Dance Party Joy: Life Lessons from Our Library

“There are shortcuts to happiness, and dancing is one of them.” – Vicki Baum

One of the most high-energy, over-the-top, exhausting-but-so-rewarding programs my library offers is Dance Party. Recently expanded to include anyone ages zero to five and their caregiver, this program features 30 minutes devoted to music and dancing. We share various songs broken up with literacy tips and a few books focused on music and movement. Sometimes, when we have a bigger crowd, we’ll do two back-to-back sessions to make sure everyone has a chance to participate.

I’ve done more than one dance party in my time, and each one is uniquely rewarding. There’s something about seeing little faces light up when they hear their favorite song or the complete abandonment of a child dancing just because they can. Not only does each teach me about engaging with families, but also how to celebrate the little things in life. Here are a few life lessons straight from the library.

If a child wants to dance with you, dance with them.

Few things melt my heart as much as a child wanting to engage with me during a program. One of my favorite things about working with children is that I lose my grownup inhibitions temporarily and enjoy the moment. What would happen if you said yes to more things that bring you little moments of joy? Look for those chances each day, and embrace them.

Dance however you want, as hard as you want.

I love that kids show up with their whole hearts at Dance Party. They sing loud and proud. They dance with abandon and go all in, no matter how that looks. Sometimes, they collapse in complete exhaustion on the floor at the end. Imposter syndrome exists, and it’s far too easy to judge ourselves. Why not embrace a moment where you can celebrate all your weird glory? I think the world would be a little bit brighter if we spent more time going all in than worrying about how we looked while we did it.

Sign loud and sing proud.

Let’s be honest: some days you need to Let It Go. While maybe I don’t love having children’s songs on an endless loop in my head for days on end, I can appreciate a good song that lets you feel everything you need to and find a way forward. Whether you’re feeling like Elsa, Mirabel, or someone else, find the song that works for your moment and sing with abandon. Repeat as needed.

Applaud everyone, and often.

Children are often the first to celebrate each other and the things they love. Do your programs have laughter, applause, or cheering? Nothing makes us feel as good as sharing little ones and celebrating with each other. Children show us how to do that. If we celebrate each other a little more and a little more often, we can create a community of support wherever we are.

Dance with no regrets.

Children show us how to be in the moment and experience it fully. What if you felt free to experience things just because they felt right in that moment? Children get to do this because they feel safe, secure, and supported. As adults, we need to be more intentional in finding those spaces. As a professional, it took me time to establish a productive relationship with my regrets. While there’s no way to live a life without regrets (at least that I know of), I think it’s possible to live a life with less of them. Make this chance and this life the one that you want.

One final tip: Remember that your soul might be younger, more energetic, and more flexible than your grown-up body. That’s one reality that I really can’t do much about.

What are the best lessons that you’ve learned from library programming?

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All images courtesy of Plano Public Library. This post addresses ALSC Core Competency #3: Programming Skills and #7: Professionalism and Professional Development.

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Jaime Eastman is a senior Public Services Librarian and Early Learning Coordinator at the Harrington Library, one of the Plano (Texas) Public Library locations. She’s currently serving as a member of the ALSC Board of Directors. Jaime is also working on at least two ambitious cross stitch projects, dreaming of future travel plans, and reading far too many books at once. As a child, she wanted to grow up to be an author. Writing for the blog and publishing with Children and Libraries feel like a good start, and she regrets nothing about her adult decision to be a librarian doing storytimes who didn’t have to grow up too much.