As you know, my week 1 "new activity" was ballroom dance lessons. So a couple of Wednesday evenings ago, I sashayed my two left feet down to the Ted Motyka Dance Studio for a drop-in ballroom class. And for a mere $8 admission fee, I received an evening that can best be categorized as all inclusive - a bit of the good, the bad and the ugly.
The good? The dance studio is located in a heritage building in Winnipeg's Exchange District, and the interior (featured in the Richard Gere / Jennifer Lopez movie "Shall We Dance") is spectacular. The original character of the building was retained to create a space that is both magical to the eyes and the imagination - lofty vaulted ceilings, a large glistening wooden dance floor, character trim and pillars...I definitely recommend checking out the studio, if only for the architecture.
The bad? I had gone straight from an exercise boot camp to the ballroom class, which meant that I was in sweaty exercise clothes and neither looked nor smelled classy enough for the dance floor. As a result, I was more than a little self-conscious to get up close and personal with my dance partner (another class member I met for the first time that evening - talk about making a great impression!!!) - fortunately for me, though, he was a very good sport about it. Next time I return, I will make sure to dress appropriately for the ballroom - and bring a little perfume!!
The ugly? Well, back to that whole lack of coordination thing.
The two dances for January's drop-in are the tango and the jive, which, I later found out from others more familiar with the art of ballroom, are not easy for even a natural to get the hang of. I'm not sure whether I felt more sorry for Mr. Motyka (our world-class instructor, who appeared sincerely baffled and concerned by the lack of connection between my brain and my other body parts) or my dance partner, whose feet must have suffered for days from the bruising caused by my stepping on him repeatedly over the course of an hour.
The only conclusion to draw from this experience is that I am definitely one of those people who would benefit from having the dance steps outlined on the floor in bright blue footprints for me to follow.
On the flip side, while I did feel my old insecurities surface numerous times throughout the class, I also felt a sense of camraderie with the other dancers learning the steps for the first time (albeit more quickly and expertly than I) and a sense of accomplishment when I did manage to master the most basic of the tango and jive steps (which have gotten practised extensively in the basement of my workplace over the past week and a half when I thought no one was looking).
Verdict = certainly a challenge for someone as uncoordinated as I, but I enjoyed the first lesson and will continue attending drop-in ballroom classes as frequently as my schedule will allow
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