So we had our first lesson this Wednesday, running through some basic steps of the Charleston and Paso Doble. I think its fair to say I am favouring the Charleston so far – my Zumba classes actually seem to come in handy! Zumba is what I cite as my “dance experience” along with alcholol-fuelled high-heeled staggering in nightclubs with sticky floors (you do not want to take off your shoes here!)
I am immensely grateful that for once I listened to the instinct of the limitations of my body and bought the sensible block heel (it is still pretty thankfully) than opting for the sexiest shoe I’ll most likely deploy as an ornament, after realising I cannot make it past the shop door with the beauties strapped to my double-jointed ankles (and I’m with a Frenchman! C’est terrible!) The shoes are just right for the dance, which means now I cannot blame them…Perhaps I should have gone for the ornamental ones…
The Paso Doble is trickier and this is where my spatial left-right awareness, or lack of, becomes apparent. Its OK when I’m moving in a forward direction, but my manouvers in reverse need working on. This is a general statement. I failed my driving test (well only 45% of people pass first time!) on Friday for my lack of coordination; (I actually failed within 30 seconds of starting when I nearly hit a vacant 4×4 squeezed into a tight parking spot next to me) namely in being unable to complete a 3 point turn. What did I do? Reversed back to the same spot on the same side of the road I started in, watched in amusement by an elderly lady. I did this twice. And then banged my head on the window whilst making a show that I was LOOKING around me. The examiner then told me to move on, which I was more than happy to do, knowing that I’d already failed within those infamous first 30 seconds anyway.
I couldn’t even understand at first how I’d gone the wrong way – after deliberately steering the way I was looking. Turns out I was looking the wrong way.
Is driving like dancing? I therefore ask myself, as I entangle foots with Elie; arms twisted unnaturally. We shall see. It’s certainly cheaper. Whilst I have no automatic car to practise on, I shall have to practise what I’ll call “air driving” (air guitar?) to try and master 3 point turns, parallel parking and reversing around a corner. I imagine I will look slightly less silly practising the dance steps.
Amateur Dramatic Diaries 