Too Awesome for Words 4

Human Delightfulness Strikes Again!

Jenyne Ball (aka Jenyne Butterfly)

I have never seen a pole dancing performance in person. I don’t know much about it. It no longer seems as prominent in the public imagination as it was ten years ago though I’m sure there are still passionate performers and fans on all levels—and like every other field of endeavor, there are different levels of pole dancing; the woman pictured above is (or was, when the linked article was written in 2015) considered one of the best, if not the best in the world. She is featured in the delightful video below, along with many other inspiring women.

I saw the video in 2011, during a time of personal chaos and frequent despair. It had a salutary effect on me; that someone (videographer Savanna Hudson) had put together this playful montage of sound and joyful movement…basically tickled my will to live. I didn’t seek it out, it must’ve appeared for some algorithmic reason on my YTube feed (score one for AI, I guess). But for a period of time I watched it alot, and no matter how horrible I felt, the dancers (plus the song by Blur) never failed to make me feel good.

I remember saying to someone “If I could do with my writing what these women do with their bods, I would die happy.” I still feel that way! I’m also happy if you get some of the same uplift from them that I did.