The Lord of the Dance

Google books Cruising World 1982, Pg. 144. Tanzer 10.5 is the Answer!

I ran across this odd 144 sailing sync back on 11/28/15 and I must have been in a highly suggestible mood because it’s stuck with me.

Tanzer: German for dancer. Dancer is the answer!

I’ve never been much of a dancer, though I eventually learned how to NOT dance like a straight guy (feet planted like a tree, arm and shoulder motions only) at the gay disco. I’ve tried two-stepping and line dancing at gay western dance bars, but lets just say I won’t be dancing with the stars anytime soon.

I got my hair cut today by Sean at 12:15. He was unusually animated and chatty about this and that. He began by talking about a friend he used to cut hair with, and how she would stand with arms extended and toes pointed out, like a ballet dancer (Sean demonstrates).

Next he goes on about his Friday evening with his girlfriend/roommate (?) who insisted he accompany her out to the Roadhouse for some dancing. However it turned out she didn’t do any dancing, but he did, and he had a good time. He left at closing but she remained and she later turned her ankle or something, but according to Sean, it wasn’t from dancing!

Next, Sean and I were reminiscing about gay Seattle in the 80’s, and he told me that he was once a go-go boy at Neighbors. “Speaker dancing?” I asked. He nodded.

As Sean was finishing up, a woman called out to Sean from the hall and said “We sold our sailboat!” and I had to ask, what kind of sailboat was it?

“A Tanzer 23”.

… Connecting some dots …

I am reminded that Shiva dances the world into being.

Nataraja (Tamil: "நடராசர்" or Kooththan கூத்தன், The Lord (or King) of Dance), is a depiction of the Hindu God Shiva as the cosmic dancer who performs his divine dance to destroy a weary universe and make preparations for the god Brahma to start the process of creation.

What about a dancing speaker?