When It's Almost Right

Mrangelmeg and I have been taking a summer ballroom dancing class from a different instructor because our normal instructors don't hold classes during the summer and we thought we would lose ground if we didn't keep up with the training. The problem is that this new teacher has an entirely different style than we are used to, and at times it really catches us off guard.

For instance half of last weeks lesson (and from what she said tonight, some of next week as well) was spent on polka! Now I don't want to be thought of as a snob, but I can promise you that polka is not one of the international dance sport competition steps. I am pretty sure that there will be no time in the foreseeable future when mrangelmeg and I will find the need to use our new found skill at polka, but we find ourselves spending well over an hour of our precious instruction time learning how to dance it.

The other thing about this instructor is that she only knows two ways to dance, her way and the wrong way.

Take for instance Swing, our favorite step of all, and the one that we have the most experience in. According to our new instructor after watching us dance Swing the first Friday evening, we are using the wrong hand hold. In order to be dancing correctly in her studio we have to use her approved hand hold even though every instructor we have had, and every video we have watched has told us to use the one that we use and are comfortable with. So at least for the next six weeks, when we dance Swing (she uses Swing as a warm up each week) we have to use the awkward hand hold that she says is "the proper Swing hand hold" or she will continually correct us.

Oh well, we are learning new steps. Tonight we learned some new moves in Cha-cha. And when this class is over, and we return to our regular instructor in the fall we can go back to our familiar hand hold in the Swing and be comfortable again. We just have to take the good from this class and leave the rest.

Pax

Ballroom Dancing Denouement

Tomorrow is our last Ballroom dancing class for this Spring at the YMCA. To say that Mrangelmeg and I have enjoyed these classes would be such an understatement of how we have come to feel about our weekly trips to the dance studio.

It has enhanced so much of our relationship besides our confidence on the dance floor that it has been worth all of the hard work and embarrassment that we went through to get where we are at this point. Not to mention the sore feet and aching muscles. (That rhumba can kick the ol' fanny).

One thing that I have personally gained over the course of the training we have received, although I know I have a long way to go, and mrangelmeg will surely back me up on this, is my appreciation for how much I have to surrender to his lead, not only in dance, but in many other aspects of our relationship. If I listen more carefully to what he is trying to communicate to me I will be on much stronger footing.

When I am in doubt in a dance move I have been instructed by our teacher to close my eyes and trust that mrangelmeg knows what he is doing and will lead me where I am supposed to go. I have been trying to do that more often in other areas of my life as well. He sees my level of energy more clearly than I do and he is able to guage what I am capable of taking on much better than I am.

My Spiritual Director reminded me just this week that I have to work on my male authority figure issues, and I might as well let mrangelmeg be the one healthy authority figure relationship I allow myself to surreneder to in all things without question or debate or tantrums. I asked if I could at least pout, and he said that was negotiable.

Dancing has taught me that there can be only one lead. When I try to lead I throw off the balance of our steps, or mess up our timing. I am working on surrendering my need to be in control, and I think mrangelmeg has seen great improvement not just in our dancing but in other areas of our relationship as well.

I will miss our class at the YMCA, but I recently found out that our city Parks and Rec department has a summer Intermediate Ballroom class on Friday nights in June and July. If I tell him I need to work on my submission to his lead, do you think mrangelmeg will sign up for more dancing?

Pax

Now I Can Dance All Night

I went looking for dance shoes today. Specifically I was going to get open toed shoes because when I dance for a few hours (or till the end of dance class actually) my toes get really soar in the shoes I have been dancing in. But I tell you what, when I tried on the pair of shoes that look like the ones in the picture they felt like buttah.

The very knowledgeable lady at the store said that it is because of the construction. The arch and the instep and the leather upper all work together to baby your foot as you move so that your tendons and ligaments and bones are all moving exactly the way they are supposed to move. I agree with her 100% and can't wait till my next class so I can try them out.

She also gave me a hint about the proper leg wear. I have a tendency to dance bare legged because I don't like hose. She said that there is a reason to wear stockings, and the more support the better. She said that the support of dance stockings (or support hose) work to continually invigorate your legs as you dance. It is as if the movement of the dance is continually giving your legs a massage because of the support of the tights. Makes sense don't you think?

While I didn't buy a pair of dance tights, I may go in for a pair of sheer support stockings. Now all we need are a few more moves and we will be all ready for the next dance.

Pax

Swing Swing Swing

Last night was the first night of our new Ballroom class. There are only three couples in the class and about as many instructors, so we are really stoked. The emphasis this class is on Swing, which we really liked from last session, so we got right to work last night dancing.

We practiced what we had learned last session, and then we learned a few cool new moves.

If you follow this link and click on the video you can see most of the steps we worked on last night. (Of course mrangelmeg and I do them that smoothly too).

We had so much fun but I was totally exhausted by 7:45, and the class usually runs till nearly 8:30. I am going to have to get in much better shape if I am going to keep up with mrangelmeg, he was dancing my legs off.

I would totally encourage every couple out there to go out and take a dance class together. There is absolutely nothing better for your marriage than to dance together. You have to communicate, and work together and spend time in very close proximity, and to top it off you are having a really good time.

On the way home we stopped of to buy some swing Cd's so that we could practice during the week so that we will be ready for next week's class. Wow is that only a week away, I had better start getting ready.

Pax