My Life at the Gym: Feminist Perspectives on Community through the Body

4. The Women’s Dance

The Women’s Dance 쮿 61 4 The Women’s Dance Virginia Corrie-Cozart “The Women’s Dance” After the best man’s speech and the Episcopal formalities, the musicians declared a ladies’ dance. We stepped to the edges in our high heels and silks, watched our toes test the new rhythm. Lightened by music, we formed a circle around the bride, who was made bold by the ring. She tucked back her veil, led with her hips and swung back her head, the Turkish dancer who tells the courtship story, playful and sinuous, foretells childbirth with undulations. We connected arm across shoulder, improvising rapturous Aphrodite. For Hera, fierce protector of wives, we shared steps as we recalled them, precise grapevine to the left, the right. 61 62 쮿 My Life at the Gym Our circle became a line that coiled around a druid in white satin, our scalds and bruises acknowledged in significant ellipses. Advised which ones could be healed, which were beyond the help of our touches and potions. We rushed our seed-pearl center with joined hands, a village toast to the queen, arms high, a whoop at the end. Our wave receded like outgoing salt water, then poured in again. Exultation for the power of oceans. We showed each other the calluses of our gestures: smoothing of skirts over laps, spreading of linens on beds, stroking of countless foreheads. We shared the pain we enter into gladly. The music stopped, our muscles quivering. Did the young groom notice, the old husbands know how we walked back proudly, as women, to the banquet tables, the tables of men? ...