just dance

Lady Gaga, Kanye West and Usher are on our reception playlist, to my fiance's chagrin. He's not a fan of pop music.

A year ago, I wasn't, either. I never listened to pop, as it was obviously garbage made for the unwashed masses. Growing up, I never owned a single CD by Hanson, N*Sync, Smash Mouth or Britney Spears.

I didn't slowly warm up to pop. It wasn't a gradually acquired taste, like grapefruit or wine. It happened in an instant.

I was on a charter bus full of American and Thai English teachers headed out to Kanchanaburi province for the weekend. The driver had a mix CD on, and about halfway to our destination, Lady Gaga's "Just Dance" came blaring through the speakers. My friend, Christy, was sitting in the seat across from me, rocking out a little bit until she noticed that a Thai driver in the next vehicle was staring. She yanked the curtain over her window and slid down in the seat, embarrassed. It was hilarious and awesome, and in that moment I experience a musical paradigm shift. I liked pop.

With my newfound appreciation for pop came an enjoyment of dancing to it. Before Bangkok, I had never been out dancing. Ever the bookworm, I spent my college years holed up in the library most nights. Going dancing in a big, foreign city with my girl friends was exhilarating and fun, and I'm so glad I didn't miss out on the experience before I got "too old."

So this new, dancing side of my personality wants to ensure that guests will boogie at our wedding reception. I am putting together the most irresistible dance playlist known to mankind. It will feature a mix of decades, from the Beatles to Beyonce, Michael Jackson to (dare I say it?) Miley Cyrus. Motown, a little disco, swing, and pop. And a little booze to get people loosened up. Yep, that's my recipe for a par-tay.