02/14/2026
“Time” is one of the the most sexy & personal experiences I’ve ever created. The lyrics are very moving, romantic and surprisingly relevant to today. This experience “Time” was created 30 years ago when my daughter, Liliana, was a baby.
The Story
I can picture Liliana in my little 2 seater 1993 Honda Del Sol car, in the passenger seat, in her car seat, looking up at me! She was less than a year old.. I used to click my fingers to stop Liliana from crying. It was one of my funniest, handy little tricks, used to distract my daughter. I could craftily shift her from tears to fascination with the simple click of my fingers!
One time, driving to class, with the Lionel Richie “Time” CD playing. A few clicks stopped my screaming crying child. Liliana began to play with her fingers, mushing them together to see if she could click them like her Mommy… And there, in the moment, Liliana clicked her fingers for the first time. I remember hearing the noise, looking down, seeing her beaming face, her eyes sparkling with joy, feeling joy as she communicated so clearly “look! yes! I did it! I clicked my fingers for the first time!”
I may have forgotten (or missed) my daughters first steps, first food, first many, and yet THIS is a most remarkable & memorable moment in time, something I feel I’ll remember forever.
On arriving at the Houston YMCA, Joe and I did our usual “Tuesday night relay takeover” where he’d get off work, wait in the Y parking lot to pick up Liliana as I dashed into teach class.
I put on the CD (yes 30 years ago we played CDs for class!) and began improvising “teaching on the fly” ~ teaching and creating the moves to music as I went along. In the first song I began in a closed stance (toes together and a little space between the heals) and began clicking my fingers from side to side. The movement was an instant match to the music, an “accidental” synchronistic, magical click. My moment in the car with Liliana flashed before my eyes, I felt light and a warm glow through out my body let me know YES! this is the beginning of something fabulous.
The Music movement clicks
Whenever possible I create movement experiences to follow the order of the tracks on the CD. Great to honor the artist and the order they choice for their collection of songs. The “Time” Class playlist is an exception. Songs click better slightly shuffled. The addition of Light a Candle is the perfect ending to the experience.
Every song from the CD is utilized with the exception of “I hear your voice”. This song comes highly recommended for when you want a good cry over someone you miss. Other than that it simply feels too depressing for our heart warming, love story, class experience!
Each song is both unique and very meaningful. They provide music movement clicks that guide me to a personal story. For example “To The Rhythm” includes “I don’t understand what’s going on in the world around me” this song was written 30 years ago, and yet it’s ridiculously relevant for today as it mentions “Recreating the same failures, Violence, Abuse, Murder, Injustice…….” “seems we are making the same mistakes over and over again and I don’t know why!” we go on and on!!
The classic song Lady (which out of the whole album you most likely will know) can be received as a beautiful love story, I imagine the words to be my body sharing a poem about it’s relationship with me…. A funny play with words and yet so true.
“Time” is one of the the most sexy & personal experiences I’ve ever created. The lyrics are very moving, romantic and surprisingly relevant to today. This experience “Time” was created 30 years ago when my daughter, Liliana, was a baby.
