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You don't know your friends until you've seen them dance

Aug 1, 2008, 04:08 PM | by Mandi Bierly

Categories: Apropos of Nothing, Music, PopWatch Confessional, PopWatch Dance Party

Does the image of the first time you saw a friend dance stick in your mind like it does mine?

Last week, Slezak and I ended up at a karaoke bar and, skipping details on the number of cocktails he we consumed (because our bosses could be reading this), I'll get right to the part where a stranger stood up to sing Harry Belafonte's "Jump in the Line." Before long, Slezak was up off his stool and shaking it better than Shakira. It was amazing. Then, he started dropping it like it's hot (YES!, his signature move, apparently). It was the most awesome, unexpected sight I'd witnessed in five years. (In 2003, my cool friend Karen stood up from our table at a lame hotel bar, and I thought for sure she was leaving because a half-assed conga line had just broken out. No, she was joining it. Turns out, she loves conga lines.)

Anyway, I got to witness Slezak "dropping it" again last night at a small private-room karaoke birthday party I threw myself. He and EW's Adam Markovitz teamed for an impromptu yet jaw-dropping performance of Kylie Minogue's "Slow," which they only agreed to let me mention if I promised to embed the video for the song — excuse me, "underappreciated masterpiece" — below. Now I understand why Adam was lying on a table...

Have a good story about the first time you saw a friend (or coworker) dance? Share it!

donner Sun, Aug 3, 2008 at 04:40 PM EST

Slezak can do all things...do not ever underestimate the Slezak...

Celimene Sat, Aug 2, 2008 at 05:13 PM EST

I really have no idea what I did or what I was doing it to, but recently I was at a friend's wedding in Lithuania. Apparently, the next morning awards are given to various guests. I won "best dancer". Again, no idea what I was doing the night before, but apparently it was good enough so that people were coming up to me the next day telling me that I was really impressive.
...the only thing I do remember was moshing to "Killing in the Name Of", but I really don't think that was what people were talking about.

Martha Sat, Aug 2, 2008 at 05:03 PM EST

I'm with the others - let's see some prime Slezak video! Whoo hoo! My husband is a maniac (maniac) on the floor...think Mark on SYTYCD only less freaky-looking. We went to an 80's dance party on vacation last month and he was just on fire. Sadly, I have no video for proof. *sniff*

Kath Sat, Aug 2, 2008 at 04:49 PM EST

I think we all need video of this. C'mon, Slezak!

Rich Sat, Aug 2, 2008 at 11:41 AM EST

Do I have a story? Even better... I have VIDEO....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kLB8z8Hkm9A

Never trust a man with a cell phone and video editing software...

Sat, Aug 2, 2008 at 01:30 AM EST

Such a great story!!!

Sam Fri, Aug 1, 2008 at 07:41 PM EST

while i don't have any great stories of my own, i now really want to karaoke with you and slezak.

Coley Fri, Aug 1, 2008 at 05:33 PM EST

My first date with my now ex. He looked dreamy in his leather jacket as he batted his come hither eyes at me. Then he asked me to dance and i thought for sure he would have moves to go with his swagger. I thought wrong. It was disco gone wrong with wild gyrations and flashdance poses.
We were together for 5.5 years and i NEVER went out dancing with him EVER AGAIN. My roommates, however, made the mistake of going out with him. He never could understand why they called him "solid gold."

djm Fri, Aug 1, 2008 at 04:50 PM EST

So not fair of you to tell this story and NOT post a video of it.

Becca Fri, Aug 1, 2008 at 04:02 PM EST

Well no friends or coworkers, but the first time my brother did his "crazy white-trash dance" was hilarious. We were in a car wash with my best friend, & the Mortal Kombat theme song came on the stereo (yes, nerds that we all are, we have that on a cd :P lol). My friend & I laughed so hard we almost peed ourselves lol... & then we recorded it on my phone lol :D

Melinda65 Fri, Aug 1, 2008 at 03:53 PM EST

Happy birthday, Mandi! No cool stories, but a request: next time, could you get video? :-)

Chandra Fri, Aug 1, 2008 at 03:45 PM EST

I had heard about how well my friend danced but I couldn't fully understand what was meant until I saw her. The way she danced at a club was incredible, tons of different styles that she made uniquely her own and was just totally natural. I tried to copy some of it, but alas it was not meant to be.

RedAngel Fri, Aug 1, 2008 at 03:22 PM EST

Hmm...nothing really remarkable about the first time I saw my friends dance, but I remember the first time I saw my boss dance. It was at his wedding, and to be kind, he stopped just this shy of breaking into Seinfeld-esque "little kicks". The good news for the employees invited to the reception is that he was no longer scary in our eyes. We just pictured him dancing whenever he got ready to yell.

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