with the Stars

So, here is a good question for you. How do you get youth to dance on Cinco de Mayo?

First you have to know a good recipe, and start out with great ingredients.

Prepare an area large enough to accommodate all the youth and all the leaders. Keep the latter off the dance floor, and use them later for garnish once refreshments are ready to be served.

The first great ingredient is a good sized group of Deacons. We suggest fresh ones, full of attitude.

If you have the typical variety, they will use closed body language to exhibit their disdain for having to touch girls (and or having to be touched by them.)

You can use the variety with the hands stuffed deep in the pockets, but this attitude is generally reserved for use by the third group.

The second group or ingredient is Young Women. They are usually more open to mixed activities, but they do try to hide their apprehension. We usually find this group running in packs to avoid situations where they can be singled our by the stronger (but goofier) half of the species

Last, add a healthy dose of Teacher or Priest attitude. This ingredeint is easy to find in pairs or small groups by bouncing a ball of any size or shape. It is like Pavlov's bell, bounce the ball one time and Teachers and Priests will fall from the sky, appear from no where, and circle the ball like sharks in a feeding frenzy.

Mix these three groups or ingredients, shake well to thoroughly integrate, and viola!

You get this!!

Dancing activities where youth actually touch and move to the beat of the music (In this case Latin music because of Cinco de Mayo). This interaction is infinitely better than watching the girls dance in small groups or by them selves, while the boys stand in small groups or by them selves because they are afraid of looking odd to the girls.

When it comes right down to it, there really is no good reason that our youth do not participate in more cultural activities other than the simple fact that the leaders are too scared to lead by example. I have never heard of a man killed by dancing with his wife. But i have heard of men killed by the jealous husbands of those women.

So, the lesson of the evening is, dance while the sun shines for tomorrow brings too many excuses: babies, work, no talent, etc. At this point let me just say that a lack of talent is easily cured by a little practice.

We had a great time, even us old parents who embarrassed our sons by dancing with them and all their friends. We will have to do this again.