Lesson with RT and the Beginning of Comp Pressure

This was a good lesson with RT.... we worked on East Coast Swing, man my ECS feels rough. It seems (at least this is what I'm blaming it on) that I'm spending so much time getting all grounded in my Rumba, Cha Cha, etc that it seems I can't get any lift in my swing... it's weird. I don't know when it will come back...but ECS isn't really what I want to focus on right now.

We also worked on Bolero again... ok.. ok.. I'll stop saying that I hate it already! I still don't know what the basic is... I know it's the same pattern as Int'l Rumba...but I really just follow. Which is kind of cool. It does give me the opportunity to work on some big sweeping arm movements. If you've ever seen me dance you can plainly see that I don't do arm styling very well. It was a pretty quiet night, which around this studio is pretty rare... I was enjoying all the open space on the floor. I saw Largo out of the corner of my eye watching me, I tried to block it out... the more people that watch me...the more I try and pour all of my focus into my dance partner and block the onlookers out... I'm not there to put on a show... I'm there to learn and practice. Largo shouts out my full name... I shout back... "Stop watching [Largo]!" He laughed and RT smiled.

Of course Bolero lead to actual Rumba... we still must work on this in every lesson. Do you remember how I wrote about looking for more technique? RT somehow got the memo... we spent a lot of time working on technique. It took me a minute to remember that I had asked for it and stop complaining. I got a lot of good pointers. It's very odd because I can execute the steps with Largo, but with RT I can get much more cuban motion... I'm not sure what that's all about, perhaps it's that I'm just more connected with RT... or that he's more connected... I don't know... Largo and I are still pretty new at working together.

Then it was Cha Cha... what on earth happened to my Cha? I was messy and tripping, and it was just awful! More Cha Cha practice for sure! I need it to come back to where it was a few months ago.

Then it was Salsa... This lesson was very late in the evening, last one of the night and for the first time in a long time we were the only ones on the floor. I didn't notice at first but most of the staff had finished their day and were actually watching my lesson. Lately everyone has been bugging me about competing.... this was the night it had started.

RT and I were dancing and TSD shouts out... "How about DanceSport Challenge Kat, Something else for you to write about on your blog."

My response without breaking stride... "Only if you pay for my entries! And I have plenty to write about on my blog!"

We continued with Salsa... I heard a couple of shouts from FAF... but I was blocking them out.. I just wanted to finish this Salsa strong.... I think I did... if not a little winded... then DWH said one of the best things....

"Nice job... it really looks like you guys have been dancing together for a while."

"Oh well thank you." I responded with a big smile.

Thus ended our lesson... Very good! I just HAVE to work on my Cha Cha! My ECS will come along...but my Cha is of the utmost importance right now.