I took a waltz class today. I found out that I am not as good at dancing as I thought I was. I am good at faking dancing a waltz. The actual techniques are harder and I find there are so many thing I have to remember to correct that I lose my footwork. It is good to learn this.
I was planning to take tonight’s lesson to test how much stamina I have. If it worked out ok, then I would take the February swing lessons in prep for March PEERS with Lee Presson and the Nails. The jury is out on if I can make it. Be the end of the hour, I had to sit down and sweat was pouring down my face. I need to think out my dance outfit. I need something very light because I so easily over heat but I don’t want my partner(s) to have to deal with a sopping wet dance partner. I didn’t used to sweat when I danced. No matter what a handkerchief is in order. This is one of the reasons I look to water aerobics for exercise. The water helps me maintain my temperature.
I am also pondering switching from follower to leader. I want to be a girl but with my height, it is somewhat uncomfortable to dance with the people that show up. I feel like I stick out all over the place. Sometimes this does not bother me but when I am finding out I am not as good a dancer as I thought I was, I don’t have a lot of room to absorb other areas of uncomfortability. Besides, I think I have more and better suited clothes as a guy than I do as a girl right now. I could look really cool if I could stand to wear a hat and vest. But those are too hot.
So it looks like things will go smoother for me if I just give up on my sense of being a girl and take on the leader role as my own. I may have more curves now but I don’t know how to dress those curves. I know how to dress a guy in my size. I will have to see if I am as good at that as I think I am. With my current haircut I probably will make a good dyke.
I still want to be a girl and I still wish I didn’t sweat so much or overheat.
So… you could have a lightweight vest with no back.
This is a possible option when leading but as a follower, the lead’s hand is on my back. I was concerned about soaking my shirt and the rotating partner. It is bad enough that I almost loomed over the guys in the class, but to be the clamming one too? Ick. I am overly sensitive to being the one no one wants to play with.
So I go with no vest and no sleeves. Now wearing only a vest…
You can lead! You can be a woman and lead the way, either in exploring a remote jungle, marching into a city with your army behind you, or taking the hand of a partner and dancing the night away.
If I danced anything other than the white male shuffle (and didn’t live many hundreds of mile from you) following your lead across a dance floor would be a pleasure worth repeating at every opportunity.
You have my sympathy on the sweating and overheating. Living above the artic circle is about the only solution possible for me. YMMV.
But I don’t like to lead, I like to follow. *whine* I lead when I have to.
I literally moved to SF because it was the only other place besides Seattle and Portland I felt I could go due to heat issues. And it was lucky I did because Seattle and Portland get hotter than SF in the summer.
I took a dance class once. I was at least a foot taller then 90% of the women there. It is very hard to learn how to dance with a partner not to your scale.
Dude, as a male dancer you are suppose to be taller than your partner. It makes under arm spins easier. With being a foot taller, that means she can get away with wearing a hat.
I have heard from tall male dancers how nice it is to dance with someone their size. Not that it leads to more dances with them so I don’t think it is that big a deal in the long run.
I have never been in a dance class where I was not completely out of scale to most of the class.
I used to want to take modern dance but I don’t want to be the lone bean pole sticking out from all the other dainty dancers.
Most of the time I don’t notice how much I stick out above all my friends, in classes like this, I can’t avoid it at all. If I switch to the male role, at least I will be in the ball park.
I wanna be a pretty pink princess and instead I end up feeling like a lumbering giant with delusions. Sometimes I can pull it off but it is hard work and I am tired of working that hard for dance. If I give up on being the pretty pink princess, maybe I can reduce the workload and enjoy the process again.
The other nice thing about dressing the lead part is that it’s easier to bring multiple shirts and change into them when you get too hot.
What kind of waltz did you take? American, International, or vintage? If you’re learning either American or International and you want to do some practicing, I can help you with technique.
So of course it is Vintage that I am taking. Bwaa haaa haaaa.
I can’t believe how sore my right upper thigh is. I have to pick up my leg and place it on the gas in my car because it hurts so much. I am such a wimp and out of shape.
At least this time, I want to continue, unlike the time I tried out yoga. When I finished yoga, I was good with continuing. Over the next two days Yoga=pain and feeling sick=don’t do that.
I’m with you on the overheating issue. I tend to give myself at least a one-song rest between dancing. Doesn’t entirely keep me from overheating, but it keeps me from becoming Frosty-in-the-greenhouse.
You dance? So, you want to come help me practice?
I dance. (Been Fezziwigging for a couple years now)
Happy to come help practice!
Call or email, and we can work out a where & when.