no one dances like the germans. i used to entertain the notion of “german hips” to mean a lack of ability to move them, but this past new years eve, i learned that the german pelvis is in fact built different in berlin.
my boyfriend (A) is just about the best dancer i know. i still remember when i saw his hips bob to the beat of erykah badu for the first time. the way he moves his hips has the same effect toast has on butter — you can’t help but melt a little inside. not only does he move with a sense of ease only the ocean can match, but he is also incredibly joyful. just being in proximity intoxicates you to want to give your hips a wiggle.
new years eve, after a cozy toshikoshi soba dinner, friends parted ways and our side of the river ended up at our friend M’s flat. M is a childhood friend of A’s, meaning that she was also born & bred in berlin. meaning, that the attendees of the party would be in similar suit.
you see, i hang out primarily with the expat crowd here in berlin. i moved here two years ago and from the beginning i surrounded myself with peers who were all trying to turn an unfamiliar city into a second home. A, on the other hand, has combed through this city, having explored various pockets and folds that my lack of german (the language, culture, and time spent in this city) would struggle to find without someone who knew where to look.
no one at this party would be caught dead paying six euros for a coffee, nor would they ever set foot into a soho house. these people were cool, far cooler than i could conceive. this was a real berliner party. you could tell immediately because in the kitchen of the flat was a pot full with boiled potatoes alongside seven tubs of krauter dip.
once we crossed the threshold into the living room, my breath left my body and all i could hear was the vibration of the music in my bones. the swarm of baggy jeans, cool haircuts, and cigarette smoke bobbed up and down the ceilings cast a spell upon me — as my breath returned, i noticed that my body couldn’t help but move. everyone else in the room was, making standing still feel like a sin.
i used to think that my boyfriend’s dancing was a rare sighting, but as i began to look around, i noticed that everyone’s hips seemed to move with the same fluidity and grace as his. they all danced as if they were cut from the same cloth. there must be something in the water here in berlin.
in contrast, i’m coming from the states, a place where dancing is limited to three moves:
jumping up and down and screaming the lyrics to sweet caroline
taking a snapchat while jumping up and down and screaming the lyrics to sweet caroline
off in a corner texting someone
and the front of the dj booth? forget it. i’m used to a crowd of people just taking photos and blocking the view. but here in berlin, the first row was riding wave after wave of italo disco-electronic funk the dj was spinning out. not a phone in sight.
the dancing in berlin is probably my favourite thing about this city. i don’t go out enough to solidify this fact, but the time always comes to be reminded of the gift this city has. you see, going out in berlin is a phone-free experience. if you want to go clubbing here, you’ll have to submit to stickers covering your iphone camera (front and back), putting you on the path to enjoy the experience rather than trying to digitize it.
it’s a small thing, but frankly i think the no phones whilst dancing has built a foundation for fun, freedom, and expression through movement and music that holds true to it’s core. going out dancing isn’t a social activity, there can be aspects of it, but self expression is the game.
unlike los angeles, the coolest person at the party here is the one breaking a sweat on the dance floor. not the one who shared the video of it on their instagram story.
it was no secret that i was dumbfounded at the level of dancing in the apartment. remember the sexy dance you’d practice in your mirror before the middle school dance? yeah, this was like that but they actually got good at it.
everyone’s movements were fluid, yet they all had their own individual sparkle to them. one was a little more sassy, keeping a consistent 1-2 step with his legs. another was more contemporary with majestic movements with the arms, and then there was the dj — probably the second best dancer to A. his movements and the music were one, and he held nothing back when it came to sharing both with the crowd.
it became dizzying to watch, and for me, i could do nothing but watch and try to weave aspects of inspiration from the movements around me. A later told me that this is how everyone gets good at dancing here — you watch first, then put it in your body, and finally add any extra razzle dazzle that feels right for you.
it felt like the best zumba class of my life.
these dance moves don’t crop up overnight, my boyfriend began dancing from a very young age — never classes, just weekly dance parties in his parent’s kitchen (there’s still a disco ball hanging in the kitchen to this day). why the family dance parties? the reason was simple. as a young boy growing up in berlin, he knew that one day the time would come for him to go dancing in the city. until then, he needed to make sure his dance moves were primed and prepped, hence the “rehearsals” every friday night with mom and dad.
dancing is a form of self expression, always has and always will. i grew up dancing ballet — a discipline with right and wrong ways of moving. in berlin, all the rules go out the door. the answer to how you should dance is already within you. the only thing to keep in mind? just keep the hips moving and everything else will be just fine.
here’s to a year of more dancing :-)
xo
P
Need to teach me some moves💃🏻
Yes! Dance like no one’s looking .. great observation
And please.. lv your phones at the door. Please.