Ballroom Dancing

Ballroom Dancing 101

Today was my first try in years on a real ballroom dancing class. This is not your normal PE ballroom dancing. This is Dancing with the Stars extreme crash course style dancing.

I was invited by my friend Terri who introduced me to her dancing class as her older sister.

I was thinking the class would be filled with middle aged men and women but to my surprise. 2 HOT Cubans, 3 CUTE pinoys and other men I dont who what their nationalities are; were leading the warm up dance floor with the Cha~cha and Tango. Terri started off the class with a Polynesian performance, she was one of the star students and her colleagues were expecting that I as her " sister" should come to par as her....which Im not. I cant dance nor can I sing. I however can cook!

To add, I was quite intimidated by some of the female student. Long legged, bouncy and beautiful. It was like the prom night I feared where’d I be left on the bleachers with no one to dance with.

I haven’t danced in a long while even though I did get a good score on my Ballroom PE... then again we had folk dances too and some were no brainers. The class was more focused on graceful competition type performances so technicality in the routines are a must.

Bottom line, I suck at professional dancing. Though my outfit fitted the occasion. I was wearing a purple Greek style dress, and some 3 inch sandals that looked like and perhaps were dancing shoes that I bought for P700.00 on a good sale. The other women were decked with professional dancing tapshoes, leggings and flowing skirts. However a few commented that my dress flowed gracefully on me even though when I was asked to do the line dance I tripped and fell and stepped on one of the professionals foot.

I sulked by sitting on the benches for a while. I was watching the cute Goefrey Eigelman look alike dancing all the cute 20 something year olds, giggling and smiling. I watched their foot work. I realized that Dancing with the Stars.

I felt a strangers hand tugged me. One of the class veterans asked me like a prom style way to dance with him. We did the salsa. I was bad at it but he tried patiently to guide me to the steps. Then I sat, another man asked me to dance. It was the waltz. He was more easier to understand than the first. Though he twirled me wayyyyy to much.

Then the Cha~cha. That I can do It was the very first dance my own mother taught me when I was 5. I got the basic foot work right. Much to the surprise of those around me since I tripped and fell. then the instructor changed the song midway to salsa. My partner being adventurous as he was asked me to relax, put my chin up and just let the music flow. He later then engaged me on a conversation about our personal professions. I totally forgot he was already twirling me and turning me. It felt great. I realized I was too tense at first that I didn’t allow my body to soften up to the movements. Then he did a chirography that made my body just decided to move on its own.

You see Salsa and Mambo are fast dances. In Salsa your hips should be twisting in a 45mph speed and your foot work should be quick as you twist.

He took a turn and my body automatically took 8 quick twists as he turned me, to my own shock and to my friend Terri who saw me do a PERFECT salsa twist after I just humiliated myself earlier in class. My partner complimented me by asking " Are you sure you’ve never ballr0om danced before?"

We did a group waltz similar to a cotillion dance on a debut. I got to dance with the Geoffrey Eigelmann look a like during the change partner routine. But my last partner was this Brazilian/ Cuban foreigner named Carlos. Who turned me gracefully on our waltz. Then dragged me back to the dance floor to dance do a Mambo. He was an obvious flirt. But who cares. HE WAS HOT.

Would I ever try the class again? Perhaps in the future. My soles now are aching and my belly has a cramp coming down after that really fast salsa move I did.

But after many years of wanting to know the feeling of being FORMALLY asked out to dance. It felt good and it was a nice experience. It was a fun and even fleeting romantic feeling. Salsa gave me the dance of confidence while the waltz made me feel very feminine and cherished.

Plus it burns calories too.