Dance, Dance, Dance
By Eric (Discover English Teacher)
In the darkness it is music that brings light.
We all have different ways of coping with the lockdown here in Melbourne. Whenever I start to collapse in on myself I find that music – and dancing – is the key to lifting myself back up, expelling some of the darkness, and being able to continue.
Putting my headphones on, pumping up the volume and dancing crazily around my little room is not banned by the Chief Health Officer. And it’s a good form of exercise, too. I’m not a very good dancer, but I love it. And in Isolation, no one can see you dance – so we shy people can do whatever zany, silly moves the music tells us to make.
Ordinarily, Melbourne has a wonderful variety of bars and venues where you can go to listen to live bands and great music. On any given evening you can find everything from the wildest EDM to experimental art folk punk (I kid you not, I once saw a performer push pine cones around a Styrofoam box for an hour). Unfortunately, right now it is only the sound of silence that lies heavily over our city.
Hopefully – and surely! – the musicians, the bars, the venues will all be able to survive the stranglehold on their income and we’ll all be free to go and dance together someday; but in the meantime it’s streaming services, Zoom concerts, and (if you’re overly attached to physical products, like I am) CDs and vinyl.
The music on my personal playlist is not to everyone’s taste, but it does include a selection of Australian artists and so I thought I’d list a few for you – you never know, you might enjoy them; you might even start dancing.
Sarah Blasko: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=co0CyoNJY9Q
Sia: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bprVdL8yYCg
Gotye: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I_pZqcxnyiQ
Mighty Duke and the Lords: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DRp5AUxtDds
Jack Ladder & the Dreamlanders: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X2KQeqXl6ZM
The Easybeats: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rBJLoYd8xak
It doesn’t matter what you listen to – if you enjoy it, it will make you feel better. So grab a drink, turn your headphones to MAX and get movin’ 🙂
Dancing has been proven to help reduce depression, stress and anxiety – which is totally what we all need right now.
And if you need more serious help than merely dancing, know that you can call Beyond Blue on (1300 22 4636) or Life Line on (13 11 14) to talk to people who can help with the emotional suffering.