This month, Christopher writes about something very near and dear to my heart. ~Kathy
The Power of Dance
My Mission
My job today, as I see it, is to convince more of you to get up out of those comfy chairs in front of your computer, turn the cursed beast off, get cleaned up (at least a little), and go out and DANCE!!!
Although I believe that most forms of dancing are becoming more popular these days, I really couldn't find any statistical support for that assertion on the web. In fact, the ONLY dancing statistic I found said that high school seniors rank "music, art or dance class" appreciably lower than watching television, playing video games, driving around, and even
"Soooooo, Prancer... why should I get off my lazy butt and dance?" I'm so glad you asked! Not that I have a Top 10 list or anything, but...
Rationale
Romance
My AOL profile says, "Is there anything much more romantic than dancing a slow Sway to a Celine Dion song?" That reflects my personal views of both life in general (i.e. that being a romantic is a way of life, not merely a convenient way to impress someone) and of ballroom dancing as the best expression of that. I'll harp on ballroom some more, later, but I firmly believe that most any type of dancing has a serious romantic angle to it. Yes, even Zima's beloved country line dancing.
And let me also clearly state that the romantic angle has little or nothing to do with (can I say this on a non-AOL site?) SEX. Although romance may lead to sex, it's easy for me to keep them separate. Someone once said that ballroom dancing is "the vertical expression of a horizontal desire." Witty as that may be, I think it's clearly wrong. Most folks, when they see a tape of Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers ballrooming merely
At my ballroom club, for example, 100 people will attend on a typical Wednesday. And very few are couples. But surprisingly, it is clearly NOT a pickup spot. Nearly everyone arrives alone, dances the evening away, and leaves alone. But I like to think everyone feels a little better when they leave just because their evening was filled with romance.
Although I have little exposure to other forms of dance, folks tell me that it is as true in them. Perhaps it's akin to the arguments Zima once made about flirting. One can flirt just because it's fun to do so, without any connotation that there's anything more implied.
Exercise
In a rather bizarre development, ballroom dancing is apparently now well on its way to becoming an Olympic sport. The critics have been harsh, making unfair comparisons to Nordic skiing, sumo wrestling and other "manly" sports.
I'm guessing NONE of those critics have tried to Viennese Waltz for a few hours. Geesh. For those of you unfamiliar with it, that Waltz is nearly twice as fast as the one you probably envision. It FLIES! Another example--my ballroom dance partner also is an expert at the Swing and Lindy Hop. She dances them at Glen Echo virtually nonstop for several hours, and reports that she's absolutely drenched in sweat at the end of the evening. This from a lady who can do easily do a vigorous hour on her treadmill.
Most dancing (perhaps surprisingly) constitutes decent cardiovascular exercise. In most ballroom dances (the "line of dance" dances like the Tango, Waltz, and Sway), for example, you move around the dance floor at about 3-5 mph. And most of the "spot" dances (Swing, Hustle, Cha-cha) are even faster. So an evening of dancing will burn off many of those calories you picked up from stuffing your face with Twinkies! And from the sore muscles I endured (ouch!) the first few evenings, I can assure you that dancing also is fine exercise for general muscle flexibility, particularly the legs and back.
Sociable
If my ballroom dance club is typical of dance places in general, then they are a wonderful place to meet nice people who share a common interest, in a low key atmosphere. After a year there, I now have several acquaintances and a couple of friends from among the regulars. We always chat for at least a few minutes, and occasionaly swap partners. (Oh stop! You know that I meant for dancing!)
All in all, it sure beats staring at a dang computer monitor! Consider it part of your last New Year's resolution to "Get a Life!"
It's Really Fairly Easy
Sooooo... I have you convinced? But now you're going to start that whining about "having two left feet," "I'm awkward," "It looks SO complicated." Oh puh-leeze! Trust me on this one--If you can "hear the beat" in music, you can learn to dance well enough to thoroughly enjoy it. It's MUCH easier than, say, the nearly infinitely complex motion of the golf swing.
You don't believe me?!?!?! Short story: Last New Year's Eve, my date was a lady with no dance experience outside of "shaking her thang." We spent maybe 15 minutes before dinner going over the basics of four ballroom dances. We added a few simple turns and such as the evening progressed, and a fifth dance. By the end of the evening, we were cruising along at the Hustle, Sway, Rumba, Tango and Swing.
You STILL don't believe me?!?!?! Well, I'll have you know that I've taught several ladies the basic steps of some ballroom dances by AOL Instant Message. Yes, it's THAT easy!!! The basic step in most ballroom dances, for example, is a sequence of just four (Hustle, Foxtrot), five (Tango) or six (Rumba, Waltz, Sway) foot movements. Just to prove it, you're about to learn the footwork of the Sway in a few easy steps. This is just the Guy's part; the Lady's part is a "mirror image."
- Assume the classic "closed dance position." Think slow dancing in general, without the groping--feet together, your right hand on her upper back, your your left hand holding her right one at about shoulder level.
- While "swaying" (just DO it... don't ask), do the following:
a. Move your left foot to your left about 18";
b. Move your right foot to beside your left;
c. Move your right foot to your right about 18"; and
d. Move your left foot to beside your right. - Without swaying:
a. Step forward with your left foot about 12".
b. Step forward with your right foot about 18'. - Repeat endlessly around the dance floor.
Price and Availability
Geesh, now you're whining about it being expensive and there's nowhere to go??? You really are pathetic.
How about FREE!!! Yes, Free! At my club, the beginner lessons are FREE!!! And if you want to stick around for the 3-hour dance afterwards, it's just $10. Most clubs of all types have similar arrangements.
As to locations, there are clubs for nearly every type of dance all over the Baltimore/D.C. area. Check out the DCDanceNet site at http://www.dcdancenet.com/.
Sooooo... any OTHER excuses? I didn't think so!
In the immortal words of that famous French philosopher, Nike, "Just Do It."
Dance!!!
