So You Think You Can Dance

That's probably what I was thinking that kept me from high-tailing it out of there. After Saturday evening church, I mosied on down the street to a community center where they teach ballroom dancing. I'd been there before--wow, 20 years ago?--to learn waltzing for my college roommate's wedding. I knew to expect a big gymnasium (they bill it as the largest wooden dance floor in the USA) with lots of singles and a few couples, constantly being rotated to new dance partners (certainly a kindness to my partners when I'm clueless).

After two hours of lessons and another half hour to get home, I'm finding my heart beat still elevated. I'm writing this while nearly horizontal to aid in easing my nausea from exhaustion. The ceiling fan is set to puree to maximize cooling of my feet, one of which wants to cramp into an arc, and it's on the same leg as the shin splint. But it's still fair to say it was fun.

Officially, the man's supposed to lead, but I'm tellin ya I'm glad at the many tips and corrections the ladies (of a big spread of ages) gave me. It was probably a bit of smart sales work on the instructor's part to get me to come back, but nonetheless I liked that she told me should could tell I was determined and inquisitive and trying to get it right--in contrast, she said, to the folks who show up "who watched So You Think You Can Dance and think they should be able to learn it all 'right now'".

Holy cow, that East Coast Swing is a lot of fast steps. I am OUT of SHAPE. I had to sit down while everyone else kept learning because I thought I was going to pass out. My heart rate was elevated (a good thing for the heart that's used to that) and sweat was dropping onto the floor off my forehead. But it was fun, I keep telling myself!

A treat for me was getting to watch those who knew their stuff. I'd put them in two camps: those who were skilled with the moves and those who also looked like they were really enjoying it. I remember one couple (formed, as these pairs are formed, simply by a guy approaching any gal on the side and drawing her out to the floor) who, just like that, were into these elegant, precision moves that were new to my eyes--like well-tuned machinery. Yet I don't recall seeing either of them smile. Soon, they were off dancing with other partners.

The evening had two halves: class time (learn steps for one style) and music time (for folks to freely dance a variety of styles). In that second half, I'd shuffle around a bit, watching the footwork of dances unfamiliar to me, to see what I could mimic. (Not a high success rate there.) A courageous lady approached me as the song style changed. I told her I'd just taken my first lesson in swing. She was glad to be of help in answering my barrage of questions. It was funny to me how difficult it was to learn some of the footwork advice she sought to give, difficult because she had one of those flowing dresses that, with just a little spin of her body, would flare outward. No chance of my seeing her feet! I appreciated that, at one point, she clutched a bit of her dress upward so I could see her footwork.

It *was* my first formal lesson in swing--BUT I thank folks for putting all those videos on youtube so that, last night, I could try out the steps in the comfort of my home and try to burn that odd 6-beat pattern into my brain and limbs before wrassling with the ladies tonight. Me and my long legs--I'm so used to taking big steps that I carried that over to swing. Doesn't work. The vocal ladies would keep reminding me, "Smaller steps". I shake my head now in recalling all the things I have to try to remember at once. As one of the youtube instructors noted, it's complicated to learn at first, but then it becomes natural. Hm. Becomes natural. That's still future for me.