I first saw Carousel, the musical, when I was fourteen years old and it enchanted my heart. It still does. Carousel is definitely on my list of Top Five Movies. (Hmm... I must have at least 25 movies on that list by now.) Oh, I realize Carousel has a questionable theme, but to me, it gets lost in the remaining magic of the film.
I dug out my video of Carousel tonight and forwarded to all my favorite parts. And as I sat and watched the scene where Billy's and Julie's daughter, Louise, dances with the handsome man on the beach, well, I cried. Thirty years later I am still crying over what I consider the most perfect style of dance ever danced upon this earth. The form and line and grace they exhibited, well, literally they snatch my breath away.
But they do more. That dance stirs up all the memories of teenage dreams I once had. Every time I'd watch Carousel or other musicals back then, I'd vow to be a dancer when I 'grew-up.' But then I'd watch gymnastics during the Olympics and I'd determine to be a gymnast, instead.(I did go on to win a gold medal in a small high school for a floor routine.) Or I'd watch ice-skating and determine, well, I'll let you guess.
But tonight my tears during that enchanting dance on the beach were not tears of sadness--not from feeling I've missed out on something wonderful. No, they stemmed from the overwhelming, heart-in-your-throat beauty of two people moving in perfect form together. I was simply grateful that once upon a time 48 years ago, Carousel was made and two young people, now old, were filmed in their prime, dancing in such harmony and grace to perfect music.
And more-- I was grateful that I, too, fulfilled my dreams of dancing. Oh, not in the physical sense. But through the years, God gave me His custom-made dreams for me to fulfill--and they are better than the teenage ones which changed from month to month. These new dreams keep me young and they help me remind others to stay young--and hopeful-- too. And He even let one of those dreams be the dancing one.
For you see, whenever I write, whenever I walk alongside God, I am young again, full of potential and dancing that Carousel dance on the beach.
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Perhaps the dance of the heart is the best dance, afterall. It can be forever graceful, forever young, even after the body has grown old.
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I experienced a similar emotion when I was listening to Josh Groban sing on the radio not long ago...I literally paused and thanked God for blessing me with hearing this young man's voice!
ReplyDeleteBy the way, Debra, I recently read an article about Kathie Lee Gifford in which she said she wants to write musicals like "Carousel"...good old-fashioned family-oriented plays. That would be cool.
Thanks, Cindy! You are always so encouraging. Oh, I love to hear Josh Groban sing, too. Tom and I were spending time at a bookstore once a week last year for awhile and it seemed they were *always* playing Josh's music each time. Tom got pretty tired of it and rolled his eyes a lot, but I didn't. :o) Thanks again... God bless... Debra
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