learn how to dance

Still in the top class (intermediate) at my class. Getting more comfortable with some of the moves. Still get confused about my left and right but I am trying hard. The other day the teacher guy complimented me and Teresa on some good moves – which is always nice – a new recommendation of his is to try videoing the “routine” – I might try and do this at the next opportunity and if it is funny enough it might find its way onto google videos….

Now then – after two weeks off the worst thing that could happen is finding that your improvers class has been merged with the intermediate class. This basically means that we will be doing tricky stuff – now I can handle the steps at the beginning but soon lose it in the partnered part of the class – couldn’t get the open break in the middle of the routine and this basically meant that I was stuffed.

Later on one of my fellow classmates showed me the right way to do it and it turns out it wasn’t that hard and that I had gotten all stressed over pretty much nothing. Looking forward to next week and more pratice – I think I will sink back down to the improver class next week…

Oh no I have reached the dreaded plateau – which seems to happen in all things. This is where you have overcome the initial hurdle, where everything is hard and found out that actually some of the things aren’t so bad and you can get some really quick progression, then you end up in the doldrums where there are things that are actually hard and require concentration, pratice, skill, rhythm and magic hips.

Next week will be better.

I could do with somebody slightly better than me to pratice with and correct my mistakes but without making me feel incompetent and possibly useless.

Last week the boss man told me I should move to the next class up from the beginners next week and so I did.

It was much harder but much more rewarding – I had pretty much got all I could from the beginners class and so I guess it was time to move on up. It is a challegne but learning new stuff with a different teacher is kind of cool – I think I will be in this class for quite a while though.

There was one section where I just totally lost the plot and couldn’t seem to make the dance work – had to step away and get some air and focus.

Oh I also found out it is a bad ideal to wear a watch when salsa-ing I managed to get my strap caught in one of my partners hair – she was in pain and I was mortified. Very embrassing and probably painful for her – I was very sorry and immediately took my watch off. Another girl who won’t dance with me again :-(

I really am enjoying this 43 thing – I was dancing on the tube home – until I realized that I had lost/forgotten my keys and had to wake up my poor housemate up to let a possibly slightly drunken and weary Adrian in.

I feel like there is some kind of improvement – although I felt a bit stressed at times and was much better when I chilled out and chatted a little with my partners – dancing with girls is always something that I have been heroicly bad at (like my spelling…) but doing things that you aren’t good at is a great way of feeling a sense of achievement because you have such a long way to go…

First salsa class – a groovy little club just off Shaftsbury Avenue. Tuesday night – very cool. Starting in the begineers class obviously – seems okay – kind of understood the basic steps and starting to get the rhythm. I think I need to buy me a good salsa CD (any suggestions) and listen to it lots and maybe dance around my room in manner of 14 year old girl.

Hung around afterwards and watched the pros – there are some incredile dancers out there. They were spinning the girls like tops. Maybe one day I will too…

1,2,3 5,6,7

Sorted with an old work friend to go Salsa dancing next tuesday.

He is a bit of an expert and so hopefully he can show me the ropes.

Bit worried because although I can dance I have a slightly off sense of rhythm which might work in a discotheque fails when I have tried “proper” dancing.

Anyway you don’t get better at something by sitting on your bottom :-)