Okay, guys...so I have a new interest---dancing! In one sense it's not new at all. For as long as I can remember, dancing was my natural response when I felt delighted with music, or just when I was suddenly happy or excited. Dancing has always been part of who I am, but having long outgrown the age of prancing joyously in public, I have had to suppress it for a long time. Except in the privacy of my room with my earbuds in of course.
A friend of mine told me about this place right in town where they teach three kinds of dance every Friday: Ballroom, Latin, and Swing. Last Friday was my second time to go, and I had an absolute blast! I know, vaguely, that there are lots of places around where people go to "dance" on weekend nights, but to me a public place to go dance is an absolute novelty. I've always kind of envied the characters in stories like Pride and Prejudice where a ball was something of a normality. Where people of all ages dressed up and went to dance and socialize. Going to the place last night is something of a dream come true for me. There's a lesson at the beginning, and then they play all kinds of songs, and men of all ages were asking me to dance! They're really nice about teaching you the basic steps. The important thing is to keep moving your feet in rhythm with the song, and since I'm a lady, to follow when the gentleman leads. It takes concentration and practice, but it's also fun. I love the whole aspect of making moves up together. I've noticed in lots of modern music these days, "dancing," is when you stand with a group and just kind of wiggle around the best you can. Ballroom dancing isn't choreographed, it's spontaneous; but you're making it up with someone else. To me, that's just amazing.
So, I'm learning the basic steps to the foxtrot, rumba, bolero, cha-cha, salsa, swing, and of course the waltz. So far the foxtrot and the waltz are my favorites, but that may change. They play a few tangos, too, but I haven't worked up the nerve to try one of those yet. But I'll get there.
I would be just fine if they only played classics and oldies, but actually they don't. Dancing is about the rhythm of a song, and you might be surprised at how well a stuffy-sounding step fits in with a popular song. For example, Adele's song, "Rumor Has It," is a perfect song for a cha-cha. The cha-cha is basically "rock step, cha-cha-cha, rock step, cha-cha-cha..." Now if you know that song, think of the driving beat in it: Boom, boom, ba-ba-boom, boom, boom, ba-ba-boom. Absolutely perfect for a cha-cha!
I've only gone twice, and it feels as if I've discovered a new world. It's strange to be in such close contact with perfect strangers, but it's respectful. Learning to follow where they lead requires trust, and yet as I trust them, I find myself feeling more confident. It sounds crazy, but it's true. When a gentleman asks me to dance, I feel like a lady. Not an awkward, shy girl, a lady. He escorts me to the dance floor and we meet as individuals and equals. We dance together, and it's friendly and fun and respectful. He escorts me to my seat, and I sit down to wait for the next song. Courtesy. Respect. Ladies and gentlemen. Polite, but not stuffy society. Well-dressed, but unpretentious people, all doing something that they find enjoyment in: dancing.
What's more, as my feet begin to learn, my senses are freed to enjoy the excitement of moving my body in time to a song. When I play an instrument, or sing a song, my mind and part of my body is lost inside it. But dancing is your whole body lost in a song. Last Friday night I had some really good dances...I cha-chaed better than I ever had before, but of course that was because my partner was extremely good at leading.
One really tall fellow asked me to dance the Viennese waltz, which is a fast waltz. I'd never danced one before, but I was eager to try. Especially because the first few words into the song I recognized Adam Young's voice from Owl City. So my first Viennese waltz was to the song, "Brielle."
Now I'm going to do the unthinkable. I'm going to quote my journal to describe it.
"...Next thing I knew, we were waltzing, then gliding effortlessly across the floor that had only a few couples on it...to a beautiful waltz by Adam Young that I think was called, 'Dear Brielle.' It was a sweet song, but I couldn't listen to the words."
"And then suddenly we were whirling round and round and round and round. The walls, the crystal chandeliers, and the other people became a blur, and all I could focus on was his face and his arm. And though I was concentrating hard so I could follow him, I almost felt as if the room was spinning around us. I could enjoy how wonderful it was, and I tried to soak in the moment of that dance. I felt graceful, as graceful as a bird, as lithe as a sylph, and as joyful as a dolphin."
"I love to dance. During that waltz, I felt somehow really me, yet I wasn't thinking of myself at all. I felt joyful, at peace, and beautiful. I was in harmony with the music and my partner. I felt gloriously free. Free from my past mistakes, my bitterness, my anger, my pride. It was just gone, and joy was flowing through me. I've always known the ability was in me just waiting to be wakened and called to life. And here I was! Dancing!"
That pretty much sums it up. Sorry I'm late for a new post, but thanks for the views, people! You made my day.
Here's the song, "Brielle," from Adam Young's "Sky Sailing." Enjoy!
~Cadenza
A friend of mine told me about this place right in town where they teach three kinds of dance every Friday: Ballroom, Latin, and Swing. Last Friday was my second time to go, and I had an absolute blast! I know, vaguely, that there are lots of places around where people go to "dance" on weekend nights, but to me a public place to go dance is an absolute novelty. I've always kind of envied the characters in stories like Pride and Prejudice where a ball was something of a normality. Where people of all ages dressed up and went to dance and socialize. Going to the place last night is something of a dream come true for me. There's a lesson at the beginning, and then they play all kinds of songs, and men of all ages were asking me to dance! They're really nice about teaching you the basic steps. The important thing is to keep moving your feet in rhythm with the song, and since I'm a lady, to follow when the gentleman leads. It takes concentration and practice, but it's also fun. I love the whole aspect of making moves up together. I've noticed in lots of modern music these days, "dancing," is when you stand with a group and just kind of wiggle around the best you can. Ballroom dancing isn't choreographed, it's spontaneous; but you're making it up with someone else. To me, that's just amazing.
So, I'm learning the basic steps to the foxtrot, rumba, bolero, cha-cha, salsa, swing, and of course the waltz. So far the foxtrot and the waltz are my favorites, but that may change. They play a few tangos, too, but I haven't worked up the nerve to try one of those yet. But I'll get there.
I would be just fine if they only played classics and oldies, but actually they don't. Dancing is about the rhythm of a song, and you might be surprised at how well a stuffy-sounding step fits in with a popular song. For example, Adele's song, "Rumor Has It," is a perfect song for a cha-cha. The cha-cha is basically "rock step, cha-cha-cha, rock step, cha-cha-cha..." Now if you know that song, think of the driving beat in it: Boom, boom, ba-ba-boom, boom, boom, ba-ba-boom. Absolutely perfect for a cha-cha!
I've only gone twice, and it feels as if I've discovered a new world. It's strange to be in such close contact with perfect strangers, but it's respectful. Learning to follow where they lead requires trust, and yet as I trust them, I find myself feeling more confident. It sounds crazy, but it's true. When a gentleman asks me to dance, I feel like a lady. Not an awkward, shy girl, a lady. He escorts me to the dance floor and we meet as individuals and equals. We dance together, and it's friendly and fun and respectful. He escorts me to my seat, and I sit down to wait for the next song. Courtesy. Respect. Ladies and gentlemen. Polite, but not stuffy society. Well-dressed, but unpretentious people, all doing something that they find enjoyment in: dancing.
What's more, as my feet begin to learn, my senses are freed to enjoy the excitement of moving my body in time to a song. When I play an instrument, or sing a song, my mind and part of my body is lost inside it. But dancing is your whole body lost in a song. Last Friday night I had some really good dances...I cha-chaed better than I ever had before, but of course that was because my partner was extremely good at leading.
One really tall fellow asked me to dance the Viennese waltz, which is a fast waltz. I'd never danced one before, but I was eager to try. Especially because the first few words into the song I recognized Adam Young's voice from Owl City. So my first Viennese waltz was to the song, "Brielle."
Now I'm going to do the unthinkable. I'm going to quote my journal to describe it.
"...Next thing I knew, we were waltzing, then gliding effortlessly across the floor that had only a few couples on it...to a beautiful waltz by Adam Young that I think was called, 'Dear Brielle.' It was a sweet song, but I couldn't listen to the words."
"And then suddenly we were whirling round and round and round and round. The walls, the crystal chandeliers, and the other people became a blur, and all I could focus on was his face and his arm. And though I was concentrating hard so I could follow him, I almost felt as if the room was spinning around us. I could enjoy how wonderful it was, and I tried to soak in the moment of that dance. I felt graceful, as graceful as a bird, as lithe as a sylph, and as joyful as a dolphin."
"I love to dance. During that waltz, I felt somehow really me, yet I wasn't thinking of myself at all. I felt joyful, at peace, and beautiful. I was in harmony with the music and my partner. I felt gloriously free. Free from my past mistakes, my bitterness, my anger, my pride. It was just gone, and joy was flowing through me. I've always known the ability was in me just waiting to be wakened and called to life. And here I was! Dancing!"
That pretty much sums it up. Sorry I'm late for a new post, but thanks for the views, people! You made my day.
Here's the song, "Brielle," from Adam Young's "Sky Sailing." Enjoy!
~Cadenza
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