#11-- Swing, Swing, Swing

1/13/10
WEEK 1: Tonight I started my swing dance lessons! Lesson one.....rock step, triple step, triple step......remember that phrase, it needs to stick in your mind for ever, and ever and ever.

First impressions, its a big class...no partner needed. I start talking to a guy and we were partners to start the class and I think "he's OK to dance with, but not so great"....UNTIL we start changing partners and I move onto the next guy, then the next and the next and next....and the get progressively worse down the line. I'm thinking in my head.......I WANNA GO BACK TO THE ONE I STARTED WITH!!!

WEEKS 2,3,4
Inside turn, Outside turn, waist slide sequence, cuddle, tuck turn, he goes/she goes, Butterfly, Butt Roll............and a dirty old man. No that last one is not the name of a dance move, it refers to the 80 year old man in the class that really was a dirty old man! I would just keep hoping that when my time came to rotate with him that we would rotate quickly.

WEEK 5: Tonight was fun!! I actually had the best time that I have had the entire class. This is terrible to say, but the reason was that most of the bad "leaders" (aka: guys) were not there. Therefore I got to be led and actually dance rather than struggle to try to teach the guy I'm dancing with how he should be holding my hand, moving me etc.

WEEK 6: The journey has ended. Tonight was a wrap up of all that we have learned in the past 6 weeks. Surprisingly it was a very small class, but the weather was also very bad tonight. What was exhausting was the good dancers were all in a row, so I would have 3-4 really good dances then struggle for 3 dances with not good leaders.

So what did I learn in this class?
1. That I actually have a little rhythm and don't possess 2 left feet, especially if led by a good leader
2. I was proud of myself for going to the class by myself not knowing anyone and not having a partner
3. That I did not allow myself to be self conscious like I would have been in the past. I was neither self conscious about how my body was moving or self conscious about being touched or held closely by strangers, I again, lept in and went for it.

and most importantly

4. That I need to NOT lead. So often when the leader was not leading I would step in and lead. I finally got to a point where I started telling the guy that he had to lead me or I would not move (I said it politely of course). This actually helped whoever I was dancing with by forcing him to lead (or I could teach him to lead) rather than me taking over.

God was prompting me that I do this with Him in my own life as well. I try to take over when often I need to sit back and let him lead me. So that is what I need to keep reminding myself. "Susan needs to let go and does not always have to lead. Not thinking and letting the leader lead makes for a more enjoyable dance"........I have had that as a motto before "Let Go and Let God"....Now I need to complete the statement to say "Let God Lead" AND I need to let Him do it.