I first heard the term "saudade" while traveling and photographing in Brazil.My understanding of the word is that it is a longing for someone or something that has disappeared. There’s no direct translation in English. It’s different than grief - more like a yearning.
It’s somewhat how I felt, when in my mid 30s, I stopped dancing. It was as if a sensual, alive part of myself was lost and might never return. I don't know why, in the U.S. we stop dancing. In both Brazil and Cuba I have seen men and women of all ages dance everywhere - at clubs, at street fairs.
Once I asked my friends Cindy and Jo what they thought women lose when we stop dancing. Cindy said, "We lose...we lose...this," and then she did a little shimmy. I remember thinking that was exactly right. We lose the shimmy in our spirits.
FYI - Saudade is often the subject of musicians and artists. Cape Verdean blues singer Cesaria Evora has a haunting version called Sodade.
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