I Feel Like Dancin'

I enter the dance studio with my clogging in hand, taps jingling. I feel a little silly coming here. This is a place usually filled with girls from about three years to about 15. It is clear that I am not a part of that grouping. Though I have spent many years inside my share of dance studios, it was always as a spectator. I enjoyed the many hours watching and encouraging my own daughters as they worked to learn the various tap, ballet and clogging routines. Secretly, I always wished I had been able to participate. This is something that was not a part of my childhood.

So here I am. A little nervous, afraid of looking stupid, and feeling a little self-conscious. I look around at the other adults who have decided to take the clogging class as well. I size them up. Most of them are at least 20 years younger and at least that many pounds lighter. Some of them I recognize but cannot place a name with the face. Strangers! Then I see a face I know. A friend. Merrie! Finally, someone I can relate to. Someone in my age group! She shows no signs of fear and so I find courage, and gather my resolve to do this. I put on my white clogging shoes and find a place beside Merrie. We begin learning the basic steps and it all seems fairly simple. As the music begins, we hear the sounds of "Don't Tell Me" by Madonna coming through the speakers. Suddenly it seems that the music is too fast and I don't think that it is possible to do these dance steps at that rate of speed. As it turns out I was right.

However, about seven weeks have passed since I began this new adventure. Some of the younger students have excelled and others have dropped out. I am somewhere in between the two. We have learned all the steps in the routine and continue to get better each week. The music doesn't seem as fast but the routine seems to get longer as we approach the end of the class. I continually find myself trying to keep straight in my mind the difference between a "Double" and a "Fancy Double", the "Donkey" and the "Outhouse", and the "Rocking Horse" and the "Karate kick". When the class ends there is excitement that we made it through the entire routine. It feels good.

At the end of the class we watch the young dancers begin to leave and Merrie and I head to the back of the studio. We laugh at how much fun it is, talk about our accomplishment and then take a minute to rest!