A Dance Lesson from my Bucket List

Photo courtesy Google Images

So you all know I love to dance. Right? What? You don’t know that. Okay, so maybe you’re new to my blog and you haven’t discovered my theatrical talents yet, but rest assured, I love to dance.

Now loving to dance doesn’t necessarily mean that I’m good at it mind you. Oh, I try, God help me, I try. But because I’m a late bloomer, which Debra Eve is all too familiar with, I didn’t learn to dance as a very small child, like the really good dancers do. No, I started dancing in my mid-twenties. And here’s why:

I auditioned for Nunsense, a five-woman show about – well, you guessed it – nuns. It’s a very funny comedy with five very distinct personalities. There were almost a hundred women at the auditions – for five roles! We all sang and then they made a cut to 25. I made the cut! So, I can sing a little bit.

Then we did some cold reading from the script and they narrowed it down to 9. I made the cut! So, I can act a little bit.

Photo courtesy Google Images

Then came the dance portion of the audition. Let’s face it, some things you just can’t fake. Oh, sure if you’re in a crowded bar and there’s a line dance going on you can probably stumble your way through, but when there’s only nine women lined up in a single line, someone who can’t dance is going to stand out like a carnival barker at a mime show. That would be me. I was the carnival barker.I didn’t get a role because I couldn’t dance.

But, did I let that stop me? No sirree. I signed up for every form of dance I could work into my schedule, from tap to ballet to clogging to Polynesian to ballroom to jazz to hip hop. I signed up for them all. There was no way in hell I was going to get passed up for a role ever again because I couldn’t dance.

And so began my twenty years of dance lessons. Some forms were easier to master than others and some were more fun. Because I’m not overly limber, ballet, jazz and hip hop didn’t suit me all that well, although I did continue with ballet because it’s great for posture, balance and just overall discipline. What suited me were the foot stomping forms of dance. So I stuck with those. For awhile. Eventually dance lessons take their toll on your body and your pocketbook. But I do still participate weekly in a local tap class and we even occasionally perform.

The form of dance I loved best was Irish. Irish dancing as an adult is not common, and by adult I mean a woman over thirty. It’s very hard to find a school and even harder to find an adult beginner class. I did study this form of dance for a couple of years, but never competed, which is what Irish dancing is all about. I was rather good at it, because in some ways it’s like tap dancing.

You too can be an Irish dancer. Just follow the simple instructions in this video and in no time flat you’ll be doing the Riverdance routine around your house. Really. Just follow these three simple steps:

Remember, practice makes perfect so practice that every day. I’ll even let you borrow my shoes because the steps sound so much cooler with the proper footwear.

Which leads me to my next point about dancing. Number one item on my bucket list is to dance with Derek Hough on Dancing With the Stars. I’m sure if they pair me with him, I’ll win. Sure he’s young enough to be my son and all, but he’s a really good teacher. I know we’ll win that mirror ball. Of course your votes will help clinch the deal, so when that season roles around, I’ll expect support from ya’ll.

Derek’s expression when he finds out I’m his partner. Photo courtesy Google Images

How about you? What’s on your bucket list? Do you like to dance or wish you could dance? Are you going to try the three easy steps in the video?

And, just so’s ya’ll know, I did eventually audition for Nunsense again, at a different theater and I was cast as Sister Amnesia. It was a hoot and my tap dancing skills were put to good use. I also performed the same role in Nunsense II and again utilized my tap dancing skills. No more rejections for this triple threat.

Word of the day: Inexpugnable

Fun fact about me: In eighth grade it wasn’t uncommon for me to sink 9 out of 10 baskets from the free throw line.

Original post by Jansen Schmidt, August 2013. Photos courtesy Google Images. Video courtesy of YouTube (Howcast).