Wednesday, February 26, 2014

Thanks for Reading!

Thank you so much for coming with me on this journey of Dancing Out Loud!  I hope you had as much fun reading this as I did writing it!  Hopefully, you were able to get a good workout too;)  A few of the songs were not choreographed on youtube videos so it is up to you to come up with your own choreography.  Always let the music move you in your life. 



This book is dedicated to everyone who realizes that life is the music we dance to.  God choreographs each move and without Him we are nothing. 

A special thanks to my husband Joe and my four children Jansen, Carlie, Will, and Kristen.  Thank you for dancing with me through this journey!

Works Cited



Works Cited
2 Chainz and Wiz Khalifa. We Own It (Fast and Furious). Rec. 12 June 2013. Def Jam, 2013. MP3.
The Afters. Every Good Thing. Rec. 16 Apr. 2013. Columbia, 2013. MP3.
Britt Nicole. All This Time. Rec. 31 Jan. 2012. Sparrow Records, 2012. MP3.
Capital Cities. Safe and Sound. Rec. 1 Feb. 2011. Capitol Records, 2011. MP3.
Daddy Yankee. Llamado De Emergencia. Rec. 8 Aug. 2008. El Cartel Records, 2008. MP3.
Justin Bieber. I Would. Rec. 29 Jan. 2013. Island Def Jam Music Group, 2013. MP3.
Justin Timberlake. Mirrors. Rec. 11 Feb. 2013. RCA Records, 2013. MP3.
Lee Ann Womack.  There is a God. 10 Nov. 2009 MCA Nashville, 2009. MP3.
Mandisa (feat. Toby Mac). "Good Morning." Rec. 1 Apr. 2011. Sparrow Records, 2011. MP3.
Mandisa. Stronger. Rec. 1 Apr. 2011. Sparrow Records, 2011. MP3.
Manterola, Patricia.  Ojos Negros.Rec. 5 Mar. 2002. BMG Music, 2002. MP3.
Mara. DJ Dale Play. Rec. 13 June 2013. YouCloud, 2013. MP3.
Mara. Un Mes. Rec. 22 Aug. 2010. Zumba Fitness, 2010. MP3.
Maroon 5. Daylight. Rec. 27 Nov. 2012. A&M/Octone, 2012. MP3.
Maroon 5. Love Somebody. Rec. 14 May 2013. A&M/Octone, 2013. MP3.
Michael Franti & Spearhead. I'm Alive (Life Sounds Like). Capitol Records, 2013. MP3.
Pitbull. Feel This Moment (feat. Christina Aguilera). Rec. 18 Jan. 2013. RCA Records, 2013. MP3.
Pussycat Dolls. Jai Ho. Rec. 23 Feb. 2009. Interscope, 2009. MP3.
Pussycat Dolls.  Sway.  Rec. 14 Feb. 2006.  Pussycat Dolls LLC., 2006. MP3.
Soul Control.  Chocolate (Choco Choco).  Nordic Copyright Bureau. 2004.
Train Feat. Ashley Munroe. Bruises. Rec. 5 Oct. 2012. Columbia, 2012. MP3.
Vibe Tribe. Zumba Mami. Rec. 16 Oct. 2009. Zumba Fitness, 2009. MP3.
Will.i.am. #thatPOWER (feat. Justin Bieber). Rec. 18 Mar. 2013. Interscope, 2013. MP3.
Zumba. Hola My Friend. Rec. 2012. Zumba Fitness, 2012. MP3.
Zumba Original. All Around the World. Rec. Oct. 2013. Zumba Fitness, 2013. MP3.
Zumba Original. Juntos Los Dos. Rec. Oct. 2013. Zumba Fitness, 2013. MP3.
Zumba Original. Tu Boquita. Rec. 2 May 2011. Zumba Fitness, 2011. MP3.


List of Youtube Videos in Order They Appear in the Book
http://youtu.be/JAZw3HlvzDM Feel This Moment
http://youtu.be/LWR0gFWUB3M Jai Ho (You Are My Destiny)

Chapter 24: There Is a God!



Chapter24:  There is a God!

“Dancing with the feet is one thing, but dancing with the heart is another.”
-author unknown




The proposal song ended with a joyous and thunderous applause.  Jamarcus and Danielle smiled lovingly at each other.  Jamarcus wanted to tell Danielle how he felt about her.  It was true that he had said the words “I love you” a few times in his college life but with Danielle he wanted things to be different.  He wanted it to mean something.  He was pretty sure that she would reciprocate his expression of love but he didn’t want to rush it.  Jamarcus was having more fun dating Danielle than he had ever had with any other woman.  Danielle made him laugh and was just so down to earth.  She had quit caking on the makeup she used to wear and everyone was surprised to see just how truly naturally beautiful she really was.  When she was around Jamarcus, she practically glowed! 
Her knee was healing and getting stronger every day.  Even though Jamarcus was not a fan of dancing, he had already scheduled to take her to the Boomerang Valley Art Gala Extravaganza next week in celebration of her healing.  She had no idea that her grandma was sewing a gorgeous formal gown for her that very night.  Jamarcus couldn’t wait to surprise her.  He and Danielle made a great team.  They had a blast hanging out during the Zumbathon.  Lucy kept the crowd pumped up for a good two hours and tons of money had been raised throughout the night. 
            Danielle started to say something but Jamarcus was distracted by something that caught his eye through the window directly behind her.  A wide smile spread across his face and he pointed outside with a boyish sparkle in his eye. 
“What is it Jamarcus?”
“You tell me!”
Danielle turned around and exclaimed, “Snow!  Snow!  The first snow of the year!  Let’s go!”
Danielle flew from around the table and grabbed his hand.  Jamarcus had never seen snow in his entire life.  He had always imagined what it would look like, feel like, and even taste like but nothing prepared him for the awe and wonder of it all.  The moon was bright and full as he and Danielle hurried outside the fitness club doors.  Danielle let go of his hand and spun in a wild circle with her arms outstretched, eyes closed, and tongue out.  Snow has a way of unleashing your inner child.
“The first snow is so magical here in Boomerang Valley!” she exclaimed.  “Here, try to catch a snowflake on your tongue.”  She stuck out her tongue once more and motioned for him to do the same.  Jamarcus happily obeyed as the white snowflakes danced down from the sky.  He craned his neck as far as he could and looked up into the starry sky.  As the first snowflake fell on his tongue, he laughed like a little boy back in the sands of Jamaica.
“Can you believe what you’ve been missing out on all these years?” Danielle gleefully exclaimed.
Jamarcus knew Danielle was referring to the snow but he was thinking of something different.  He grabbed both of Danielle’s hands and they both paused to look heavenward.  He had read a scripture earlier that day that said all things denote there is a God.  Right there in that moment, he knew that was true.  He looked up at the stars, he looked at the snow falling, he looked at the silhouette of the mountains, he looked at the fitness club, and finally, he looked at Danielle.  He had turned his life over to God and now he could surely see His hand in every aspect of his life.  As he stood hand in hand with Danielle, both of them looked heavenward.  He thought of his journey that had led him to this moment in time.  He silently prayed to God offering thanks for everything and he knew that the time had come.  He held Danielle tight in his arms and swept her hair away out of her face.  He wanted to make sure Danielle would be able to see every word from his lips that he was about to say. 
“Danielle, I have something I need to say to you,” he started with a trembling voice.
Danielle felt her heart beat faster and she pulled away from the embrace so she could see his face better.  The bright light from the moon accentuated every curve of his face, his strong jaw line, his high cheekbones, and his deep dark eyes. 
“I’m listening,” Danielle almost whispered.
“Danielle, I love you!”
“Oh Jamarcus, I love you too!”
She snuggled into him as the snow gently fluttered down around them.  From inside the club they could hear Lucy cooling down the crowd to Lee Ann Womack’s There Is a God: http://youtu.be/JR-jEGJ6xWM

“Watch a flock of birds against the morning sun
Close your eyes and listen to the river run
Catch a firefly in your hand or a raindrop on your tongue
That's right
[Chorus:]
There is a God!”

Jamarcus grabbed Danielle and kissed her passionately.  He then spun her out from him and asked, “May I have this dance?”
“I thought you’d never ask…”
Jamarcus twirled her around in a circle there in the parking lot.  He stepped on her toes a few times and Danielle realized that he wasn’t kidding when he said he really couldn’t dance at all.  But Danielle thought to herself, “Dancing with your feet is one thing but dancing with your heart is quite another.”  She realized that even though her feet hadn’t been dancing during her recovery, her heart had been all along.  And as Jamarcus brought her in close to his chest, she realized that he was good at dancing with his heart too…and he had all the right moves!

Lee Ann Womack.  There is a God. 10 Nov. 2009 MCA
Nashville, 2009.