101 Ways to Dance

101 Ways to Dance, by Kathy Stinson
http://www.kathystinson.com/
* blogger is being anti-photo right now, so there is no cover picture
YA/Canadian/Short Stories

14 short stories for teens, all about sexual awakening, questioning, and anticipation. From an author best known for early children’s picture books this may seem surprising. However, I think that of the short story collections for teens that I’ve read this year, this might be my favourite. It feels current. It is not too depressing. There’s a good mix of stories and we get many aspects of human sexuality covered. There are stories about the first time, forbidden love, teen pregnancy, fears of imminent death, not being ready, being ready, heterosexual love, gay and lesbian love, you name it. For the most part, the stories are allowed to tell themselves without any visible older person hand in there showing people what is what. There were a couple of stories that didn’t really do it for me, especially the last one which did feel borderline preachy, but on the whole I thought it was a great little collection.

The titular story actually involves the character being asked by his English teacher to write a list of 101 ways to dance. I thought this sounded like fun, so I tried. It was hard. This is the list I came up with, in stream of consciousness order:

1. alone
2. with abandon
3. sky clad
4. cheek to cheek
5. in delight
6. on tiptoes
7. ballet
8. tap
9. jazz
10. with a partner
11. on stage
12. in a ballroom
13. in a classroom
14. as if you haven’t a care in the world
15. all night
16. tango
17. waltz
18. polka
19. lambada
20. with a stranger
21. with a friend
22. with a brother
23. with a lover
24. mambo
25. salsa
26. meringue
27. tango
28. fox trot
29. lyrically
30. in costume
31. socially
32. awkwardly
33. on the ceiling
34. rhythmically
35. together
36. through life
37. as if for the last time
38. as if for the first time
39. for money
40. highland dancing
41. Irish step dancing
42. through pain
43. as if you might take flight
44. as if your life depended on it
45. swing dancing
46. like Fred and Ginger
47. in the streets
48. hip hop
49. at a bar
50. at a club
51. in the backyard
52. while cleaning the house
53. at a stoplight in the car
54. because you have to pee
55. to the beat of a different drum
56. because you’re happy
57. because you’re sad
58. liturgically
59. with meaning
60. in anticipation
61. at a wedding
62. cha-cha
63. the twist
64. the mashed potato
65. while doing the white man’s overbite
66. like at a grade 7 dance
67. dirty dancing
68. with spaghetti arms
69. the jive
70. badly
71. beautifully
72. professionally
73. in a tutu
74. like a robot
75. break dancing
76. because Moses supposes, like Gene Kelly and Donald O’connor
77. Because someone asks you
78. because you like the song
79. in the full monty
80. with seven veils
81. like you’re in a Broadway musical
82. in a recital
83. at a competition
84. with the stars
85. to music you love
86. in a line
87. in a square
88. because you think you can
89. ritually
90. at the prom
91. in dreams
92. with someone you love
93. in bare feet
94. to music only you can hear
95. because you have to
96. because you want to
97. because you love to
98. in the dark
99. because your body has to move to the music
100. for exercise
101. because dancing is your life

The list in the story is, of course, better. But, this was a neat little exercise.


I also want to add that I can't wait for the parental complaints to start pouring in, because this will be a perfect time to tell the parents to actually read the book before complaining. It is, in no way smutty, and everything is dealt with honestly and openly. But, sex is sex, so I'm guessing this will be on a lot of challenge lists. As far as I'm concerned that shows you that a book is doing something really very right (as in good, not conservative).