Reporter Michele Munz (black tank) in class attended by Janet Jackson and led by Jackson's dancer Guero Charles at Center of Creative Arts in St. Louis. Video by Julia Clements.
At age 51, I'm an anomaly in advanced hip-hop classes. Most students are in their 20s and younger. I work super hard to be able to keep up.
I am fortunate that St. Louis has a lot of great instructors, including one of the best hip-hop instructors in the country, Anthony "Redd" Williams, that I have been able to train under.
What has kept me going through raising three children, working as a reporter and my arthritic knees is my intoxicating love for dance, how it makes me feel free and powerful and open and just ... happy.
I owe that to Janet Jackson. Really.
I grew up in Tulsa, Oklahoma, taking classes at my mom's dance studio and dancing on cheerleading and dance squads. But nothing compared to Janet Jackson and her dance videos.
I graduated high school in 1990. I was a teen during Jackson's most iconic dance albums -- "Control" came out in 1986 and "Rhythm Nation" in 1989. I was obsessed with her songs, style and moves.
These were days of MTV, so I would wait until her music videos played, and hit record on the VHS. Then I would spend countless hours hitting the rewind button, trying to learn and perfect the steps to songs like "What Have You Done for Me Lately," "When I Think of You," "Nasty," "Pleasure Principle," "Miss You Much" and of course, "Rhythm Nation."
I danced with her in my living room, sharing her beautiful smile and connection to her words about relationships and self-respect. That is where my addiction started. Nothing else made me feel like I did when I was dancing to those songs. I was in love.
Fast forward to last week and a last-minute announcement by Center for the Creative Arts: COCA was hosting three master classes with Jackson's dancers Denzel Chisolm and Guero Charles, and her longtime choreographer Gil Duldulao while she was in town for the extension of her "Together Again" tour.
One of Jackson's former star dancers, Bethany "Peanut" Strong, is a St. Louis native who trained at COCA and organized this once-one-a-lifetime experience. Of course, no way was I going to miss it.
In the middle of the second class, which was with Charles, I would've never guessed how my dream-filled evening could've gotten any better. We were intently learning his steps to Britney Spears' "3," when I noticed the murmur.
"It's Janet. She's here!" a friend taking class next to me whispered. And sure enough, in a black sweatsuit and sunglasses, Jackson had walked in with Strong and was taking a seat along the side. Tears immediately welled up.
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I wanted to scream. I wanted to hug her. I wanted to tell her how much she means to me. But the class kept going, as if JANET JACKSON HAD NOT JUST WALKED IN THE ROOM.
My mind wandered. I pictured myself in my living room, all the times I've seen her in concert. Tears started to roll. I had to stop thinking about it.
She was watching us -- watching me dance -- and I was absolutely not about to mess up. I wiped my cheeks. Just focus on the music and the moves, I told myself.
We performed in small groups, and it was exhilarating. When the class ended, I so badly wanted to talk to her. But was that inappropriate? I knew I would start sobbing. Would that be weird? Embarrassing? Annoying?
No one else was approaching her, so we all just kind of gaped in awe about how Janet Jackson was really just sitting right there.
Duldulao soon started teaching the next class, which was the actual choreography in Jackson's "Rock With U" video. At one point, he asks her which way the head is supposed to face during the opening move.
It was as close to being a Janet Jackson backup dancer as I was ever going to get.
About 10 minutes into his class, she gets up to leave. "Say goodbye to Janet, everyone," Duldulao said. After a chorus of goodbyes, another student screamed my feelings, "I love you!" And Jackson left the room.
Afterward, her videographer interviewed some of the dancers, including me. I mumbled by way through about how incredible the classes were, how Jackson was my idol and how lucky I felt that she was there and saw me dance.
Still, I wish I said more, even if it was through what surely would've been snot and tears. I wish I told her how old I was. How I am still dancing because of her, carried by the pure joy she sparked in me doing her choreography so long ago.
Because, at 58, she is still doing it, too.
I came away with a special memory, but also a lesson -- when you have the chance to tell someone how much they mean to you, do it. No matter if you haven't yet formed your words, or worried it will be awkward.
I know it's not the same, but thank you, Janet. Thank you for inspiring me, pushing me and forever dancing with me.
Michele Munz - 314-340-8263
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