Ballroom Dancing

Did I mention that there is a blind woman in my ballroom dancing class? Wow. It's amazing to me -- she has a great, sunny outlook, and is actually a fantastic dancer. I wind up "holding her arm" when we do some of the "floor" exercises before the class -- just basically telling her "2 more steps and we're at the wall" and whatnot.

We are taught fairly complicated steps, but we get to WATCH the teacher do them and follow along. She has to hold onto the wall. Then he comes over and "dances the steps with her," to show her what the pattern is that we are doing. She gets it each time.

The guys in our class (barring a couple) aren't that good -- I have trouble following them because they aren't getting their feet quite right, or they don't really "lead." If, as a follower, you "know the steps to the routine" you can actually look "fine" without BEING led -- but that's not what's supposed to be going on here. I wind up often frustrated because the guys are looking at their feet (and this is an intermediate class), or not leading, or have their arms down so I am not "held right" -- stuff like that.

I don't know how she does it!

I had something really great (OK, in my mind) happen at the lesson 2 days ago. We had done American foxtrot in the first hour, then the second hour was Quickstep. They never used to teach Quickstep outside the International curriculum (it's not an American Smooth dance), but Dancing With The Stars has Quickstep in it, and as SO many people have started taking lessons because of that show, they have added it into the "American" lessons.

I was dancing at the very end of the hour with this one guy who is a great lead (and tall enough for me, too). I was wearing this pink and black striped shirt, and jeans that were tight at the thighs but flared at the bottom., with my hair long but pulled back in a clip at the back of my head (off my face) and bangs. The class that comes in after ours is a Beginner class. That class used to have about 10 people in it at the beginning of each month, sort of the "dreg guys" who obviously were taking the class because they wanted to have SOMETHING to attract women....the women were usually pretty "normal" but there was never a guy who was over like 5'7" or was....well let's just say they were not the cream.

NOW (due I think to D.W.T.S.) the class has like FIFTY people in it -- and there are some FINE people walking in those doors. Ballroom dancing schools all over America must be praising the Lord over that show.

ANYWAY -- so I was dancing Quickstep, and we were actually GETTING the steps (even the turns at the corner). I came around one corner of the floor, just has these 2 women came in. One gasps as we go by, and whispers "Oh my God! It's Stacey Keibler!"

So, I knew they were talking about me. WHAT a flattering thing to happen! OK, not only am I about 20 years older than Stacey Keibler, but I definitely don't dance that well (I'm not as flexible as she is). But I was just beaming. And of course, it took my mind off what I was doing, I took a mis-step, and nearly fell on my face. The guy I was dancing with burst out laughing and said "You just heard that compliment, didn't you? See what happens when you let that go to your head?" It was really funny.

Anyway -- I've been thinking of that for the last couple days. I was really excited about it.

Solitaire