Dancing
Some of the most fun I had at the wedding a week-and-a-half ago was the dancing. My companion for the weekend, JB, is an enthusiastic dancer and once the dance music started, we danced until we couldn't see straight. I don't dance enough, which is ridiculous given how much I enjoy it, how much I studied as a kid, and how much I enjoy living in my body when I'm active. I've been feeling lately like things have to change, like I need to put different kinds of activities into my daily life. What with my friend BF's competitive ballroom dancing and other stuff that's entered my consciousness lately, getting more dance into my life seemed like a Thing To Do.
So last night, I went over to the Century Ballroom in Capitol Hill and got myself into an East Coast Swing class. Why East Coast? It's a lot like what I saw my parents dancing as I grew up. It's danced to music I really enjoy. I've done it before, at least informally, and I have a certain comfort with it. Also, fun.
The instructors did a great job of getting everyone comfortable with each other. I learned that while my raw instincts are good, there's a discipline in a more formal setting there that helps improve the experience enormously. I liked the puzzle-solving of getting my feet to do what my head was learning. We rotated partners pretty regularly, and it was comforting and fun to find that everyone was open and working just as hard to learn. Everyone was in good spirits, and any unfamiliarity there was at the beginning of the evening was gone by the end. Everyone ended the evening a little sweaty but very happy. When all was said and done, my pedometer had me at 11,000+ steps for the day, and I'd done it without even thinking about it.
I learned other things, too: how important it is to stay close to my partner, to take smaller steps than my energy and enthusiasm might provoke, to look at my partner--not the floor or the instructor. I also learned that some men seemed to think we were taking a wrestling class rather than a dance class. A good partner can make you feel like a good dancer; a bad partner can make you feel like you're Clumsy McTripsalot--which made me really want to be a good partner. Good shoes make a difference. Wearing a skirt and a tank top will be more comfortable and a lot cooler than jeans and a long-sleeved tee shirt (which is what I wore last night).
I have four more classes in this series, plus a free pass for one of the regular dances the Ballroom offers each week. This is going to be fun.
So last night, I went over to the Century Ballroom in Capitol Hill and got myself into an East Coast Swing class. Why East Coast? It's a lot like what I saw my parents dancing as I grew up. It's danced to music I really enjoy. I've done it before, at least informally, and I have a certain comfort with it. Also, fun.
The instructors did a great job of getting everyone comfortable with each other. I learned that while my raw instincts are good, there's a discipline in a more formal setting there that helps improve the experience enormously. I liked the puzzle-solving of getting my feet to do what my head was learning. We rotated partners pretty regularly, and it was comforting and fun to find that everyone was open and working just as hard to learn. Everyone was in good spirits, and any unfamiliarity there was at the beginning of the evening was gone by the end. Everyone ended the evening a little sweaty but very happy. When all was said and done, my pedometer had me at 11,000+ steps for the day, and I'd done it without even thinking about it.
I learned other things, too: how important it is to stay close to my partner, to take smaller steps than my energy and enthusiasm might provoke, to look at my partner--not the floor or the instructor. I also learned that some men seemed to think we were taking a wrestling class rather than a dance class. A good partner can make you feel like a good dancer; a bad partner can make you feel like you're Clumsy McTripsalot--which made me really want to be a good partner. Good shoes make a difference. Wearing a skirt and a tank top will be more comfortable and a lot cooler than jeans and a long-sleeved tee shirt (which is what I wore last night).
I have four more classes in this series, plus a free pass for one of the regular dances the Ballroom offers each week. This is going to be fun.