Bootscootin’ update

[storytimewithjoe]

I feel like such a dolt. So far… it just isn’t coming naturally… AND THAT DRIVES ME FOOT-STOMPIN’ CRAZY!

 

“Calm DOWN, Joe”, you are probably thinking to yourself. “Quit being a perfectionist. Relax, and just learn to have fun.”

 

And in typical, rebellious, annoying form, my response would be, “Um, have you MET me?!” 

 

I’ll admit it – I’m an anal-retentive, perfectionist who pushes himself really, really hard. While I am typically pretty patient with other people and learning curves, I am not patient with myself. I’m a dancer, after all. And a dance instructor at that! For nearly two decades, I have taught the pre-cursors to line dancing. How hard could this newer dance form BE to someone with my experience, right? 

 

Wrong.

 

Ugh, I feel like such a goofball on the dancefloor. I really do. Just when I get the sequence down in my head, my feet won’t do what my brain says to do. That split-second of doubt makes all the difference. And, of course, I screw it up. ARGH! So far, I’ve been involved in anything from dancefloor fender-benders to complete and total car-crashes involving cursing, explosions, and flying body parts.

 

“So if you are having such a horrible time,” you probably ask from your psychiatrist seat, “why are you doing this to yourself?”

 

“Because!” I respond emphatically. “I’m not gonna let this beat me!” 

 

My inner sociologist (or “social voyeur” as my dearly-departed friend, Dr. Sylvia used to say), is fascinated by this popular form of entertainment. Frequently, I see lots of people, old and young, urban and rural, who all join together in one hardwood floor arena to share a common-experience. And, for the most part, this cross-section of humanity shares one commonality – an understanding of the dance steps and structure. This may not seem like a big deal at all to most, but to me it is absolutely fascinating. Different people. Different lives. Different interests. Different ages. Different backgrounds. Different experiences. Yet, for a brief moment, they are able to share a common experience. Two people who may have never met before, and may have absolutely nothing else in common may end up side-by-side, mirroring each other in a tribute to grace, eloquence, manner, air, and fun. For that 2-3 minutes, everyone sets aside their differences to allow a bit of commonly-shared amusement. And what’s more – they get it! They understand the sequence. The flow just happens, seemingly without thinking about it. 

 

I know that with time and repetition, I’ll get it. But my inner-perfectionist is still unhappy. What I WANT is to be able to just hook myself into the borg cube right now, this instant, so that I will have the steps and sequences down perfectly. But for now, I check my cheat-sheets on the 3 or 4 dances that I am semi-comfortable with, and run over them again and again in my head. 

 

Moi? Obsess much? Say it ain’t so!

 

If nothing else, I can take solace in the fact that I can somewhat fake my way through a couple of dances. And as I glance at one of the side-mirrors, I am also reminded of one little point that gives me joy - I look pretty damned cute in boots, cowboy hat, and tight jeans. 

 

“Howdy pard’ner.” I think to myself. “How YOU doin’?!”

Comments

[red-goldilocks.livejournal.com]

you just need a shot (or 3) of relaxing Giggly Juice before the practice....

[aldgytha.livejournal.com]

IMHO... It is hard to go from teacher to student. I am not as accomplished as you are and I find it hard at times to take lessons. When I took lessons there, I had no one around who knew me, and I had been away from dance for a while. I picked it up fast, because I had no distractions, and was busy keeping up. My friends got there and thought I had a clue. Seriously, I was amazed when it worked. Not a big fan of country, but half the music was not country, and it was fun, even when I messed up. Give me a call the next time you go (714-721-9456), I'll probably forget everything I learned, but it was pretty fun, and if nothing else I will give you someone to laugh with.

[joeguppy.livejournal.com]

Heck, I'm goin' tonight!