Finally, a glass of refreshing ballroom in this depressing desert! After what seemed like MONTHS (ok, it was just weeks), I had dance lessons two nights in a row! That’s all I get for another week, but they left me with a smile on my face.
Tag: dance lesson
Ask the Girl Episode 11: Finding a Balance
“I can’t. I have dance.”
I’ve said some version of this statement more times than I can remember. I’m not the only one. Apparently, the phrase is common enough that people thought it was worth putting on a t-shirt! Or a sweatshirt, or a tank top. Search “I can’t I have dance” on Amazon and you’ll get 20 pages of results.
A fellow ballroom student commented on my last blog post, asking if I ever found myself arranging or even rearranging my schedule around my teacher’s availability and withdrawing from things and people I would normally spend time with, just so I could get my dance fix.
The short answer is “uh, yeah!”
I haven’t been dancing, and my body hates me for it.
I’m going through ballroom withdrawal. It’s been almost two weeks since my last lesson with Teacher. I did have a social dance lesson with Teacher’s friend almost a week ago. But since then, I’ve been travelling and all the non-routine activity makes it seem like ages since I last danced. My next lesson is hopefully this coming Friday, but I still need to confirm with Teacher.
Brain Knowledge Vs. Body Knowledge Or “Just” a Student
Once again, I started writing about one topic and ended up focusing on another. I didn’t want to get rid of the first one though, so this is a combo post. Just a heads up!
This week is smooth week! Teacher and I have been alternating between rhythm and smooth on our lessons. At first, we switched every lesson, but I quickly realized I needed at least a second lesson in the same style to follow up on what we worked on in the first lesson. So now, since I have two lessons a week typically, we alternate every week.
This week is smooth.
Turn Right…Recalculating…
So remember the awesome new line of communication with my body I was discovering? Well, I think there’s a short.
We worked on rhythm in today’s lesson, specifically rumba and cha cha. Teacher wanted me to focus on foot pressure and core. I did…ok.
My First Coaching
I had a great Friday! It actually started on Thursday.
I was at home after work. I had finished my pilates workout, courtesy of Blogilates, and was chilling on the couch watching some crime show (I think it was Castle). Then my phone rang. It was Teacher.
Just Enjoy It – Two Great Lessons and a Book Launch
This past week, I had my two regular lessons, one working on rhythm and the other working on smooth. During the rhythm lesson, we danced the cha cha routine to music and I NAILED that stupid spin TWICE! Then we worked on rumba and I “upgraded” my hip movement, according to Teacher. During the smooth lesson, we revisited tango. Teacher wanted me to focus on keeping my right arm forward (I tended to let it pull back, especially when the movement required me to put my left side forward). We worked on these tiny adjustments I could make to be able to take my left side forward without affecting the right.
You know how your teacher will tell you to do something and keep telling you you’re not doing it and then all of a sudden, after making the tiniest adjustment that you may or may not be aware that you made, they exclaim “yes, that’s it!”? Usually, in that situation, I have no idea what adjustment I made. But during this week’s smooth lesson, I actually started to feel it. I consciously made a tiny correction while we were dancing and Teacher felt it and confirmed it was correct!
Sounds like an awesome week, right? Well, it was!
So what’s the catch? There must be something, it can’t all be good.
The Girl with the Tree Tattoo 