Welcome readers young and forever-young! It’s so exciting to write this first post that essentially propels me from the confines of a magazine into the throes of your computer screen for a behind-the-scenes freer more out-of-the-box style that I hope we’ll both enjoy. On this maiden voyage my first posting I think I’ve tried to pick my way through the meandering paths of my imagination to find something fitting to share with you. If an article is a meal think of this as a light brunch; maybe even a snack!

If you read my recent piece on the five talented women who created a show called Escalators I hope my portrayal of these amazing actresses properly conveyed my admiration for them and my enthusiasm at their talent and purpose. That’s the wonderful part about this job — as a writer I get paid to be inspired! J For those of you who missed the piece I’ll recap a bit.

Five women with professional backgrounds in theater speak about the manifestation of creativity in their newly created lives as religious Jews in contrast with the world they left behind before becoming baalei teshuvah. Their insights were beautiful; their sincerity really shone through; I loved each and every one of them so much I begged them to come to me for Shabbos!

If there’s one thing I’ve learned in life it’s that we filter everything through the prism of our own experiences. When I approached the Escalators cast article it was from a decidedly non-theater-oriented perspective. I have never acted danced or sang professionally; I expected to connect to my subjects from afar. And yet when I interviewed these talented women a dormant still-small voice inside me cried out into the silence “Let me out!” So of course I signed up that night for a year of dance lessons … Just joking!

In the course of the interview one of the women a trained dancer and yoga practitioner mentioned that she dislikes simchah dancing.

“Why?” I asked her puzzled.

I mean I dislike simchah dancing because when I’m not getting stepped on by stiletto heels or suddenly losing my circle I’m falling over my own feet wondering how exactly to execute the complicated new move someone jumpy and graceful has just introduced. But she’s a dancer!

So this is what she tells me: “In halachah the only parts of the body that don’t mandate covering at all are the face and the hands. In light of this it’s fascinating to note that communication experts and professional actors agree that the two most expressive parts of the body are the face and the hands!”

Now that I think about it this certainly makes sense. Facial expressions and hand gestures convey most if not all of body language.

“Well” says my interviewee “In classic ‘simchah dancing’ everyone dances in a circle holding hands! Which is why I find it so stifling.”

I still don’t get it. She is very patient with me.

“Because by holding hands you cut off a full 50 percent of your self-expression!” comes the triumphant conclusion.

Pause.

Wow! What a fascinating insight! I never ever thought about that before! Have you?