby…. and you’re gonna DAAAAAANCE!

DJ Haus ‘OWhax AKA super den mother Jill Westerfelhaus AKA our resident queen of rock AKA the one who injured herself headbanging to Ballroom Blitz goes by many names. On Sunday she was also known as the woman who reminded the studio to turn the AC on, which was good because it was HOT out, and Jill’s mix of rock and retro fun only made us hotter!

We ran all over the studio like we were being chased by a flock of seagulls.

And I ho-o-o-opped… I hopped so far away…

We were blinded by science… (say it with me now)

However, it was her last fast song that literally brought us to our shuh-nuh-nununnunnunnunna-kneeeeees kneeeeeees! The room went INSANE for Welcome to the Jungle! Can you believe it’s the FIRST time that song was played in the last five years? And now you can learn the words in Spanish! Seriously, watch the video:

Does your hair look like this now? You might wanna brush it…

Thanks DJ Haus ‘OWhax for takin’ us to the jungle!

 

 

Behold, The Almighty Drum!

Drums have been around a long time.  A LOOOONG time.  As far back as 3000 BC, or maybe 6000 BC, depending on what Internet page you look on.  Drums are powerful instruments.  And everyone is capable of playing some sort of a drum.  Have you ever heard of a violin circle, where violins are distributed and everyone just starts playing?  I don’t think I would want to go to something like that.  However, that’s what happens in a drum circle, with drums and other percussion instruments.

We experienced the power of the drum at DDPP, thanks to DJ Mizfit Toyz and her drumming inspired playlist!   What do I know about drums and rhythm?  I know a little bit.  I took a class in drum circle rhythms last summer (yes, you can take a class in drum circles).  Here is what I remember.

1.   Anyone can create rhythm.  You don’t even need an instrument.  Clapping your hands is rhythm.
2.  Rhythm doesn’t have to be loud and pounding.  You can lightly drag your fingers across a surface and create a whispering rhythm.
3.  There is no “wrong answer,” no “wrong rhythm.”  Therefore, sometimes a drum circle can devolve into anarchy and that’s OK.
4.  However, if you want a more pleasant, rewarding experience, listen to and watch what others are doing in the circle and play something that supports or replies to another rhythm.  Have a conversation in rhythm.

Drums can be loud or soft, slow or fast.  Drummers can be experts with years of practice, or anyone who can touch a surface and make a sound.  Meg White of The White Stripes had only been playing drums for about six years when this came out:

So drums are for everybody.  You know what else drums are for?  DANCIN’, that’s what!  Dancin’ and jumpin’ and sweatin’ and singin’!  That’s what we were doing with DJ Mizfit Toyz’ pounding beats!  Here’s the song that inspired the playlist:

That drum’s still beating, loud and clear!  Thank you, DJ Mizfit Toyz, for bringin’ the beat of the drum!

And The Award For Best Soundtrack Goes To…

DJ Chelles Belles!!! Duh. She wowed us on Sunday with her tribute to movies and TV shows. She even made us a handy reference chart to go along with her playlist!

I have to say, I was pretty proud of myself for guessing about half of these on my own during the playlist! And Chelles Belles’ inspiration caused more than enough perspiration on the dance floor (see what I did there?)! She had us jumping like Hugh Grant in the Prime Minister’s mansion, running like we were killing zombies, and twirling like the ballerinas of the (fictitious) American Ballet Company.

Which brings me to my soapbox…people, take  DJ Chelles Belles’ and my advice and watch Center Stage already. It’s pretty much the best bad dance movie EVER. I’m not ashamed to admit that as a high schooler watching it in the theater, I was actually so transported that I forgot where I was and started CLAPPING after the final dance scene. Yeah. ‘Nuff said. And have I mentioned how you should also watch the Step Up movies? (Mostly the 2nd one? Step Up 2: The Streets?) Oh yeah, I totally have before. On this very blog. Because you should. In fact? Why don’t you treat yoself and just take a day off, settle in on the couch, and have a Center Stage/Step Up marathon. Tell your boss the den mothers told you to. And FINALLY, all this talk reminds me that there’s a new Step Up movie coming out this summer!  And I just can’t help but post the trailer:

And with that…I’ll step down from my dance movie soapbox and get back to Chelles Belles!

Not only did this veteran DJ kill me (and many other Parks and Rec fans) with the cool down song once, but she just killed me again! “Mouserat (formerly Scarecrow Boat”?) DJ Chelles Belles,  you are as funny as you are a master playlist-maker. RIP Li’l Sebastian indeed.

And last but not least, I’d be remiss if I didn’t give a shout out to the fact that  Sunday’s session fell on Mother’s Day. One of our dancers brought her mom along and boy, did she ever wipe the dance floor with all of us! That  mom could NOT be stopped. It just goes to show that Mother truly does know best. So happy belated  Mother’s Day to all you moms out there, and also to my fellow den mamas! (We count too!) Next time you’re getting down to one of DJ Chelles Belles’ expert playlists, steal a move or 6 from this hilarious mom-to-be!

Now THAT’S Mother’s Day done the DDPP way!

Yin Yang Bing BANG!

Wednesday night’s class was full of opposites.  And by that I mean the opposite of boring, stagnant and depressing.  DJ Antonym brought some awesome tunes and vibrant energy to our Hump Day dance fest.  From reggae to funk to hipster jams our hour of sweat and celebration took us around the world and back again!  Steaming up the mirrors and reviving our spirits with sweet beats.

A mix that sticks with you is a keeper!  I’ve had “Me and Julio” in my head ever since!  DJ Antonym you are the Yin to our Yang.

An eye-popping experience!!!

I knew DJ 3rd Rail was going to bring an ELECTRIFYING mix today!  I mean, just look at this sign:

This is NOT something to take lightly!  Fortunately, we all ignored the “Do Not Enter” warning and jumped right in!  We all felt like this:

In a GOOD way, of course!  It was an eye-popping mix!  And I’m not just saying that.  I remember what happened to me the last time I heard this song at DDPP:

What happened, you say?  Let’s just say, by my screaming and jumping around, I may have brought upon myself DDPP’s first dance related eye injury.  So when I heard this song today, I said, “Oh no, I have to be careful!”  And instead of screaming at the top of my lungs, I was The Girl in the Corner, saying, Boy, I wanna warn ya, it’ll turn into a Ballroom Blitz!  AND THAT WASN’T EVEN THE LAST FAST SONG!  That spot was for our second shout out of the day to MCA and the Beastie Boys, with this song:

It took a LOT of effort on my part, but I made it through that song intact too!  Instead of screaming and risking injury, I let the energy of all the other jumpin’, singin’, shoutin’, dancin’ women carry me through this playlist!  Thank you, DJ 3rd Rail, for a GOOD eye-popping experience!

Mirror Mirror on the wall, who is the most bootylicious of them all?

On that magical night we at ddpp asked ourselves…Mirror, please tell us…who is the most bootylicious of them all?

This is the answer we got:

Oh mirror…how you can get it wrong…oh so wrong!

The answer is us…it is always US…gurl, you know I’m right!  Well, dj Bootylicious showed us how it is done, by throwing down a mix of the most booty shaking songs ever played at DDPP.  It was one rumpshaker after another (think my butt is broken now) bringing us to bootylicious nirvana.  Ready or not, she brought the jelly & then some….this is how my jelly looks:

We then asked the mirror this:

Cause ya know we were shaking our milkshakes (think those broke as well).

Well…let’s leave it to the ladies of Destiny’s Child to bring it all back to the mirror:

Check out the playlist for yourselves here:

Beautiful – Me’Shell Ndegeocello

Bootylicious – Destiny’s Child

4 My People – Missy Elliott

California Gurls – Katy Perry

Rock Steady – Aretha Franklin

SOS – Rihanna

1 Thing – Amerie

Deja Vu – Beyonce

Feedback (remix) – Janet Jackson

Vanity – Christina Aguilera

That’s What You Get – Paramore

Car Wash – Rolls Royce

Give It To Me – Timbaland

Milkshake – Kelis

End of Time – Beyonce

Just Fine – Mary J. Blige

Nicest Thing – Kate Nash