Ballroom Dancing Testimony

Eika Davis
October 4, 2009

Dear In Jin Nim and Jin Sung Nim,

Growing up I was never really able to cultivate healthy relationships with people of the opposite gender. Through In Jin Nim and the ballroom dancing activities. I have hope in the growth of a new modern culture where everyone is like real brothers and sisters. I grew up in Hawaii with the image of a male as either a spouse or a sexual animal.

This led to conflict within myself. I wanted to believe that I could just hang out with guys but it was always too "dangerous." Due to this and because I didn't have a brother, I only started to get comfortable around them in college and I learned the hard way (the difference between a brother / sister relationship and one of a spouse). I looked at my younger brothers and sisters in our communities and felt pain because I know many of them would walk the same course as I and there wasn't anything yet that I could do to help them. I yearned for a way to show them that brothers and sister weren't animals to be feared but people who just wanted to make friendships. Ballroom dancing promoted by Lovin' Life has answered my prayer.

There were two points that I observed as very important. The first was that by allowing for brothers and sisters to "touch" each other in a very respectful atmosphere allowed brothers to be close, comfortable, and pure: Just as in a family. The second was that it appealed to a large range of people. I personally love dancing. If I could do it all my life, I would. However, my parents only allowed me to do ballet and the only place where I could learn partner dancing was in the world outside my family. This restriction of my family added with the freedom that college gave me propelled me to find dancing opportunities outside of my church community. I frequented salsa classes and then parties and then clubs in search of the thrill of dancing with a partner. Ballet only took me so far in that respect since I didn't have only male partners at the dancing studio. In college, the drunk dancing, the degrading grinding, and sexual innuendo that happened in a dance was in a way appealing but soon degraded my self respect. Coming though STF and finding myself on the dance floor of either 43rd Street or the Manhattan Center made me so grateful. Only here did I finally get to be able to taste how respected, beautiful, and clean dancing with a partner could be.

Dancing is like a journey for the best food. Grinding was like a drug; sexy, addicting, but eating away at my soul and self esteem. Dancing for the first time on that floor was like biting into the most delicious fruit that not only was healthy for me but also something that was the most delicious delicacy to be shared with all whom I loved. Church all of a sudden became so real; it was addressing the need for boys and girls to dance healthily together. Throughout history and up until the 60's and 70's, there has been clean, structured dancing between males and females. Clubs and the rise of immorality in America has lead to the degradation of a culture that goes back to the time of the Romans. I'm so excited that fun, partner dancing in the form of the waltz and swing is being promoted for my generation to put our energy into a socially and spiritually constructive focus, such as ballroom dancing. I am grateful to In Jin Nim and Heavenly Father for providing the opportunity to dance here and to taste the delicious fruit that I call ballroom dancing. Thank You.