Four weeks ago today Jen and I took our first group dance lesson at the Pick School of Ballroom Dance. We signed up for the beginners’ package: Four group lessons (waltz and rumba) and three private lessons. Tonight is the final group lesson; we’re skipping it because we’re just too run down and stressed out with other wedding stuff (and have so little time to get anything done this week). We skipped the second group lesson, too.
The good news, however, is that we’re learning the foxtrot in our private classes and the impossible is happening: I’m actually getting the hang of it. You see, as anyone who has seen me dance can attest, I can’t dance. I suck. I can’t hear the beat and I always lose count. So what ends up happening is the typical white boy shake-about, which isn’t a pretty sight.
But I’m crossing my fingers and am hoping that come July 26, I’ll be able to relax and actually foxtrot with success for our first dance. If not aiming to achieve this for myself, I want to do it for Jen; I know it’s important to her.
(Pictured above are the steps for the waltz, which I also pretty much have down. It’s the rumba that throws me off the most. Waltz and rumba are in 3; the foxtrot is in 6.)
1 response so far ↓
1 Dave Reed // Jul 16, 2003 at 1:11 pm
Dancing in time with the music will come naturally with a lot of practice — although you shouldn’t expect to be great after a few lessons, I know you’ll be awesome at it, Gabe!
I think it took me a few months before I could dance without thinking too much about the music and where I was in it.
(BTW: that waltz image shows the woman’s/follower’s steps; naturally, the man’s/leader’s steps would start out differently).