Allen’s Thank You Thursday #18
I found “MYDANCE” in a bomb shelter
Instead of Throwback Thursday, I’ve decided to say “Thank-You Thursday”, to those who have had a deep influence in my life, but most likely are completely unaware of their impact.
#18 - I’d like to say THANK YOU to a group of individuals who were the judges of a random dance contest while I was in a bomb shelter that was transformed into a discotheque in 1976.
In 1974, I was at a summer camp in the Sudbury area, and was told at the end of that summer, I might want to consider going to Israel.
1975, I joined Israel Summer Happening #7 (ISH7), based out of NY, but filled with kids across Canada and the USA. This was a six-week trip where we not only toured the country, but engaged with the local teenagers in their pre-army training camp called Gadna for one week.
Ours was located in the desert near Eilat (another story). While traveling, I made a number of Israeli friends who I promised I’d visit the next summer, but next time, on my own schedule.
In 1976, to earn enough income, I worked behind the meat counter at a grocery chain called Dutch Boy in Kitchener. I was in Grade 12 (for a second time - another story) and saving my $$$ as I knew I had to return to Israel. Two weeks before I left Canada, I casually told my parents, “BTW, I’m off to Israel, see you in August”. All I travelled with, was a knapsack with some clothes, toiletries bag and sleeping bag.
I landed at Ben Gurion Airport and was picked up my future brother-in-law, David Tsarfati’s, family. I was driven to their Moshav, located just outside of Jerusalem, to recoup for a few days. They arranged for me to stay and work in Kibbutz Negba for a couple of weeks, I totally appreciated their generosity, care and kindness.
I learned the Kibbutz experience was not for me and left to travel the country, sleeping in parks throughout the journey. I primarily hitchhiked and occasionally visited the friends that I had met the summer before. Couch surfing … before Airbnb.
Towards the end of my stay, I visited a friend named Shulamit, who lived in Be'er Sheva. It was a Saturday night and she asked if I’d like to go out dancing. Even though I never really transitioned out of my “triangle” step, I said sure.
What I wasn’t expecting, was that the discothèque was located in a transformed bomb shelter.
Everyone was checked for weapons before entering, paid our fee and began the long descent towards the cavern. We must have gone down a dozen floors of stairs, and each floor the beat of the music got louder and the air thicker with sweat and energy.
When we entered the space, it was packed with sweating bodies dancing, strobe lighting and crashing base, music was from all over Europe, Israel and the US.
I was totally adept at my shuffle step and enjoyed the energy. Suddenly the music stopped and an announcement was made in Hebrew.
Shulamit asked me if I wanted to stay on the floor and dance with her as it was a contest about who could keep the dance energy up the longest over a series of songs. I said, “sure”.
There were about 20-25 couples and during the first and second songs, either individuals or pairs were guided off the floor.
By the third song, someone came up to Shulamit and started to take her away, I followed and she said, “Stay, you’re still in the contest”.
I had never danced alone in my life and was totally confused. The large packed crowd was watching and cheering and before I knew it, something began to overtake me. My body began to vibrate, in a way that was overwhelming and all encompassing.
It felt like a nuclear reactor was about to unleash its torrent of energy, collapse the walls around it and devour the world.
I started to move larger and larger, in an explosive fashion, but in total control, until I was consuming the entire space. I didn’t realize that there were only two of us left in the circle. He was still in his soldiers’ uniform.
The final song was Elton John’s “Saturday Night’s Alright”. We danced, over, through and around each other, the audience was frantically screaming and clapping. They cleared the space for us and hugged the walls. The two of us finalists were relentless and insatiable. I was ballistic: leaping, rolling, hurling and dropping/rebounding off the floor as if it was a trampoline. We were both unstoppable.
The song ended, the audience was captivated and the soldier was crowned winner. It didn’t matter, I realized I found MYDANCE and that this gift would influence the reminder of my life.