Number 28 Learn Ballroom dancing

Date: Ongoing

When you have cancer, there is nothing you want more than having your "normal" life back. Sadly, that never happens. The counselors explain to you that after cancer, you have to find a "new normal." It's more than rebuilding your old life; it's building a life. One of the things I like best about my New Normal is that, in this life, I get to dance!

I wasn't sure I was physically strong enough to take this on yet but I had been given the okay to take on a little more and then spotted an advertisement on Craig's List for a ballroom dance partner. Opportunity was knocking!

Okay, other List-pals, meet Rob.

His dance partner was moving to another town and he needed a new one so I answered the ad. Rob is not an ax murderer. I was concerned about this because it was just after the Craig's List murders so I asked him and he assured me that he was not an ax murderer and I'm sure he was just kidding when he said he preferred knives, right, Rob?...Rob? Unlike the rest of you on the list, Rob didn't volunteer because he didn't even know about the list. It didn't seem fair to be using someone for #28 when they didn't even know there was a #28 so I told him and he was nice enough to agree.

So, I have learned two dances so far, the rumba and the cha-cha. I am miserably bad at both but Rob has been very patient and I'm sure I will improve with time. I understand we are learning the waltz this week. That's my favorite dance and plays heavily into my fantasy about being an international woman of mystery (What??It could happen!) I was also inspired last time by a very intriguing dance that was demonstrated for us - the Argentine Tango! Um...wow. I needed a cold shower just from watching this dance. Good Catholic children are taught, when dancing with a partner to leave enough room for the Holy Spirit between them. I think learning this dance will require some serious squishing of the Holy Spirit! Seriously this is a hot dance! When you add a backless dress with a slit in it and all the very interesting undergarments that must go with it...I cant wait!!
Okay, okay, you have to walk before you can run...for now, the waltz. In order complete this item on my list, I want to learn these dances from International Style Ballroom Dancing (remember...International Woman of Mystery...not Domestic Woman of Mystery):

Slow Waltz
Tango
Viennese Waltz
Slow Foxtrot
Quickstep
Cha-Cha
Samba
Rhumba
Paso Doble
Jive

Stayed tuned...more to come


UPDATE June 17, 2009

I LOVE the waltz!!!! I want to waltz everywhere I go! I love the waltz so much that I bought it new shoes. Okay, I am also finding myself a little too short and having to dance on tiptoes so I hit a BOGO sale a Fioni's and got these for practice (and some really cute sandals too!) . I will try them out at the tango lesson this week.

Here we are practicing the waltz last week.

UPDATE: In July, in addition to the ballroom classes, Rob and I started taking weekly Argentine Tango lessons. We are becoming quite proficient at this and are about to attend our first milonga. Here we are at a recent tango practice

December 5, 2009 The Milonga!!! We made our first trip out of the safety of the pink walls of the dance studio to go to a milonga at Carlito's in Savannah. Wasn't quite sure what to wear so I looked at pictures of other milonga's on the internet and threw this dress together.







Here's a before and after of the dress I put together for milonga. I'm not really into the big flower thing but I saw that most of the dresses with the big slits had one so I went with it.




Here's the dress in action:

Can't wait for the next one!!

UPDATE: Rob and I continued to take lesson for almost two years and then figured we knew enough to get by. We had another project in the works together and decided to devote the dance time to that. Watch for details on this blog...