BALLROOM DANCING

BALLROOM DANCING

Mrs. Cranky likes to dance.  Specifically she likes to ballroom dance.  There are six or more different ballroom dances done in either American or International style.  There are smooth, Latin and rythm varieties.  Mrs. Cranky knows them all.  She is pretty good at them.

Mrs. Cranky wants me to learn ballroom dancing.  It is on my bucket list; right after walking barefoot on hot coals and eating glass.  It does come before swimming in a filet mignon speedo with piranhas. 

I won’t learn to dance but I do attend the showcases.  A showcase is where students dance with their instructor in front of their contemporaries.  It is kind of like kid’s dance or piano recitals.  It requires much practice and effort to prepare a 90 second performance.  This Sunday was such a showcase.

Ballroom dancers are serious.  Before the “acts” they practice with and without partners on the dance floor which I call the land of perfect posture.  Ballroom dancers have perfect posture.  They pay attention to every detail from toe pointing, arm extension, head position and knee flexing to butt wiggling.  Costumes are elaborate, and all the women from young to old; large to petite are H-O double T HOTT!!  The men are…hmmm….never noticed.

I know that Mrs. Cranky knows her stuff, because when we watch “Dancing with the Stars” she grades the same and has similar comments as Len the cranky old judge.

Ballroom dancing is an expensive hobby.  Mrs. Cranky works at her studio   http://www.paragonballroom.com/ three day a week in exchange for lessons.  Her instructor is a three time National Champion who has performed on “Dancing with the Stars.”

                                                                                       

Mrs. C’s instructor Andrei Gavraline and wife Elena

Ballroom dancers don’t dance as much as they seem to glide across the floor.  Their waltz seems like a carnival tilt-a-whirl on the dance floor. 

Don’t tell anyone, especially Mrs. Cranky, but I do enjoy watching.

Mrs. Cranky performed the quick step at the showcase.  The theme was from the 1920’s and Mrs. C was a flapper, feather in the head band and all.  She claims she made a lot of stepping mistakes.  I did not see any mistakes. 

I do think she made a HOTT flapper!