Me

I’m a girl and a student and a swing dancer.  I love thinking about theology and the meaning of life.  I also love flowers and gardens and cooking really good food.  I have adventures on a fairly regular basis.  It’s a good life.

8 Responses to “Me”

  1. zaphodfreek Says:

    April 28, 2007 at 11:20 pm

    Glad to be here.
    Glad to be reading.
    Glad that you ARE.

    :]
    B

    Reply
  2. Alisha Says:

    August 20, 2007 at 6:25 pm

    Hello!

    I’m a girl, Catholic (no longer a student) and a swing dancer…and looking for other like minded people: came across your blog and read a couple of entries – quite beautiful; I completely understand the not matching up with someone who doesn’t dance.
    I love to dance; it moves me in so many ways. So does my faith. I’m convinced dance is a gift…but I don’t know how to integrate it in my faith on my own…

    God bless.

    Reply
  3. Bernadette Says:

    August 20, 2007 at 7:09 pm

    Hey Alisha – I’m glad you found me! I hope you’ll be back many, many times.

    There are so many ways that my faith life is integrated with my dancing. I relate learning how to let go and follow my lead with being obedient to God. Following what the guy is actually leading, not what I think the guy is about to lead, is a lot like having faith that God will take care of things even if I don’t understand what’s going on.

    And then there’s been so many times when my spiritual and dancing struggles/lessons have matched up. Right when I was starting to learn about setting healthy boundaries was when a friend took me aside and told me that we were going to work on my frame. When I was struggling with hard core trust issues was when the doyenne of the swing scene declared that I was going to learn how to let myself be dipped. I could cite lots of other examples. It seems that I need to work things out, not just emotionally, psychologically, or spiritually, but kinesthetically on the dance floor.

    I also see the ways that we enjoy and use our bodies as gifts from the good God who gave us those bodies to begin with. He decreed that we should be male and female, and that these differences would be both frustrating and fun. Partnered dancing is one of the many ways we can enjoy the difference between the sexes, and doing it in a beautiful way that (I think) glorifies God. I think God gets a huge kick out of watching me dance, even when I stink at it.

    So that’s some of the ways that my dancing and my faith work together.

    Reply
  4. Alisha Says:

    February 20, 2008 at 5:07 am

    Bernadette!
    I must have forgot I wrote you at all because I found this post by me and your reply by happenstance!! Are you on facebook? Can we email? I imagine you are somewhere a million miles away in the States since I never seem to meet any Catholic swing dancers in Canada…

    Reply
  6. Ivonne Says:

    October 11, 2008 at 2:35 pm

    Hi Bernadette! I just found your website while searching for some information about west coast swing dancing. You have some pretty insightful posts! I love your writing style and the way you share your perspective (like the post about dressing like a dancer, and the one about guys dancing with guys).

    I have taken just a few lessons, but I love it and it’s kicking my butt. AND – I am getting my first pair of dance shoes today. :)

    Thanks for having this website and sharing your thoughts and experiences!

    Reply
  7. Charl Says:

    November 12, 2008 at 8:10 am

    Hi there! I found your blog through A Time To Dance. I’m just beginning to learn the swing but I’ve also been dancing Argentine tango for almost 2 years now.

    I have yet to read through your previous posts but the one on Swing Dancers Wedding Hell is simply hilarious! Can’t wait to read the rest.

    Anyway, I hope that we could exchange links. Thanks in advance!

    Reply
  8. Gwen Says:

    January 7, 2009 at 6:55 am

    Hi there! Fellow swing dancing Christian here, from Colorado. I found your blog when I googled “improving my partner Charleston” :)

    I love your response to Alisha about integrating dance and faith and agree with you on all counts. Nice to find someone who looks at dance from a similar perspective. In fact, a dream of mine is to one day marry a dancer and use partner dance lessons as a relationship ministry to married couples…here’s to hoping! I also love that dancing allows me to meet and bond with many other dancers who have very different spiritual perspectives from me…I’ve had many an excellent late-night conversation about God!

    Reply

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