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I think I mentioned in the last post that I had signed up for coaching lessons with both of the judges from Showcase. OK, technically, there were four judges but this was the couple that did the pro show and was going to be in the studio.
Lesson 1 was last night. We ended up deciding to start with Waltz because I was asked about a dance that maybe had fallen out of favor and I instantly went to Waltz. One thing that I’ve said before is that every partner feels different and, having changed instructors so many times, I can tell you that certain dances seem to click with certain partners while others don’t. Right now, Waltz was one of those.
Of course, we did a solid run the first time which probably made it seem like I was crazy but she did pick up on several things that could be better. I also forgot to mention that she recognized me from a previous Showcase. I didn’t remember her though so I don’t know which Showcase it was. Anyway, that’s just a random thing that doesn’t really have anything to do with the lesson.
The big thing was for me to drive more when I’m moving backwards since I was kind of cutting PJ off and it slowed down whatever momentum we had built up. And the dance flows best when you use the momentum. It is your friend. Who knew there was so much physics in ballroom?
But it was another one of those things where a small change in mindset made a big difference in how the dance moved and felt. We certainly covered more ground. I know I’m not really describing this well because its a big deal. When you think you’ve hit a plateau and that next level up looks beyond your reach and someone shows you that you were capable all along. I just can’t find the words to express how it feels to get a glimpse of where you can go and perhaps know that you can actually get there.
Then, she decided we needed to work on a couple of places to create better lines. This involved much more stretching through the sides to extend one side and contract the other. And, even though I’ve done a lot of work on the obliques, I was feeling it. She was happy with what we did but left saying that she knew I had more in me.
Which was kind of the message of the whole lesson. That maybe I was playing things too safe and that is what was holding me back. Like I had convinced myself that I was doing all I could and in just a few minutes, I was shown that there is so much more I could do. Which just obliterates all the little thoughts I had about making Showcase a kind of ending. I’m not quite done yet.
Funny, you sign up for a dance lesson and you get a life lesson as well.
Facing Diagonal Wall 