June 14th, 2010 by soullldiva

If you search through YouTube, you can find hundreds of “first dances” from weddings. New couples, just fresh into their vows displaying their skills at the waltz, the jitterbug, the foxtrot, or just the hands on hips/shoulders “sway”. There are also the tribute dances: re-enactments of the last dance from Dirty Dancing, or even the zombie dance from “Thriller” (one of my personal faves).

But this one is extra super special to me, because it’s my beloved baby brother dancing with his enchanting new wife at their wedding held just a couple weeks ago. I had already been dazzled by the setting (Calistoga in Napa Valley) and the location (a beautiful ranch decked out for a sumptuous celebration) when I suddenly heard the strains of “Soul Sister” by Train. They kept it a secret, they really wanted to surprise us. And as I peeked through the shoulders of the people in front of me while trying to hold up my son, I was indeed surprised.

As far as I know my brother has not danced since Fiddler On the Roof in 10th grade. Nor have I ever gotten the impression that he was the dancing kind of guy. But he dances with true commitment (well it IS a wedding) that shows how much he is in love with his woman.

And what can I say about his wife? I could go on for hours. I was more than happy to deliver to my brother our Nana’s diamond when he asked to use it, and I knew he would only ask if this was the ONE. And I was even happier when I met her and she exceeded all my expectations (older sis and all, I have expectations). With this dance I got her even more. Not only is she super smart and engaging and gorgeous with that natural red hair, but she is nostalgic, whimsical, and extremely savvy. What a gal.

And what a dance! I could tell they WORKED on this. I mean, geeze, it’s over three minutes long! The average dance on So You Think You Can Dance is 1:30, the solos are only about 25 seconds! If they worked with a coach (I didn’t ask, it’s possible they did this on their own), they made this fit them specifically with their personalities, showed their chemistry, and showcased their natural dance abilities.

Oh, (sniff). It makes me tear up every time.