Get into the Groove!

My sister came to visit recently -- we hadn't seen each other for about five years -- and upon being asked what I was like when we were younger by my new beau, she immediately said, "Oh, she is far more outgoing than me, she was always on stage when we were at school." Wow. I didn't realise that. She was right: all through school I was either in a play or part of a dance troupe. There wasn't a single year that I didn't perform in something or other. I haven't been on stage since... well, since I left university. I had appeared in front of the camera a few times since then, and been behind a mike, but all that happened before I was 25.

 About a month ago, I decided to join a dance class at 4th Dimension Dance:

"4-D Adults -- learn a routine in 6 weeks! There's a performance at the end but that's optional."

It was intended to be my weekly dose of exercise because I was getting none. I had tried Jazzercise®, Zumba®, Bollywood workouts, BarreConcept® (loved it, but it destroyed me!) maracas fitness (hilarious!) and various aerobics classes, but they were all just a little too exercisey. Maybe it was the repetition. Maybe it was too rigid. Maybe it was all too serious (well, apart from the maracas). In one case, I actually got bored about 30 minutes in. Whatever it was, they didn't really inspire me to do more than one or two classes.

So, 4-D Adults. I turned up about 10 minutes early, with Little Monster in tow. It all seemed normal -- there was a kids class going on and several ladies of about my age and older were milling around outside. I said to Little Monster, See? There are people here with kids too. 

Ahem. Turns out that they were the parents of the kids inside. They all vanished when class ended. Intrigued, I went in, expecting to see people like me.

O.M.F.G.

I had completely forgotten that adults include those who are not quite 21 yet.

Nary a lid was batted, for which I was grateful. I stowed Little Monster away with her Pipity Bag* and just joined in. I was warmly welcomed, so the shock wore off quickly.

The choreographer/lead dancer, Sara Ford, is the personification of bouncy energy. You cannot help but be infected by her sheer joyousness. The woman radiates delight: she is sunshine in a t-shirt and leggings, tripping the light fantastic as if the floor were part-trampoline.

The other dancers were spritely young things, all supple grace and slick co-ordination. They learned so bloody fast too! Whereas my brain was in a constant state of whaaaa? and my body protested at the weird moves I was trying to make it do.

Damn, I had a good time! Best 45 minutes of flinging myself around a dance floor in ages!

I didn't miss a class after that, and tomorrow, I shall be dancing with a small band of merry young women in front of the denizens of Ely at the annual Christmas Lights Switch On shindig.

Not bad for a 40-something desk-jockey.

My stage outfit

*More about that little gem in a later post.