Dancing....Need More Dancing

I do... you do too. Music too while we're at it thank you.

Monday was pretty ok as far as days go, I got all my daily goals accomplished and then a few more. So that was good, I was still very tired from the weekend so I had to head to bed early.

Tuesday was all about focusing on having my dance lesson. I made it through work, and got up to the studio as fast as I could! Unfortunately my current favorite jazz shoes had been left behind. My dance shoes usually live in the car so I never forget them no matter where I'm going. These shoes had been brought up from the rest of my weekend attire and never made it back into the car. Thankfully my car also contains several other pairs of other shoes, none are quite perfect, and I thought about putting on my rhythm shoes, but I could feel my ankles starting to swell from the idea so I picked from my current selection of Jazz shoes and made do.

The lesson opened and I warned Rocky about my shoes.

"I forgot my usual pair, so I'm in some back ups.. they're a little slick so I may slide into you at some point.. fair warning."

"It's ok..." He responds and we head over to the music machine so Rocky can pick up some Salsa.

Actually the slick shoes worked in my favor for a bit, and Rocky had tried some different moves from last week. At one point I got the age old "Just follow me." VERY reminiscent of a previous instructor, and just as frustrating. Instead of responding the way I always used to I kept quiet and focused more on following. It was actually really fun! I think at one point towards the end we switched to On2 Mambo, but I'm not sure... it felt that way though. Then we were in frame dancing and I think we both heard the Cha Cha song that was playing. Without skipping much of a beat we switched to Cha Cha. Neat!

It wasn't long before I managed to lose the beat so we stopped for a second to pick up my book. We're still working on the first parts of the syllabus, which has been a great refresher for me. Although I keep wondering if I'm getting all the technical points, sometimes I catch myself and sometimes I let it go. I'm hoping that my practice is helping me improve.

The highlight of the Cha Cha for me anyway, aside from the good following, is that I had a centrifugal force issue during one of my spins. Maybe it's happened to you before... I was lead into a spin, I don't recall if it was single or double and the force of going around actually makes my nose run. So I finish the move hand up to nose (Rocky and I are getting along so far, but I'm not up to dancing with him when there's snot on my face just yet) and I run over to take care of it. Once I returned (and used the antibacterial stuff) we joked about how that happens to a lot of dancers. Man.... a spin pulled snot right out of my nose... I must be getting better again! ;-)

We kept working, and it was good... I'm definitely keeping up more than I was a few weeks ago! Then we started doing a couple of lesser used steps and I followed. Rocky and I both were surprised a little. We worked on it again and I questioned "Are you testing my following?"

"No, testing my leading!" He replied mid cha.

"Oh, ok.. hope it's going well!"

Once we were finished with Cha Cha we glanced at my book, we discussed learning the last couple of steps in the Bronze Syllabus, I should have tested into Silver level several months back, but I still have to learn a few of the steps I'll be tested on. Once that was discussed, we decided to tackle the X some more.

The X is of course Waltz. I have to admit the more we work on it the more I'm not remembering why I ever hated it to begin with. I dare say my attitude about waltz has evolved. We worked on a new to me step mostly. I don't remember what it's called, and as I sit here I can't remember exactly how it goes, but it does have some backward lock steps for me in two directions. I don't recall ever having done this step before so I needed a lot of review, questions, and mistakes.

I hate staying on one step for too long, but I wanted to get this one! I also got very chatty for some reason. I think I was getting anxious and trying to divert attention away from not getting this step. Then I had a question...

"Ok so on the little tandem twirl thing we do here, I don't have to do heel leads for all that right? No, that would be stupid."

Rocky walked himself through the step as a follow, and then I watched when he got to the point where my question was...

"Oh, ok so it's heel, toe, toe..got it." Thanks!

"Yes it's heel toe toe.. I go through all this and she goes 'it's heel toe toe'!" He rolls his eyes.

"Well it is, so now you know if anyone ever asks how to do that again you can tell them it's heel toe toe so there." I respond taking up frame.

Away we went working on this silly sequence again.... I wasn't feeling very graceful. Which leads me to cause more distraction.

"Ok so when I'm doing this I feel like I'm going to step on your feet." Trying to explain why I kept stopping us at one point.

I got a look... I thought the look meant - what do you mean stepping on my feet, that's preposterous! So I rattled through a made up back and forth that I would normally have in my head only I said it all out loud.

"What do you mean step on my feet Kat, I'm a professional dancer this is what I do, it is my job to make sure my feet are out of the way of yours. (as me) Oh really? Ok I'll stop worrying about it then."

Rocky's head was spinning... "Whaaa?"

"Nothing never mind I was having a conversation with myself pretending you were answering, that stuff usually happens in my head, this time I just said it out loud."

"Ok wait, " He shakes his head, "...too fast!"

Sometimes I talk too fast, I am aware of this and I try and not but..esp when I'm just dialoging an inner monologue I don't see what speed matters.

So I repeated the mock conversation I had with myself about not worrying over tripping. We take up dance frame.. Rocky still a little overwhelmed.

"Are you ok?" He quietly asks me, he was serious..oh no!.

"Yep fine, well I'm about this far (finger and thumb pinched close together) from the men in the white jackets coming, but yeah I'm fine." I state with a big smile. "Ok I'll be quiet now."

"Banana." Rocky responds, dead pan.

"HAHAHA!" Is that our new code word for "shut up Kat?" too funny ok come on lets go."  

We start again and I trip up...

"Ok so you see what the problem here is, I'm supposed to feel graceful here and I feel like an elephant cold hopping across the floor again." Stated to fast for Rocky.

"What do you mean?"

"I'm supposed to feel all graceful and floaty on the floor and I don't I feel like I'm clumsy and it's just not right."

"Yes well it can feel like that, the goal is to make it LOOK smooth and graceful."

"It's supposed to feel that way? Blech. Ok lets go try it again." So we did..

I got it.

"Ooooo.. ok again." I state as if Rocky has no choice. I like to drill stuff and get it right a few more times before I call it learned.

We did it again and I messed up. *sigh*

We manage to check the clock simultaneously and in unison say "One more time." (I take little things like that as a sign that working with Rocky could continue to be good)

One more time, it was one of the better times through the step.... nice to end on a high note!

High five and some scheduling later I was on my way home.

Unfortunately I didn't stretch after this lesson.. .and boy oh boy was I feelin' it today! Baby steps baby steps... and I must stretch more. 

I need more dancing... as soon as I get settled into my home again I'm going to work out a plan for dancing in particular to be part of EVERY DAY.