Friday, February 29, 2008

I'm no Lord of the Dance

I've been taking lindy hop dance lessons. I'm not doing too badly, but I'm not great either... and it'll take a while before I develop the confidenced that I need to really do this well. What a bummer.

I really, really wish that I was more of a natural dancer. I also wish that I had a more natural sense of rhythm, and that I could feel the beat of the music accurately. This is very frustrating indeed.

I've got the body strength needed to perform some fancy dance moves, and I've got plenty of stamina. I can engage in energetic moves all night long without tiring. Having said that, I wish I had more style and grace.

Maybe there's some hope. I remember when this one nice nurse gal attended a swing dance for the first time. Toward the end of the night, I asked her to dance, and after a few steps, she asked me if I was an instructor. She also said that I was the best dancer she had met that night, and asked if I could teach her more. Having said that, I do know that I'm not that great. I realize that the really good dancers must not have gotten around to inviting her to dance -- or perhaps they were so caught up amongst themselves that they failed to make her feel welcome. That happens now and then.

Dang, I wish I was better. I'd so love to master balboa, charleston, lindy, and a variety of ballroom styles. And I'll confess... I would appreciate the admiration that comes with being a great dancer. It'd make me more popular with a lot of these social dancers, for example. (Some of them think I'm very good, but I can tell that others think I'm pretty much a big goof.)