When you hear that word “marathon,” there are probably an assortment of images that run through your head. You might be thinking of a grueling 26.2-mile run that makes you want to hug the toilet for the rest of the week. Or you could be thinking of a movie marathon, like the time you watched the three extended versions of the “Lord of The Rings” movies back-to-back for nine hours and then had laser eye surgery so you could see again. But while these marathons leave you physically damaged, there is one marathon that is both lots of fun and does lots of good.
On April 5 and 6, Berkeley Dance Marathon will be holding its annual — you guessed it — dance marathon. The idea is simple: form a team, dance for 12 hours and raise money to help stop pediatric AIDS. That’s right, it’s dancing for a cause! A cause good enough to take a break from studying and join our community in supporting the fight against HIV.
Now, I know some of us don’t have the greatest dancing skills, but don’t let that discount you from joining in the fun! We have five simple dance moves for you to try out if you decide to take part in this fun and quirky event:
1. The robot
Such a simple concept with such gratifying results! Just act like a robot. Move your arms around in stiff, jolting movements, and even add in a few sound effects if you want. The great thing is most people know this move, so even if you totally butcher it, they’ll get the idea.
This one may be a little tricky for some people, but it’s still totally doable with some practice. And you will look totally cool if you bust this move out.
Pretend you are grocery shopping. Walk with some style while pushing an imaginary shopping cart, grab items off of imaginary shelves and put them in your basket. Instant creativity … and probably a few laughs from people watching you.
4. The swim
Another classic dance move: Wiggle those arms, plug that nose and pretend to be in water! It doesn’t take any particular skills to pretend you’re swimming, so this one should be pretty foolproof.
5. The step-clap
This is the easiest dance move in the history of dance moves (and totally self-explanatory). You step to the side, clap and repeat. You can add as much rhythm as you’d like, but as long as you’re moving and clapping, we consider this dancing. This one goes out to all of you especially uncoordinated people. We’re here for you.
Now that your dance moves are set, form a team, get some silly costumes, plan your moves, register and prepare to raise money while having a great time with fellow students.
Contact Kamin Kahrizi at [email protected] and Kristen McFadden at [email protected]