Yesterday Scarlett and I joined some of her friends from school and their moms at the International Hip Hop Dance Fest in San Francisco’s Palace of Fine Arts. The performers—10 different groups—were incredible. Even the youngest ones made it look easy, circling hips and popping shoulders, windmilling arms and feet rarely flat on the floor. There were several acts that made me want to stand up and applaud. But, you know.

I get chills watching people who can dance. I’m not a very good dancer. I mean, obviously, people with severely weakened limbs are probably not tearing it up on any dance floor, but what I mean is, even before ALS took my mobility, I wasn’t a very good dancer. It didn’t really matter. I LOVED to dance.

The only times I’ve ever performed in front of an audience were my days on the high school drill team. This meant football game half times and weekend competitions, flying splits, kick lines, and Vaseline teeth (keeps you smiling.) It was fun to practice routines with the team and to compete, even if it did mean wearing the same itchy and uncomfortable nylon uniforms that other girls had been sweating in for twenty years. Read More>