I love to dance. Especially the noisy dances. The dances where you stomp your feet, tap your toes, and click your heels. Tap dancing, Irish dancing, Flamenco dancing, clogging, country line dancing, you name it, I love doing it. Now, I’m not especially good at it, mind you, but it’s fun and I really enjoy participating in this type of activity.
A few years back, I joined an adult tap class at a reputable dance studio here in Vicksburg. I was a little hesitant to join because I didn’t know what level the students were at, nor did I truly know what level I was at. I have been dancing for almost 30 years in just about every kind of dance known to man, but I’m not really very good at any of them. And, I hadn’t danced at all in a couple of years, so there was a bit of trepidation when I walked through the studio doors.
Turns out, I pretty much fit right in. I was maybe a smidge better at some of the techniques than the others, but I was way behind in the routine they’d been working on for weeks. I had some catching up to do. And some refresher work to do on my terminology and foot placement. I eventually got it all worked out, learned the dance routine, and even went on to perform in the dance studio’s annual recital.
Fast forward to this year’s recital which wrapped up over Memorial Day weekend. My group of ladies started out learning our routine in 2019, in anticipation of performing at the 2020 recital. Needless to say, like so many other things in 2020, that didn’t happen, so we postponed the routine for this year’s recital. Over the ensuing months, a couple of ladies joined the group, and a couple left the group. Some opted out of performing for various reasons, including injuries, schedule conflicts, and level of difficulty of the dance. There remained 4 dedicated souls who performed in the spotlight on stage Saturday night to a sold-out house. It was fun. (Thank you Tiffany Andrews for the photos.)
While it was a good challenge for me, I got a little bored with the routine. I mean, we were working on it for almost 2 years! Now that summer is here, I’m ready to move on, learn some new tricks, practice some more difficult steps and put together some more challenging routines. Not everyone in class is ready to advance, but I’ve decided to challenge myself this dance year (typically fall through spring) and to push myself a little harder as far as my dancing goes. I’m not sure my old body will hold up, but now that I’m 4 years post-cancer, I feel like it’s time to step up my game and pursue something a bit tougher. No more excuses. Who knows, maybe at next year’s recital you’ll see me do this routine (goals right?):
What say you good folk of the blog world – do you like a good challenge? Do you force yourself to go a bit farther sometimes? Should a woman in her mid-50’s still be participating in dance recitals? (My husband says no.) Do you like to dance? Perform on stage? Watch other people dance? What advice or encouragement have you got for me? It’s totally fine if you think I’m out of my league.
Word of the Day: Pangram
Fun fact about me: Tap dancing if probably my most favorite kind of dance.
Original post by Jansen Schmidt, June 2021. Images by Tiffany Andrews, and Google, YouTube video/Anna Kendrick (Pitch Perfect) by Christopher Rice-Thomson.
Stay connected with news about my books and other fun stuff by signing up for my newsletter: http://bit.ly/JansenSchmidtNewsletter
On Common Ground is available at fine retailers everywhere: http://bit.ly/2BBu7bb
On Hallowed Ground is available at fine retailers everywhere: http://bit.ly/2KONmnf
On Solid Ground is available at fine retailers everywhere: http://bit.ly/OSGAmazonebook
jansenschmidt 
Good for you for “tapping” into your hidden talents. We took clogging lessons many years ago and truly enjoyed it. Though age has taken it’s toll I might still be able to clog a few steps to “Cotton-Eyed Joe.”
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks Al. Clogging was fun. Sort of like scaled down tap dancing. There’s no real jumping or heavy duty turns or anything like that, but fun none the less. And who doesn’t just love those clogging shoes right? Real stylish. Rather like bowling shoes, only good for one thing.
Thanks for visiting and letting me know about your “skills.” I’m sure you’d kill the Cotton-Eyed Joe.
Have a blessed week my friend.
Patricia
LikeLiked by 1 person
Patricia – great for you! Love the photos – you look fabulous. I admire your perseverance and grit. You are among four ladies who stuck it out and made it to the finish line and final performance. I am no dancer and my hat is off to you and I agree with Al about tapping into your talents. I’ve been reminded recently about growth with two quotes – “the comfort zone is a place that never grows anything” AND “what’s the difference between an obstacle and an opportunity? Our attitude toward it. Every opportunity has a difficulty and every difficulty has an opportunity.” It’s all about the growth mindset – all successful people have it. Keep at it – keep growing and learning. Stay well and keep on dancing! Peace.
LikeLike
Thanks Clay. The photos aren’t the best in the world, but they sure do show my expressiveness when on stage. I have no idea what was going through my mind in a couple of those shots, but they are what they are.
I agree wholeheartedly that the “comfort zone” is an area of non-growth for sure. Some people are totally okay living their entire life there, but not me. I want to live life to the fullest and go down fighting. No pain, no gain, as they say.
Thanks for stopping by today and sharing your thoughts. I so enjoy hearing from my friends. Have a wonderful blessed week.
Patricia
LikeLiked by 1 person
That picture of you is so cute – you’re definitely enjoying yourself! And I say as long as you’re enjoying it, age doesn’t matter – keep on doing it. I suck at dancing and loathe being on stage or being the center of attention, so avoid those at all costs. But I do like watching Dancing with the Stars!
LikeLike
I used to watch Dancing With the Stars until they got “woke.” Now, it’s just a “let’s see how shocking we can may things,” and that’s not me. I don’t want the drama or the weirdness, I want to see good dancing. I’m sort of the Len Goodman viewer. “No messing about, just come out and get right into the dance.”
Thanks for your kind words. Being on stage is fun, albeit it a bit nerve-wracking. I knew this dance pretty well (I’ve been working on it for 2 years so I should) so I was pretty comfortable. Until I missed a step then I got nervous because I realized I wasn’t paying attention. Perhaps that look was reflected in one of the photos I posted. Hmmm.
Anyway, thanks for chiming in. It’s nice to hear other peoples’ thoughts. Have a terrific week.
Patricia
LikeLike
So cool! Definitely keep dancing as long as you can, and enjoy it! Me, I suck at anything requiring physical coordination, so I stick to watching. But I’m definitely up for a challenge, getting ready to start a new day job with new programming languages – and I will probably be the oldest person on my team :). Keep on dancing!
LikeLike
Well yay you!! Good luck on the now job. You’ll be great. Keep those youngsters on their toes.
And thanks for the encouragement. I shall continue to dance until my body tells me otherwise. I just hope not too many people will laugh at me.
Thanks for stopping by. Have a wonderful rest of the week.
Patricia
LikeLike