two left feet
I’ve always had two left feet. I started attending this dance class
called body jam (in the gym) because I wanted to improve my footwork
and coordination for football (yes I’m starting to realize just how
much football affects my decisions…but somehow I get so caught up in
the challenges these new activities pose that I end up forgetting it
was football that got me into them in the first place!)
The class became such a challenge. I wanted to know I could do it
(leave the grace out of it, I just wanted to know there was a chance
that I could participate and not make a complete and total fool of
myself). It was my chance to face my fears and work on what I know I
suck at. Since Body Jam involves choreography that is repeated over a
span of four weeks or so… you have time to get the hang of the
moves… so it kinda feels like you’re a work in progress. It’s quite
comforting, actually.
The funny thing is, I have more fun on the gym dance floor than the
club dance floor - perhaps it’s because dancing in the club is supposed
to be a fun way of expressing yourself (and since I don’t really know
the ‘moves’ I’d rather stick to something choreographed haha).
Okay so dancing has always been my waterloo (just like math - but at
least being bad at math had no effect on my ‘femininity’) and although
I’d always be asked to sing at school assemblies in the past, I
wondered what it would feel like to be invited to dance for a change. I
dunno if I should have wished for that…
Tita Lorna recently asked some people (including me) to to help out
with her campaign by dancing. She asked well-known, well-loved jam
instructors to help her out. And then there’s me who’s none of the
above (I do balance, not jam, and gosh I think I stick out like a sore
thumb).
We practiced one track with different blocking and aside from having to
reverse what I know (instructors lead with the left foot, whereas
participants start with the right)… I realized not only did I still
suck bigtime… I’m still not feminine. Oh boy.
The number opens with all the girls (Macel, Joella and me) walking,
pivoting and making pa-cute. Joella and Macel are VERY graceful and
they know how to strut their stuff. I, on the other hand, do not. Even
Jeff (who teaches combat aside from Jam) is more graceful than I will
ever be. And his grace is macho. I’m just..well…macho-stiff. Heck,
I’d settle for graceful macho, sure why not?
Mental note 1: knowing the moves won’t make you graceful. knowing the
moves just assures you of not bumping into the person next to
you…provided they know what they’re doing, too.
Mental note 2: ah… now I remember why I love football… it doesn’t
matter that I’m not feminine, and bumping into others is good if you
can make them fly! (which I used to do very well…hehe.)
Sir Arnold was trying to help me by giving me tips to guide my movement… "Feel like you’re walking with heels…"
Mental note 3: look for heels and start wearing them again (I remember
Raven and Kenn staring at my slippers, saying, "THAT’s what you wore to
work?!")
Mental note 4: Thank goodness everyone’s patient and nice.
Mental note 5: Perhaps I’ve been wired for male roles! Hahaha. Back in
the all-girls-school-days, in ballroom dancing class, I’d always be
assigned the boy parts… I was *never* the girl…
Jace demonstrated what I was doing… meeehn. I’m like… one notch
down from Ian’s macho dancing daw. At least Ian’s a boy!!! I have a
LOT of work to do. Lord help *me*.
Oh wait. Jace said he’d help me out with the being graceful bit…
Lord help *him*
Hahaha.
