Dance Class

As a little girl and a teenager i took danceclasses. Several days a week i put on a leotard, pulled my hair back and walked up the steps to the dance studio. I took jazz ballet, Ballet and tap dance classes. It was pretty serious business. I started in the beginners class, then moved to the advanced class. My ambition was to be in the Adult dance company. But that never really happened. I was never really good enough for it. And in retrospect....that wasnt really where my passion was (although at the time i did think that).


I continued dancing, chasing after one of the coveted spots on in the Adult dance company. I never really got that spot. But i excelled in Tap dancing. Though the class consisted of very little people. (read 4 max), i enjoyed it. I even advanced to high-heeled tap shoes. A pinnacle moment in tap dance. I had moved up to the elite of the tap class. Nevermind that i was the only one. I was proud of my high-heels.

Somewhere around my 16th birthday i got into a car accident. The accident left me with a broken collarbone, broken jaw and several vertabre's in my spine that were moved out of place. I stopped dancing for about a year. When i finally returned to the studio, my passion for dancing had dimished dramatically. I only took tap dancing classes. The high-heels had to sit on the side lines for a while untill my back was ready to handle that kind of pressure again. I performed once more when i was 18 and then hung up my dancing shoes for good. (or so i had thought)

Fast forward to 14 years later........last night to be exact.....and i found myself in dance class again. In november i auditioned for a role in a musical. I was casted as one of the 8 lead actors in the musical. Being that it is a musical the cast has to take voice lessons AND dance lessons. During the casting meeting i got my dance schedule and was instructed to take atleast 2 classes per week. Classes range from jazz-ballet and modern dance to classical ballet. And yes.....the dances would take place at the very same studio i took danceclasses year ago. Even one of the instructers and the director from way back when were still present at the studio.

Walking into the studio with my 'dance' clothing on was a very surreal feeling. I mean, i had been there before to watch a few friends or for whatever other reason.......but now i was actually going to take class. I didnt know if i would be able to keep up with the classes. Afterall it had been 14 years. But nevertheless i was going to give this a shot.

And so the class starts....Mondern Dance was on the agenda. The dance instructor was one of those i had taken class from way back when. She welcomed me warmly and told me to not worry about not being able to follow all the steps....it would come to me in time. (uh huh....sure lady....i havent danced in so long. i am not sure the body will want to cooperate at all). So there we started ....with stretching excersizes. Good Lord, i hadnt realized i was so stiff untill i actually started stretching. The body parts collectively started filing a protest again this 'unnatural' activity. The lungs were threathening to go on strike....and i was sweating profusely. Not to mention that i was getting confused by all the movements that we had to do.

As i was struggling with my limbs and the movements, i looked around at the people in the class. Some were people i had started dance class with all those years before. Others were people that took these classes to stay to relax. And some were former proffesional dancers who wanted to keep the flame alive. This was great!....I had been worried that i would be in a class of teen over-achievers, who wanted to impress the dance lady. Instead i was in a class with people who really came to enjoy them selves and learn something new. In that instant, when i realized what was going on around me.....i relaxed. I decided to have fun with this. No pressure, no impressing the teacher, no trying to up stage the dancer next to me. Nope, just plain old enjoyment of getting my body back in movement after so long. Ok......so nevermind that i couldnt bend all the way to the floor, that i couldnt put my forhead on the floor in front of me, that my leg didnt go any higher then a 15 degree angle.........I was having fun. I had let go of all the pressures of dance class from years ago. And more importantly i had realized that i was dancing for myself and doing the best of MY abilities. Ohhhh the joys of wisdom at this age. I soooo love my 30's. Its so much more fun enjoying yourself without the pressure.

I continued on with Ballet class that nite. I stretched and plied, and releve'd and jete'd for an hour. Thouroughly enjoying the class. Ofcourse there was some discomfort...ok, ok....there was pain.....BUT.....i was having fun!!!. I am actually enjoying the sore muscles today, because i know it came from something i like to do.

Onward to another dance class next week.......!!!!