I will tap dance the CRAP out of you!!

         Last night marked a momentous occasion for yours truly. After being a fan for at least ten years of the Irish dance show phenomenon Lord of the Dance, I finally got to see the live show! Now for those of you who are skeptics or have absolutely NO idea what I am talking about let me enlighten you. Tap dancing has always, and I do mean ALWAYS been my favorite type of dance. I think it has something to do with my constant need to be tapping my feet, go figure. I believe I have my dad to thank for introducing me to the Lord of the dance. I can't recall exactly, but in my head our conversation went a little something like this, dad: "Hey Rachael you know how you like to dance?" me: "Heck yeah I do dad!!" dad: "Well come check out this crazy Irish tap dancer flying around the stage with a headband!" me: "WOW. Look at him go!" From there I was hooked. The Celtic songs, story, dancing, did I mention the tap dancing drama...I never could say no to a good tap dancing duel after all :) You can bet I would put that VHS on (oh yeah, old school) anytime I had nothing going on, which in my crazy life as a teen was more often than you would think!

        I remember one specific instance...I was a sophomore in high school and had just found out that this guy, who would later become my first official boyfriend, had a crush on me. I'm pretty sure it was a Saturday night and I, being the party animal I am, was of course chilling. Nope, strike that, I was watching Lord of the Dance!! I get a call around 8 pm from a friend, obviously a more popular friend haha, who was at a party at a mutual friend's house telling me that I HAD to come over because my future BF really REALLY wanted me to come hang out. It was a hard decision to make…Lord of the Dance or cute boy who is totally into me? I am happy to say that in the end, I chose the boy :)
        Ok, too much back story! Last night my mom, sister and I went to enjoy the Lord of the Dance in person. Although it was not exactly the same without Michael Flatley, now retired who I must say kept my attention on the VHS I must have watched hundreds of times over the past 10 years, the present cast sure performed the heck out of Mr. Flatley's show! Some may say it's cheesy, I wouldn't necessarily disagree, but boy oh boy parts of the show still bring a tear to my eye and send tingles down my spine. This does not happen simply because of the awesomeness of the show or the performers, but of how many memories are suddenly brought to focus. Every time I see it I am reminded of the night I first realized I could actually fall hard for someone, and the crazy antics of meeting my now brother in law for the first time...did I forget to mention that he does a MEAN Michael Flatley impersonation?? Ask him sometime. I guarantee the only response you shall receive will be that he'll fasten his tie around his head, cock his arms in the ever impressive "lightning" move and begin his tap dancing duel. I wouldn't even challenge him...he's too good.
         So I say, bring on the cheese any day! As long as I can watch grown men and ladies tap dance the CRAP out of each other in what can only be known as a "tap dance off" I'm in.