Running up that Hill

Kate Bush was on the television the other night - I have to admit I wasn't sure about her at first, back in the day. I had a friend in the music business who told me about her - nowadays it's hard to imagine a record company committing to a young artist's development in that way, just leaving her to grow for a couple of years. I missed her tour, and I don't think I know anyone who went. But the programme sent me to the i tunes library to find Running up that Hill, and I realised what an amazing piece of music it is to dance to.
When I was younger, in the late sixties/early seventies, I was part of a dance troupe in Manchester, run by a wizard of the early computer age called Allan Prior. He was older than us - other members included Juliet Begley and John Flanagan. If you look at the Manchesterbeat website for the Magic Village you will pick up other people's memories of this time. It's not quite true to say if you can remember it you can't have been there! Some of us were living our lives with very heightened awareness, experiencing events that have become part of our souls. As a hippy dance troupe we were welcomed at every venue in Manchester where there was space to dance. Audiences, mostly male, tended to sit on the floor, cross legged, shaking their long hair, listening intently with eyes closed. We spiralled and sparkled around them in ever more intricate patterns, interpreting the music for them. In this way I saw everyone from Curved Air to Wings and more. We never had to buy a ticket, or pay to get in. Amazing.
I had learnt to dance at youth clubs where DJs played records associated with the Twisted Wheel - all very soulful - more Stax than Motown, and I still love dancing to that kind of music - but for a bit of shamanic self expression, I find the old hippy crazy diamond dancer is still there, just waiting to be asked.
Running up that Hill and Holgar Czukay's Persian Love have been working for me for the last couple of days. I'd love to set up a dance event for those who still love an idiot dance.