When I was 19 I fell in love… in love with the heady joy that is dancing. It all began with a ballet class for adult beginners.
A second year arts student, I was at that point in life where the possibilities seem endless. Exciting… but I had no idea how I would navigate the expanse. Now I felt like dance might offer me a compass.
19 is a late start for a dancer but, after two years of training, I decided to audition for a tertiary dance course.
The likes of Veruca Salt and the Breeders formed the soundtrack to my preparations. In the loungeroom or in the car, the quirky stories and moody vocals of my favourite front-women had me on the move.
Encapsulating all my hope was The Breeder’s “Drivin’ on 9”. There’s a sweet longing in this song, in Kim Deal’s husky vocals, in the plaintive violin, in the yearning lyrics. The destination is uncertain, perhaps unknown, but the travelling feels right.
It’s been 16 years since I graduated from my dance degree, but when I listen to “Drivin’ on 9”, I still get transported back… to that time of lightness and anticipation.