Meet Me @ the Barre!

[lindyhop]

Tuesday night I wanted to go to an Intermediate/Advanced Balboa class but I managed to leave my shoes at home. Even leaving them on the doorknob so I can't miss them didn't work. I'll try again next week or maybe just wait for the next series in May.

I went to Atomic Ballroom in Irvine last night to dance. They get a good crowd of dancers every Friday night. I'm still working on being a regular there so I spend a little too much time watching but there were a couple of highlights. I always want to dance with the "pros" and last night I got to dance with Ben who (I think) teaches in the Pasadena area. (I also think he's behind the website Geek Swing where I got my <lindyhop> t-shirt.) The great thing about dancing with someone like Ben is that he pays attention to the level you're dancing at but also pushes a little to see what you can do. The bottom line is he makes you look good. Later I danced with just the opposite type of dancer. This guy kept leading sudden changes in direction (that I followed damn well, thank you) and made me feel like I was just keeping up, not dancing.

And I got to dance some Balboa with Ray (one of the best at Bal). And I followed him a few times like I was dancing in another dimension. He clearly led in one direction and I took off in the other, I don't know why.

Back to reminiscing about early dance experience, I'd nearly forgotten a modern dance class I took as part of P.E. in high school. I sucked at everything in P.E. but I loved this class. We split into teams of about four people and choreographed a dance that we performed for the rest of the class. Our team danced to the theme from Peter Gunn and we really got into it and outshone everyone else. I should have paid more attention to how good that felt and not waited so many years to get back to dancing.

[ToriBear]

I had a dance class at my school today, and will be 'till the 11 of June, and I had to pair up with someone, (or as my teacher says, girls better pair up with the boys or else.) Luckily, one of my friends (who is a big twilight fan), paired up with me and helped me with most of the dances that I was having trouble with. ( I said I would be Bella Swan at one of the dances, which was the polka. Ugh!) So far we've done the polka, some type of a waltz that I forget, the silly waltz, and the..... well, I forgot that one too. But my toes hurt from standing on it the past hour. Still, it was so much fun!

[JWBear]

So... If two dancers get into an altercation, is it called a "barre fight"?

[wendybeth]

Good one, JW!

[Deebs]

Originally Posted by lindyhop

Our team danced to the theme from Peter Gunn and we really got into it and outshone everyone else. I should have paid more attention to how good that felt and not waited so many years to get back to dancing.

The Peter Gunn theme is great, I can imagine how much fun that was for you. I also regret that I stopped dancing for a long time. I did not know how much I missed it until I went back to it.

Originally Posted by ToriBear

So far we've done the polka, some type of a waltz that I forget, the silly waltz, and the..... well, I forgot that one too. But my toes hurt from standing on it the past hour. Still, it was so much fun!

I'm glad you're having fun. That sounds challenging, especially the waltz. But the polka sounds totally fun!

This is one of my favorite pieces of music and I love this costume.
Alexei taught this dance to us, but the character steps were very tricky for me. I had never done anything like it before. Flexed feet in pointe shoes were a foreign concept to me.

[ToriBear]

Well, the polka is the most challenging for me. The waltz is a lot easier to me. Oh, and the other waltz was the classic Boxer, and the Virginia Reel. I'm not sure if we're doing more dances. But, I'll just have to find out next Friday!

[Deebs]

Originally Posted by Deebs

This is one of my favorite pieces of music and I love this costume.

I did not realize that Ekaterina Maximova died a couple of weeks ago at age 70.

Ballerina Ekaterina Maximova Dies

Originally Posted by ToriBear

Well, the polka is the most challenging for me. The waltz is a lot easier to me.

Anything with a partner is a challenge for me, truthfully. I'm looking forward to hearing what happens in your class on Friday!

[Deebs]

I'm curious to find out how ToriBear did in class today.

Was there more partner dancing? Were you a Bella Swan?

[ToriBear]

Originally Posted by Deebs

I'm curious to find out how ToriBear did in class today.

Was there more partner dancing? Were you a Bella Swan?

I think I did good. Besides trying to kill everyone in Polka with my partner.
And yes, there were more partner dancing. We have to have a partner, or we're out.

And I just spat out my drink reading that last line. I was Bella Swan at only one dance, and I think you can guess which one.

But, it was very fun. My friend, the same one I was partner with last week, kept pulling me away when I was taking a break and kept trying to dance. That boy is strange. But, he's a good friend.

Sadly, he won't be there next week, so I'm bummed. I wonder who's going to be cursed with me?

[Disneyphile]

Last night was the last for this semester.

I must proudly state: THE FAT CHICK PREVAILED!!!

I was one of the only three newbies to not drop the class over the last few weeks. There were 8 of us left, 5 of them being repeats from the last 2-3 semesters.

There were times when I wanted to throw in the towel... learning the limitations and impact that being fat can have on my body, while watching everyone around me not have the same struggles (like being able to stretch their legs high because they don't have large stomachs in the way). There were times that I would stress and cry because I thought I would never make it.

And, I stuck it out, even with my limited range of motion. And, my instructor congratulated me last night, and even noted how I've developed some excellent technique and have come a very long way since the first day.

So, yeah.... FAT CHICK PREVAILED!!!

Ken will be taking ballroom with me over the summer, which also includes swing and salsa. Should be fun!

For the fall, I'm cutting back to part-time status, because I only have one design class left that is at my level. So, I'm going to take jazz and ballet, yoga, and a women's fitness course. And, I'm excited about all of it too.