Today was the Open House for The Fromm Institute’s spring quarter. Professors present brief descriptions of the courses they’ll offer. I’m always a little nervous and spend a lot of time thinking it over. This quarter, I’m offering Great American Dancers. Pictured above: The Nicholas Brothers(L) Gwen Verdon (R)Very great dancers. I won an award for my brevity: a bottle of Slimfast. Some professors won packets of instant oatmeal. Sorry to say it took me a long time to get it about the “fast” and “instant.” Sign up! 1-2:40 p.m Weds. 4/17/03-5/28/03 Here it is: I realize that for some individuals the notion of taking a course about dancers might seem frivolous in a world full of troubles. For example: There are Americans who text while they drive and who think the word text is a verb. North Korea wants to send America a message and here on our Peninsula we might be the first to receive it. It is highly likely that individuals with no sense of humor will soon get their hands on chemical weapons.  In the words of the great playwright, Moliere: “All the ills of mankind, all the tragic misfortunes that fill the history books, all the political blunders, all the failures of the great leaders have arisen merely from a lack of skill at dancing.” ———————————————-And so I stand here and suggest you meditate upon these words: FredAstaireGeneKellyBuckandBubbles. FredAstaireGeneKellyBuckandBubbles. Rogers, Miller, Powell, Jamison. Rogers, Miller, Powell, Jamison. “Beauty is truth, truth beauty” The Nicholas Brothers is all ye need to know. Please note: This course does not claim to present the ONLY great dancers. This course will present tap, ballet, modern, and other dancers. Why bother with this course if you are already a dance fan or if you are not now and never have been a dance fan?—– I will give you three reasons:                                                                                                            (1) Dance–which disappears as it happens–reveals the meaning of life. —                                     (2) Seeing Bill “Bojangles” Robinson can uplift your appreciation of the homo so-called sapiens species                                                                                                                                             –(3) Only those who take this course will learn the answer to an eternal mystery: Who’s got the pain when they do the mambo?