I’m sure there are lots of people out there who don’t understand the release that many people (including myself) associate with dancing. Movement can be a cathartic activity, and club culture has maintained popularity in large part because people need that catharsis. Whether you’re just shaking off a long week at work or are exorcising bigger demons, the right song or the right mix of songs can do much to at least temporarily allay those burdens. There’s a lot to be said for leaving it all out on the dance floor. I actually miss doing that.

The late Frankie Knuckles understood that for as many folks that danced to have a good time, an equal amount viewed dancing as an almost religious experience. The clubs where he spun doubled as sanctuaries during his sets. House music, which he virtually invented, has gone through numerous adaptations and changes over the years, but at it’s essence, it’s music that touches the head, the heart and the feet. There aren’t a lot of folks like him around anymore. He was an inspiration to me as a music listener and consumer, as well as an inspiration to me as a budding DJ, someone who aspires to take people places with music. I wish I’d been born ten years older so I would’ve gotten the chance to see him spin in his heyday (along with his friend Larry Levan, another one of my heroes.) May he rest in peace.

 

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