FYI, JJR @ KCIF

Have you ever DDR'ed?

If you know what I'm talking about, chances are you're either a lot younger than I am, or like me, you have kids a lot younger than I am. DDR stands for Dance Dance Revolution. It's a video game...sorta. My son Tommy is into this. What you do is stand in front of a video screen on a mat with arrows on it. The arrows face forward, backward, left and right. The screen in front of you plays a song, faster or slower depending on the level of difficulty you think you can handle. Accompanying the song is a video of moving arrows which match the ones on the mat you're standing on, indicating the dance steps you need to do along with the music. Got that? You watch the arrows, listen to the music, do your dance steps accordingly, and score points.

Sound easy? Easy like brain surgery. I've foolishly attempted this madness with Tommy and the giant flashing word FAILED that came up on the screen seconds after I started doesn't even begin to describe my ineptitude at this. I showed all the dancing skills of a manatee. Tommy, on the hand is like Fred Astaire on this thing. When somebody is good at it, like Tommy, it's really something to see. When somebody sucks at it, like me, it's even a bigger something to see. And whether you're on the good end or the suck end of the spectrum, it's a lot of fun to do.

Where am I going with this? DDR is coming to KCIF. Of course, we're putting our own spin on it, so at Irish Fest, we're calling it Jig Jig Revolution. Courtesy of the fleet footed folks at the University of Missouri-Kansas City DDR Club, you'll be able to show your inner Michael Flatley to the world right there on our grounds. Kids and grown ups alike can play and you'll have a ball whether you're spectating or dancing. If we're lucky, we'll get some of the dancers from the Kansas City Feis across the street to come by. I bet they'll wear that thing out.

Me? Uh, I think I have some director type duties I'll be busy with.