Getting a workout

We didn't meet May 31 for the Intro to Smooth class because of Memorial Day, but that worked out great for me. My family was in town from all over the east coast for my parents' surprise 25th anniversary party/vow renewal ceremony. I thought I was pretty smooth because I managed to orchestrate a really nice event right under their noses. (I'm usually terrible at keeping secrets, especially from my mom.)

I was pretty eager to get back on the dance floor by June 3 for another private lesson. I was anticipating my family vacation to Disney World the following week, but I knew I was going to miss a lot during the fifth class of the six-week course.

Oh boy, was I right! We covered a lot of ground in an hour.

To start, David reviewed rise and fall for Waltz. The technique really makes the dance look graceful.

Then we moved onto Fox Trot. There's a bouncy rise and fall to it. Since Fox Trot is a three-beat dance, we broke down the beats by even and odd, including two measures (so, we counted up to six).

Beats 1, 3, and 5: knees straight, shift in weight, feet apart. Beats 2 and 4: knees bent, no shift in weight, feet together. Beat 6 is a little different because you do shift your weight to prepare for the next move.

It took me a while, but I got the hang of it. And it definitely helps to practice it; I definitely am a kinesthetic learner.

By the time we moved onto Viennese Waltz, I was feeling good. That mood didn't last long.

I don't know how celebrities on Dancing with the Stars can master this in a week. I think I would need years to really understand the basic steps. Although...I can do a mean hesitation to start off the dance.

After I had all I could stand of the Viennese Waltz, which was about 10 whole minutes, we tried another regular Waltz to see just how much goes into the technique. Between the rise and fall, keeping myself standing up straight, and engaging my core, I was exhausted after one dance. Just a few minutes a day doing a proper Waltz, and I'm convinced we could cut down obesity in this country significantly.

And we weren't even finished with the lesson yet.

We had finished all of the lesson plan for the upcoming Intro to Smooth class that I would miss, so David moved onto another dance that I was pretty excited to learn - Samba.

The professionals make this look effortless. Trust me, it takes a lot of effort. It's very different from the other dances because there's a 16 count. "1e and a 2e and a 3e and a 4e." That would take some getting used to for sure. The basic back and forward weren't bad, but I felt like I was hopping around - not quite what I envisioned for this dance. We moved onto the box and David said that moving to the side in the box is a small step. So really, it's a rectangle instead of a square.

I was so excited for vacation when I left my lesson. I just kept wondering how many stares I would get in Florida if I tried practicing my rise and fall while waiting for the monorail. Or practicing my Samba moves while in line to ride Space Mountain.

Do do do do do do do do...Do the Hustle

Ah...the sounds of the 1970s. Just thinking about my private lesson May 27 still gets me moving my shoulders and humming Van McCoy's famous tune. You know what I'm talking about - the hustle.

The dance made me so dizzy. Find a spot on the wall and stick with it until you face the opposite wall and then find a spot on that wall. Now switch. Switch again. And again. The basic footwork to this dance is pretty easy. It's keeping coordination while spinning around for three minutes that really gets you.

Thank goodness this wasn't the only dance we worked on during the hour.

We started off the lesson reviewing Tango style and sharpness. I needed a lot of work on my following skills, but I still couldn't help myself; I'm pretty sure the fact that I couldn't stop laughing was one of the many reasons why I had such a difficult time. Well, that and an instinctive fear that my toes were in very real danger of being stepped on.

We reviewed the five points of contact - something that I still have to remind myself of nearly a year later. And then it was time for some serious fun.

I love dancing West Coast Swing. It's really laid back and still decidedly ballroom dance. David taught me to follow the wall; the lead switches back and forth between push and pull connection. Plus, the music usually is a lot of fun.

Still, the only music that keeps running through my head at the moment was released nine years before I was born and creates images in my head of John Travolta's funny strut in Saturday Night Fever. Do do do do do do do do...Do the Hustle.

Accountability

Tonight I met up with a couple of friends to set up Bible study in the weeks ahead. We discussed keeping each other accountable for staying in the word each day. It hit me that deadlines and accountability partners are what drives my life.

So, I have a favor to ask. I have been terrible about keeping my blog updated and I am backed up A LOT on all of the notes and amazing dance stories that I want to share here. I need a little help from my fellow dance lovers. Please keep me accountable. Email me (kgriffith645@gmail.com) or comment here to find out when the next blog post will be up. My goal is to start uploading at least one post each day.

And with the new season of Dancing with the Stars just starting, this is as good a time as any to get moving.

Here's hoping.

New job, new home for the blog

As 2010 came to a close, Grace Ballroom's owner, David Geiger, asked me to take on a new challenge - coming on board as the newest member of the studio's staff. I now have a job as the director of sales and marketing for Grace Ballroom.

I still am the editor of the Garner News as well and plan to continue chronicling my way through dance lessons and the journey of taking part in the showcase. But, I felt like the blog needed a new home.

So, here we are. I really am excited; this should give readers an easy way to respond to posts, share advice, and send links to friends.

To read the original blog posts, visit Finding Grace.


Get ready. There's lots of fun in store.