.. Dance away the Blues!!!

“Put on your red shoes and dance the blues”... sang David Bowie. Well I don’t quite have a red shoe, and neither can I dance the blues. But I can sure put on my dancing shoes (which shows no sign of red on it), and dance away my blues.

I don’t quite have two left feet! No sireee I don’t! I am damn sure about it. And I am sure rhythm is always going to get me, and I definitely don’t dance like the drunk uncles at a weddings. I can sure hold a beat, though I am not quite sure I can dance to it!

There’s something liberating about dance. It’s no just rhythms and beats, or steps and choreography. It’s a mean to set your soul free. It’s an expression of self, of your inner feelings, a fluidity of movement, letting you express the words you cannot speak, through movement. 

It has become my happy place, where I can escape to when I feel the world is conspiring against me, when nothing seems to be going my way, when anxiety threatens to consume, when I am struggling to maintain my sanity, hen I feel broken and beaten. Dance has been my go to therapy. Helping me forget my cares, my pain, helping ride out the lows I go through, loose myself in the moment. 

And though I may have struggled to find my feet (even though I still contend that I don’t have two left ones), though I may have been intimidated by partners, struggled to pick up choreography, got in my head, let my nerves get a better of me, I can’t help my dancing feet, cause they can’t just stand still, dancing to the beats of my heart, the rhythm of the blood flowing through my veins.

Then you have friends who bring joy to you, helping you not just to dance but being there for you when you need them. Helping you find your feet when you’re little bit unsteady. Your support system that you didn’t knew you needed. Seeing them brings joy to you like a child meet his friend after a vacation.

And although you my have goofed up your certification, you yet look forward to giving the next level and in even more dance forms. And though you struggled to pick up a dance form you thoroughly enjoyed performing it. You totally immersed yourself in it, and was lucky to dance with your best partner, helping you put your best foot forward, especially in front of people who mean the world to you.

So in the end you can’t wait to see where the road leads me, where these dancing feet take you. Though I technically can’t really say that the journey has only just begun, because it has been a while I have been on this road, and boy am I learning and enjoying it, with friends who have become a dancing family. So here’s to many more memories to make, so many more dance forms to learn, so many friends to make. Here’s to dancing away the blues!

.. Ahead of the Beat

It’s good to stay ahead in the game, a step ahead of the competition, but it’s never too good, or right, to stay ahead of the beat. Boy did I learn this the hard way, as if I wasn’t already aware about it.

As I stood there awaiting my turn, I could feel the butterflies fluttering around vigorously in the pits of my stomach. Each moment making me more nervous as I patiently awaited my turn, as one after the other, students went in to perform their sequence in the chosen style. 

I had practiced all I could, learned the sequence, and was now raring to go, but I had to wait, wait till it was my turn. And as I waited I could feel those nerves work themselves up. If I practised anymore l would be one mass of sweat, knowing the way I do, I would end up having a Mandakini moment.

During the coffee break we posed for pics, clicked group pics, dance poses and goofy poses. This helped take off the edge, lightening up the moment, at least for a while. But once done the nerves were back with a bang.

And when the moment finally arrived, I made a quick sign of the cross (as I always do), took a deep breath, reminded myself that I got this, and took Minelle’s hand (who was partnering all the guys). Bowing towards the examiner, Mr Hunt, who asked me which style I would be dancing. After stating that I would be doing the cha cha and the salsa, I got into partner hold, awaiting Conrad to play the music so I knew which style to dance on.

I breathed a sigh relief when it turned out to be the cha cha, on a song I was familiar with. So I got into the cha cha hold and started on 2, trying my best to maintain my frame while trying to look poised and confident. But then I let my nerves get the better of me and I could feel myself floundering a bit. I looked at Minelle who was looking at me, counting for me, trying to keep me on beat. And when Conrad asked to restart again, I could feel my heart sink like a rock, fast and quick, to the pits of my stomach. What I feared was happening.

I regrouped  myself and got ready for a second time, willing myself to get it right this time around. Alas once again the nerves got the better of me and I found myself a step ahead of the beat, stumbling. I tried to look towards Minelle like a helpless, lost puppy, who was once again counting and trying to get me on beat, trying her best to ensure I gave it my best. But somehow my brain seemed to have frozen over and and legs didn’t move the way it should. There was no coordination between my head and my limbs. I hesitated and had couple, ok, quite bit of missteps, pausing a sec to regroup myself, hoping that this ordeal would be over soon.

I breathed a sigh relief when Conrad paused the music. One part done now on to the next one which was bit more tricky as I knew Salsa wasn’t my forte. But to my surprise, the it went smoother than the cha cha. Well not as smooth, still rough around the edges, a bit hesitant, some missteps. But on the whole a bit better, if definitely not perfect. 

I finally looked towards the examiner, Mr Hunt, bowed, who returned the bow with a warm smile, making me  wonder if it’s just a formality wala smile, or a consolatory one, or was it a genuine one? Well what else did you expect from an overthinking, bumbling fool.

As I exited the room, there was this feeling of disappointment, knowing that I could do better, knowing that I hadn’t given it my best. I thanked Minelle, picked my bag, wished the rest the very best and left in a hurry. Didn’t want to stay back any longer lest I feel all the more lousy with my performance. I left feeling a bit low, dejected and disappointed with myself, cause there was no one but myself and my nerve to blame.

That evening as I chatted with my friends, who helped me realise that I was being too hard on myself (something I was and am painfully aware about). We are all novices, not professionals, and so we are bound to make mistakes, especially when it’s the first time we are giving such an examination, brave enough to take up this challenge. But the important thing is to stay calm, and let not those mistakes bring you down. Learn from it and move on. Take everything in your stride, as an experience and learn from it. You are brave enough to undertake. So what if you were a step ahead of the beat, you’ll learn and find a way to stay on the beat.

..when your Left can’t get it Right!!!

Dancing can be fun. Learning new dance forms, and brand new sequences can be quite exciting, going a long way to increase your dance vocabulary, your dance repertoire. But too much of dancing can leave you in one mass of sweat, can leave you confused. After all too much of a good thing ain’t always a good thing. And if you are a character who can’t dance for hours at a stretch, not because you don’t have the stamina or stomach for it (if the stomach can be used here), but because you are learning, and all the learning can leave you with a cognitive overload (there I go and use ID jargons).

So as you go from one dance form to the next you struggle to pick steps, things that are not quite rocket science (or maybe it is). As if dancing to the beat/count wasn’t confusing, you end up being perplexed and lost, trying to keep up. So your right is figuring what is right and your left simply can’t get it right. So you struggle to keep up with the class, finding yourself a step behind (like finally managing to figure out last weeks sequence this week) and off beat and time, not to mention you struggle to find a rhythm and rhythm ain’t going to get you.

But you soldier on and try to keep your chin up and not let your shoulder sag. Conversely your confidence continues to take a beating when you struggle to get it right. So you look exasperated at your partner, ending up apologising for your inability to lead her correctly, and muddling up your leads or even stamping her poor foot or banging into the next dancer. She’ll either try to calm you down and help you get it right, or she may just go and lead herself (instead you leading her), thus causing your poor confidence to take a beating.

So you end up looking like a poor lost puppy trying to make sense, like a deer caught in the headlight, who’s brains has turned to mulch, has frozen. Your hands and legs don’t seem to coordinate, move in the way they ought to. So you end being intimidated by every partner, especially if she’s a stunner who has mastered the steps that you’re struggling to figure out (forget learning).

But then you have to take a deep breath, calm yourself down. Remember the very reason you took up the challenge. Relax, you don’t have two left feet, literally and figuratively. You may take time to learn, but learn you will. You have your friends and partners to help you with it, and when in doubt ask for help, cause help will be given to those who need it the most (damn I can use this Harry Potter line in any situation) and of course the instructors are more than happy to help. So fikaar not and remember this is meant to let you unwind and relax and learn something new. It may take you time, you may seem exasperated, flustered, but you will eventually get it. So don’t you worry too much. And should you forget what you have learned before, you will figure it, that’s what revisions are for.

So in end, even if your left can’t get it right, you’ll learn, eventually. So relax and enjoy the process, cause in the end all will be well. And hey dancing is well and truly fun.

There’s Something About the Waltz

There’s something beautiful of the waltz. The rise and fall, the elegance of it all. The fluidity of the movement, makes it all seem like you’re floating on air,  as you twirl around the room, making the most of the whole floor. And you maintain the hold, maintain the frame, making it look elegant and classy, a step above all the gyrating and pelvic thrusting of other dance forms.

There’s something magical about the waltz when done right, makes it all seem so effortless, so elegant, so beautiful, liking gliding on air. There’s something dreamy about it, maybe that’s what makes it all seem so magical.

The music is lilting and melodious. There’s no thumping, or heavy bass. It’s pure rise and fall, soothing to the ears and mind. Captures your spirit and carries you with it. It envelopes you in it and you can’t help yourself but be carried away with it, to let the music move you, run through and rise and fall till reach a crescendo.

Theres something about the waltz that it’s no longer about moving back and forth and side to side. Its all about drifting with the music. It’s not all high energy and quick movements, but movement that’s graceful, that’s elegant, that’s classic, and most of all breathtaking.

There’s something about the waltz that made me fall in love with it, that’s makes me move to the music, leaving all the cares and worries and pains and stress behind and let music and the dance carry me away. There’s something about the waltz.