Greetings Venusian,

I’ve been busy as a poetic soldier over here but not too busy to shake a leg. Nothing picks me up like a good song. I love to put in a two step, in the name of love. Yes, music matters and Black music is the soundtrack of America. Sometimes the best time to dance, is when you don’t feel like it.

If you ever get too stressed and don’t feel blessed, throw on a song with an uplifting beat and message, and dance, it elevates the spirit and that’s revolutionary. It’s Women’s History Month, so consider learning more about the marriage of love, dance, and revolution from the likes of women who studied it: Katherine Dunham, Zora Neale Hurston and yes Ella Fitzgerald.

I entered this poetic tribute about Ella Fitzgerald in the following contest: http://www.jazzinthegardens.com/poetry/ 

If I win that would really make me “cut a rug”, of course. Some of my most popular videos are of me dancing. I always wondered why. I think dance and laughter are essential when nurturing the spirit, even when we’re watching others express their own freedom. Here’s some great quotes on the subject:

“Hard times require furious dancing.”

– Alice Walker

“If I can’t dance I don’t want to be a part of your revolution.”

– Emma Goldman

“Love is here to stay.”

-Ella Fitzgerald

So Love Always and Always Love,

Venus