Some of most poignant moments of impromptu rapport between songwriters and their audiences invariably flow in response to a question about their inspiration for a particular song. So, here’s the story behind “Did She Dance”.
In 2001, while visiting a long-term care community in Georgia, I noticed a beautiful old woman immediately upon walking in the door. What struck me most was the silver hair pulled neatly in a bun and the happy, almost angelic facial expression she wore. Her eyes lit up when she saw me and I was immediately drawn to her.
Having lost my own grandmother a few years earlier, I realized that this was a connection that I had been missing. My grandmother was always one to become excited when any of her children or grandchildren visited and some of my fondest memories are of my grandmother telling stories from her childhood – how when she was only 14 she met and married my grandfather – and watching her do the Charleston. Perhaps it was that resurrected image of her dancing that made me wonder if the beautiful old woman in front of me now enjoyed dancing once, too.
As I approached the woman, I was eager to talk with her, hear her stories…and maybe ask her if she used to dance as my grandmother did.
I greeted her and exchanged a hug but it soon became apparent that she was unable to tell me her stories. They were locked away in the vault of her memory, sealed now and forever by Alzheimer’s disease.
It was a profoundly sad moment of realization that struck me as I pondered the lost connection between that beautiful face and the tangled web of memories it secretly held. Although I had observed this disease often and even had members of my own family experience this horrific diagnosis, at that moment the absolute loss that Alzheimer’s so mercilessly imparts became painfully clear.
While driving home, the words and music to “Did She Dance” came to me. Maybe it was God’s way of helping me comprehend the magnitude of this tragedy called Alzheimer’s. Or perhaps it was intended as a gift to provide comfort to others, along with awareness of the loss it brings. I’m not sure. But, whatever its purpose, I hope this song touches someone, somewhere and helps their heart dance as my grandmother once did.