Setting the Foundation

As it turns out, I didn’t get my little dance break but it turned out to be a good thing. Got a call from PJ early in the day because one of her lessons had just cancelled and she had an opening.

And we spent the entire lesson learning the Bolero routine we are planning for the next Showcase. Well, we will certainly end up doing it more than once but the debut is in September. The first time you look at what someone else wants you to do, it can be a bit overwhelming. Or a lot overwhelming. But we broke it into pieces and worked on the pieces and sanded off the rough edges and then finished the lesson by running the whole thing to music a few times.

Now, it is far from a finished product. There is more dramatic flair needed in places and other things I’ll need to do to improve the look and to polish it up a bit. Right now, it is like a house where only the frame has been completed. You get a rough idea of the final product but you know there is still more work to be done. But you want the frame and foundation to be strong because, if they aren’t, it doesn’t really matter how much you dress it up.

And I probably do need to take a step back and realize we went from having it half completed to doing a full run through with music in one lesson. Granted, there weren’t a lot of new steps in there so it was more a matter of just locking in the order but it is still an accomplishment worth noting.

I’ve probably said this before but I love Bolero. OK, I like most of the dances so why should this be different. Really it just the way it moves with the long sweeping slows and how it feels more glidy than a lot of other dances. Yes, capturing the drama and/or romantic nature of it is a challenge to my Victorian side. It isn’t that I’m anti-romantic. I just don’t let that part of me out in public very often.

While I love Bolero, my body takes issue with me doing it. Ideally, the slows require lowering into the knee and then staying down before rising near the end of the slow. Yeah, the arthritis in my knees isn’t going to allow that to happen. I know they tell me I don’t have to go that low but it is a challenge to keep my weight on a bent knee. They just don’t like it.

And whatever I was doing yesterday, my ankles didn’t approve of. I’ve got kind of weak ankles to being with. Yeah, with arthritic knees and weak ankles, the odds are stacked a bit against me. Plus I’m feeling it on the outside of my legs. Have no idea why. I think ballroom dance uses so many different muscles that it will find your weak spots. Doesn’t take away from what we did yesterday but all victories come with a cost.

I had an opportunity to go in tonight as well. Decided to turn it down for two reasons. First, yesterday went so well that it seemed better to leave on a high note. Secondly, I was mentally prepared for a break so it was time to let that happen. Still want to take notes on the routine but now I know it is possible and that’s a very good start.