Great gig! Privilege!

Last night I was immensely privileged to do a barn dance for adults with learning difficulties at the Wetherby Centre in Derby. The centre is in the middle of an industrial estate and the whole area really looks quite forbidding, but as I learned the last time I was invited there, it's a totally different atmosphere inside.

As soon as I walked through the front door yesterday evening, I was greeted by the incredibly dedicated and enthusiastic carers who organise all the events at the Wetherby Centre. There were decorations all over the main room, most of them executed by people that society often casts off as being "abnormal". There was bunting, spelling out things like "Tribute Act", "Comic Relief" and of course "Barn dance".

And when the audience began to arrive, their openness and warm-hearted greetings as they recognised me from last time was just glorious. They may have misshapen bodies; they may find it difficult to talk as clearly as some of the rest of us; they may be restricted in the amount they can move their limbs ... but I'll tell you what! Those people throw themselves into the dancing with total abandon. They're not precious, in the sense that they worry about who they dance with, and last night we had almost every imaginable permutation from the different "types" who were there -- including the carers. Wheelchairs are not an obstacle, either.

And something else that astonished me last night ... I didn't have to vary the speed/tempo of the music -- not one bit. They coped with the dancing as if they were born doing it. Of course I adapted the dances to fit, but we still attempted some potentially "difficult" figures, and ... you know what? ... they managed. Brilliantly.

There weren't as many people there as had been hoped, but that's because it was "Red Nose Day" and a lot of events were competing for everyone's attendance, so of course some people had gone to rival happenings. Nevertheless, there were plenty there to make the dance floor look full for the circle dances such as the Circassian Circle -- and of course the Hokey Cokey!

There were times when I was nearly in tears at the child-like antics of some members of the audience, but the main thrust for me was this:

What a privilege it was for me to be able to provide a service to such lovely people, so that they all had a great night out, enjoyed themselves physically and emotionally, and went home buzzing about a fantastic social gathering.

I'm looking forward to being invited back for a third visit!