A one and a two and a three and a four. . . .

Sweet Baby Jesus!!  Deborah and I almost had to call for a stretcher at the end of belly dancing class this week.  We were just fine and dandy last week learning our shimmies and twists and even walking around the room while shimmying and twisting – sore as hell afterwards – but altogether fine and dandy.  However, this week, we actually started learning the steps to the dance.  I mean “a one and a two and a three and a four” type learning.  Have I mentioned that my brain doesn’t process choreography very well?   I find choreograph akin to following driving directions.  I will inevitably turn left when I should be turning right.  Some people can go somewhere once and know how to get there for all times.  Not me.   For some reason, the part of the brain that allows a person to have good direction is just missing in me – or at least significantly diminished.  The same thing happens when I am asked to follow steps to a dance.  I WILL eventually learn the dance, but it will look like a hot mess until I have done it like a thousand times.  Don’t misunderstand - I’ve got rhythm – yes I’ve got rhythm, but when it comes to learning choreography and I’m asked to “take it from the top” – I tend to hit rock bottom.  I am slightly worried that I will not actually learn the dance since there are only three more classes.  I’m not sure that’s enough time for my “Oh, now I’ve got it” to kick in.  Yeah, I can practice on my own (probably won’t) but I am kind of a visual learner.  I like to have the teacher in front of me doing the dance so I can follow along.  Anyway, we do a twisty thing in the dance where we spin around in a circle over and over that basically rubs the meat off the bottoms of our feet.  We were given the option of buying special shoes (sort of like ballet slippers), but we didn’t.  Our feet are not speaking to us right now.  At one point (in the middle of the dance) I got a sequin stuck in the bottom of my foot which had fallen off of someone's jingly bell sash.  Let me just say – OW!!  We are rethinking our foot coverage for next class. 

We ran through the dance “from the top” about 50 gazillion times (that might be an exaggeration, but it really felt like there would be no end to our torment).  All the while the teacher said to us “don’t forget to smile” and “this is supposed to look sexy.”  Let’s not kid ourselves here sister – at no point am I going to look sexy doing this – so for now, I’d like to focus on (a) not turning left when I am supposed to turn right, (b) not sticking my fingers in the sweaty armpits of the girl dancing next to me as I am trying to hold my arms out straight in belly dancing pose whilst spinning in a circle and (c) avoiding sequin induced foot injuries.  Once I have the aforementioned under control, I might remember to smile and try to look sexy.  I make no promises that I will ever perfect “the sexy belly dance.”   We are having loads of fun though – that’s what matters.

To back up just a little, I did have one more satisfying fitness moment since last we spoke.  Mel and I walked to Java Jive for breakfast Sunday morning.  Java Jive is not very far from my condo, but we were proud of ourselves for actually saying “let’s doing it” and actually - well - doing it.  Usually we say “let’s walk” but we ultimately end up in the car because “it’s probably going to rain” or “it’s just too hot” or we are “not wearing the right shoes” – whatever the excuse may be.   However, we were careful not to walk through “bum village” along Freedom Parkway.  We made that mistake once before – and we won’t do it again.  We felt good working for our calories.  We even took a longer route home. 

I made mention in a facebook post that I might stop doing the blog.  I just don’t know if it is really working the way I wanted it to work.  I always enjoy writing and telling stories, but the theory behind the blog was that it would hopefully motivate me to become more active.  Stacey and Deborah both said “don’t stop” so for now I will keep at it.  I would probably not have signed up for belly dancing if not for the blog, so I guess it really is working – just very slowly.