woodsmoke Posted September 11, 2006 Share Posted September 11, 2006 Contrary to popular opinion, it seems, dancing is most certainly not for sissies. As some of you may know, I'm taking an intro to social dance class as part of my first-semester lineup. I'm enjoying the class a great deal, but I've encountered a few problems already. First and foremost is my faulty memory; we've been taught something like 6-8 steps of the fox step now, and I only really know 3 or 4. More significant, however, is the expectation by the instructor and my partner(s) of me to lead. Even after being in the class for 3 weeks now, it's all I can do not to turn tail and run, let alone execute any kind of assertive behavior. I still approach dance position with all the firm composure of a quivering jellyfish. On top of it all, today I was finally paired up with the girl who invited me to the class in the first place, and I handled it roughly as well as a 56-car pileup. I'm thinking this may be something I need to speak with the instructor about to see if she can give any tips or work out some kind of "tutoring" (which I desperately need) thing--but it'll be an ordeal to work up the courage just to do that. Gah, the more I think about it the more I want to do what I always do in uncomfortable situations like these--take a fukitol and just forget the whole thing. Thankfully, I know if I do that I'll regret it intensely, and I know from past experience that once I overcome the difficulties I'm having now and actually get to a point where I can start enjoying myself, I'll have a blast with it. It's just the "getting there" that sucks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
white_raven23 Posted September 11, 2006 Share Posted September 11, 2006 Stick with it Woodsmoke! Once you learn one type of partner dance, learning others is easy in comparison. PLUS!!!! Not a lot of guys really know how to dance. Double PLUS!!! If your lead is good and strong, your follow doesn't really need to know the dance as well as you do in order to successfully dance with her. Not many women get to experience a guy who can really dance, and it's a real thrill let me tell ya. One of my Swing dance friends went to another state, went to a club, heard something he knew he could swing dance too, asked a girl......*BAM* next thing he knew, women were in line to dance with him! Why? He wasn't grabbing their asses. He wasn't dry-humping them on the dance floor and calling it "dancing", and he wasn't groping them all over. He was REALLY and TRULY dancing! Keep at it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Darkside Posted September 11, 2006 Share Posted September 11, 2006 We had a mandatory dance class in the 7th grade. It was the only class I ever flunked, and I had to repeat it. Thanks for the memories. Oh, and good luck! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
godlessgrrl Posted September 12, 2006 Share Posted September 12, 2006 Heh. I can't partner dance to save my life. I keep trying to lead. Go figure. If you know you'll enjoy it once you get over the rough bit, stick with it. It'll be fun eventually and a useful social skill. Plus a good dancer is sexy as hell. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ro-bear Posted September 12, 2006 Share Posted September 12, 2006 Hang in there, ol' buddy! Such times are the stuff of memories. Your perseverence now will give you another reason to esteem yourself later. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vigile Posted September 12, 2006 Share Posted September 12, 2006 Glad to see you are facing your fears Woody. I hear you on the dance thing. I took a latin dance class when I was in Costa Rica. I stood out as the only idiot in class who couldn't keep up. I was still trying to remember the first steps as the rest of the class had moved on to add 4-5 levels above me. Some of us just ain't got the rythm. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
woodsmoke Posted September 12, 2006 Author Share Posted September 12, 2006 Heh, thanks folks. Like I said, I have no intention of dropping the class, I just needed to let off a bit of steam. I'm planning to have a chat with the instructor tomorrow to see if she can't help me out somehow. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
roman Posted September 12, 2006 Share Posted September 12, 2006 I think she can probably help you out, somehow! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlueGiant Posted September 12, 2006 Share Posted September 12, 2006 Don't know if you are looking for any advice on dealing with the nervousness factor (that can't be helping), but I may be able to offer at least a bit. Don't care that anyone is watching you. Go ahead and look like an idiot, everyone else who is dancing does, if you think about it enough. There is some truth to it. Easy to say, hard to do, just don't take it too seriosly, in all seriousness (ahem). Oh, and practice, going to your instructor for advice sounds like a great idea. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
woodsmoke Posted September 13, 2006 Author Share Posted September 13, 2006 Thanks for the encouragement and advice, BG. Thing is, my nerveousness has nothing to do with the knowledge that other people can see me dancing--while not "professionally," I've been dancing whenever the opportunity presented itself for several years and having a blast at it. I know perfectly well that everyone else is just as "out of their element" as I. The problem I'm facing here is a combination of the more general feeling of being overwhelmed by the inundation of my first semester of college and, more specifically, dealing with the regular discomfort I feel around people I don't know increased to a factor of five or more each day--depending on the number of different partners I'm paired with. That said, I'm afraid I didn't manage to catch my instructor after class today--dance goes from 10-10:50 and I have Islamic Civ. (History) on the other end of campus at 11. Fortunately, however, there is a ray of light. I have made a friend or two in the class, and managed to procure the phone number of one of the girls who also feels she could use the practice with tentative hopes for getting together this weekend. Of course, it helps that she's cute, too. Gah, computer class is over, gotta' go. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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