With a Touch of Ballyhoo
Posted by Moose on October 29th, 2008. Filed under: Dance.One of my greatest joys in life used to be cranking up my stereo to the level known as Makes Dogs Howl In Six Counties, and dancing around the house like a loon. In fact, when I was about 16, I put a hefty scar on my left hand by jumping onto my mom’s bed, flailing wildly, and throwing my hand up into the glass light fixture on the ceiling. Which shattered and rained down over my head as I tried to staunch the blood before it went all over my mother’s bedspread. I carefully cleaned up the shards and replaced her ceiling fixture with my own. Hi, mom! I don’t think I ever told you that story.
When I moved in with my ex, I put an abrupt halt to these shenanigans. Perhaps I shouldn’t have, but do you willingly gyrate like a baboon with a stomach full of Mexican jumping beans in front of your significant other? At least without the aid of a stomach full of bourbon? I thought not. Now that I have my own place, it’s perfect for a little one-woman terpsichorean rumpus. Which I will share with you because I AM BEING BRAVE. Feel free to laud my courage. And mock my slippers.
Presenting the debut film from Moose Productions: Moose Hootenanny
Disclaimer: Please disregard the poor quality. Odd pixelation done entirely on purpose. To make it gritty and real. This is art, you understand. (cough) Thank you.
Also: The ending might make you a little queasy.
October 29th, 2008 at 6:28 pm
I LOVE IT! Those are some jivin’ moose. And your music choice is spot on.
You’re a trailblazer among living-room dancers.
October 29th, 2008 at 6:30 pm
This is why I married someone who is never home. I break it down at least once a week. Sometimes while wearing formalwear. I feel that my mental health would suffer considerably if I weren’t a Party of One quite frequently.
October 29th, 2008 at 7:19 pm
Without even watching the video, I love you just for using the word “ballyhoo” in the title of this post.
October 29th, 2008 at 8:04 pm
ha, you’re awesome. next time, tilt the camera up a little… i couldn’t stop trying to imagine the rest of the person in the moose shoes
October 29th, 2008 at 8:32 pm
NO, YOU DID NOT TELL ME THAT STORY!!!!! Very clever you are. Did you then go and buy a new light fixture for your room? Why did I not notice that? AND WHAT ELSE HAVE YOU NEVER TOLD ME?!?!?! (Perceptive readers may guess where Moose gets her penchant for using capitals….)
October 29th, 2008 at 9:41 pm
Extremely excellent!
I have to say, I am guilty of the same apartment dancing. But hey, maybe I shouldn’t call it “guilty” — there’s nothing wrong with an apartment dance party in your slippers and/or PJs. At my place, I have my Secret Hallway of Dancing — the place where no one can see in through my windows — and let me tell you I break it DOWN in that hallway.
And! Very happy to hear “Superstition” – Stevie is my favorite favorite, and that song is going to be prominently featured on my Halloween Dance Mix.
Also! Totally jealous of your moose slippers. The moose is my favorite animal, which may be how I started reading your blog (which I don’t think I have commented on before, so, Hello!).
October 29th, 2008 at 10:49 pm
I used to do this too! My favorite thing was to put on loud, sloppy indie rock music, like Archers of Loaf, and then do my old cheerleading dance routines…which were originally set to booty music.
Gosh, I need to bring that tradition back. Wait, don’t you sing too? That seems to be a crucial part of my process.
October 29th, 2008 at 11:12 pm
Awesome! If I had done that in cute slippers I know I would have slipped on the hardwood floors and looked like an idiot. Though I would have tried to make it part of the boogie. I just told my family the other day that I wanted some fun slippers for Christmas – we’ll see if they come through with something as cute as yours. Thanks for sharing.
October 30th, 2008 at 1:40 am
“Do you willingly gyrate like a baboon with a stomach full of Mexican jumping beans in front of your significant other?”
Um, well yes…Is this wrong? He loves my roger rabbit.
October 30th, 2008 at 6:04 am
That is hilarious, but what makes it even more hilarious is that until the second paragraph I accidentally thought I was reading the blog of the OTHER Moose I know – who is a fairly large, somber guy who lives in Maine.
October 30th, 2008 at 6:11 am
OMG I used to do this too. I actually still do some times when I am (rarely) home by myself but I have also been teaching the three year old this lovely release of feelings. It is so much fun to shake our rumps together, granted we are shaking our rumps to things like the Wiggles and Raffi but whatev, it still works!
October 30th, 2008 at 7:09 am
my week has officially been made. AWESOME>
also, you used both the words hootenanny AND shenanigans in one post. i bow to you.
October 30th, 2008 at 7:25 am
Man, I love me some Moose.
October 30th, 2008 at 7:50 am
WAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA, this absolutely made my morning. And this is precisely why we’re friends, don’t you know? And there are significant others who find those shenanigans endearing (I should know, he puts up with them on a daily basis!)–you need to find you one of those next go around!
Can’t wait to knit and dance with you when all the craziness dies down
October 30th, 2008 at 8:19 am
Cute! I like to dance in front of the mirror when the mood strikes me…but even when I’m sure there is NO WAY anyone is watching me, I still get a little embarrassed. Guess videotaping it would be a good way to overcome that fear!
October 30th, 2008 at 9:41 am
Hahaha! Awesome!
I should do that more in my apartment, especially when the neighbors below me decide that 1 AM is time to break out the guitar and play Beatles songs.
October 30th, 2008 at 9:45 am
That. was. awesome. But seriously, how can you NOT rumpus when Superstition is playing?
I sincerely laud your courage.
October 30th, 2008 at 10:34 am
Ha ha! That’s awesome!
I think you’ve inspired me to do the same.
October 30th, 2008 at 10:39 am
I laud your courage, but I’m not going to mock the slippers. Lo, the slippers are marvelous.
October 30th, 2008 at 11:34 am
GREAT song to dance around the house to!!!
October 30th, 2008 at 12:07 pm
This was me in junior high and high school and would still be if we didn’t live in an apartment with grumpy downstairs neighbors. I literally wore out my Footloose soundtrack and would make myself sweaty and sore from cutting a rug in my basement bedroom at my parent’s house. (Your slippers are awesome.)
October 30th, 2008 at 2:19 pm
Well, this is just fantastic.
October 30th, 2008 at 8:11 pm
Frick’n awesome! Little moments like that is what I love.
October 30th, 2008 at 8:53 pm
that rocks. i cant stop laughing…if we lived in the same city, I’d totally stalk you and make you be my friend. Just because you’ll dance in moose slppers, record it, and post it on the internet. rock on, lady!
October 31st, 2008 at 10:31 am
Groovy! I love how YouTube then suggests some other moose dancing videos. It’s a whole genre, apparently.
November 1st, 2008 at 4:40 pm
YOU HAVE MADE MY DAY.
November 3rd, 2008 at 9:26 am
Excellent. I just did a happy little foot dance under my desk (being at work, that’s all I can really get away with).
See how you inspire people?
November 3rd, 2008 at 3:23 pm
Very super-MOOSE-tious!
November 3rd, 2008 at 7:41 pm
The video is excellent—reminiscent of The Blair Witch Project, but with less Moose-slipper.
And, isn’t “gyrate like a baboon with a stomach full of Mexican jumping beans in front of your significant other” the first half of the San Francisco mating dance? No?