Embarrassing Moments in Dance

[Paisley]

...that I now laugh about. I'm planning to post one of these per day for who knows how long.

I'd been taking lindy lessons for about a month, and I'd e-mailed my teacher a few times and introduced myself. The next time I danced with him in class, he said, "Hi, how's it going?" There was no way I could lindy and talk at the same time, so I didn't respond. I was too embarrassed to say anything after class; I'm sure he thought I was pretty weird.

For some reason, most of my embarrassing moments involve this particular teacher, who is now a national dance champion. :eusa_doh: Yet he still asks me to dance now and then.

 

[gluegungeisha]

Oh my, I have so many of those!

Um...the first one I can think of is knocking the glasses off one of my first dance partners.

 

[thebadmamajama]

Far far far too many to count, but the first one that comes to mind is clocking my partner--HARD--in the knee (who was behind me) on my first day learning tandem charleston on 1.5 hours of sleep. Awesome. Hope that kneecap is okay, wherever you are!

 

[CharlieH.]

I've only had one embarrasing dance moment.... and I've danced only once.

 

[Nashoba]

Let's see when I was 8 I was at my second cousin's bar mitzvah and one of his friends wouldn't dance with me so I kicked him in the shins and stormed off the dance floor.
And a couple of years ago I was in a production of Pirates of Penzance, we had a horseshoe extention on the stage and in the middle of one of the dance scenes when we were dancing around the horseshoe I slipped and fell off the stage I landed feet up on the piano in the orchestra.

 

[thebadmamajama]

Oh, how I relate. I do believe that I am a walking (or dancing) foible.

 

[Paisley]

Oh my, I have so many of those!

Um...the first one I can think of is knocking the glasses off one of my first dance partners.

I was doing Balboa when my partner led a free turn. When I came back around I clocked him pretty hard in the nose with my elbow.

 

[Paisley]

This moment wasn't embarrassing for me, but probably was for my partner. We started dancing and he proceeded to give me tips on doing the basic east coast step. (By this time, I knew both east coast and lindy fairly well. It was a little like passing algebra class, and having someone give you tips on addition and subtraction.) I think he realized that fact when he watched me dance with my next partner.

I've also heard of newbies giving tips to partners who turned out to be dance teachers. [huh] Better to remain silent and be thought a fool...

 

[PADDY]

High heel Prussian duelling scars!

I have the equivalent of Prussian duelling scars down my legs!! from partners who have connected with me with their high heels in Argentine Tango (in the wrong way!!). And also the dodgem syndrome when you are concentrating so much on your steps that you forget about others around you and collide!!!

The joys of dancing!! doesn't pay to take yourself too seriously Oh, I love a good Scottish Ceiledh reel where you are black and blue like a good rugger match!!!

 

[dhermann1]

Several

Somebody in my office bamboozled me into taking ballroom dancing lessons in 1986, and it's been downhill ever since.
One of the "Basic 6" was Tango. I had had about 5 weeks of lessons when friend invited my to a party at his loft in lower Manhattan. His roomy was an Argentine, and several cast members from the Broadway show "Tango Argentino" showed up. Amazing, astounding dancing ensued, but not by me. I brought the co-worker who had originally bamboozled me, and we stumbled through a pathetic version of the Tango. We didn't even know how to turn around. We basic stepped until we hit the wall, unhooked, turned around and basic stepped into the wall again. Eventually we gave up and watched the REAL pros. That was an amazing evening. A 77 year old Argentine lady was among the guests, ans she did some amazing things as well.
A couple years ago I was in a production of the musical version of "My Favorite Year". There was a scene that quickly degenerated into "death by choreography". Eventually the choreographer decided that my character didn't really need to be in this scene. Embarrassed but relieved was how I'd describe myself.
However I would like to stress this point: if you're embarrassed just because you feel like a klutz doing social dancing, GET OVER YOURSELF! I always start out feeling like Frankenstein when I learn a new dance, and if I focus on mastering just the basic step, and not getting fancy, I always seem to master it well enough to get good enough to enjoy myself, and that's what it's all about. Let the people who need to be competitive about everything get fancy. Just enjoy.

 

[Tony in Tarzana]

I always start out feeling like Frankenstein when I learn a new dance,

Hey, I wish I could dance like Peter Boyle in Young Frankenstein!

 

[RedPop4]

Walking onto the dance floor. Being on the dance floor. I'm only good when I walk OFF the dance floor.:eusa_doh: lol lol lol

 

[Diamondback]

Let's see... lessons learned for my first time out (if it ever happens)
1. From Paddy: Wear shin guards.
2. From Miss G3: Low-profile glasses, preferably the facehugging wraparound kind.
3. From Miss Paisley: Watch for flying elbow.
4. From Ms. BMJ: Knee pads a must.
5. From Ms. Nashoba: One eye to the ground, always.

Any other obvious ones I've missed so far?lol

 

[Nashoba]

watch out for that first step. It's a doozie

 

[Diamondback]

Ummm.... yeah. Especially since I tend to have all the "grace"*snort* in movement of a loaded B-52 taxiing out to a runway...lol It'll be "interesting" trying to get around the triple flaw of Hulking Mass plus Zero Maneuverability plus No Brakes, to say the least... lol

 

[Sunny]

And a couple of years ago I was in a production of Pirates of Penzance, we had a horseshoe extention on the stage and in the middle of one of the dance scenes when we were dancing around the horseshoe I slipped and fell off the stage I landed feet up on the piano in the orchestra.

Bravo! :eusa_clap What a doozie!

 

[Paisley]

!). And also the dodgem syndrome when you are concentrating so much on your steps that you forget about others around you and collide!!!

I was dancing with a pretty good lead when he swung me out and I hit someone, who probably had 50 pounds on me, so hard that it knocked the wind out of me.

I also heard of a ballroom dancer--at a competitive level--who elbowed someone pretty hard in the head during a competition.

 

[Paisley]

Let's see... lessons learned for my first time out (if it ever happens)
1. From Paddy: Wear shin guards.
2. From Miss G3: Low-profile glasses, preferably the facehugging wraparound kind.
3. From Miss Paisley: Watch for flying elbow.
4. From Ms. BMJ: Knee pads a must.
5. From Ms. Nashoba: One eye to the ground, always.

Any other obvious ones I've missed so far?lol

lol

In all seriousness, though:

1. Just wear long pants.
2. Low profile glasses actually wouldn't be a bad idea if you are dancing fast.
3. Definitely watch for the flying elbow during Balboa turns.
4. I'm guilty of the shin-kicking during tandem charleston. In my defense, though, the guy needs to remember to pull his left leg way back on 1, and lean forward.
5. One eye to the ground if you're on a stage. Otherwise, you can stop looking at your feet.

Others you've missed: take little steps.

 

[Miss Neecerie]

and all this....


is why some of us, despite taking basic lessons.....

are terrified to even try dancing in public.

 

[Paisley]

All those partners I clocked in the nose or kicked in the shin or couldn't converse with still dance with me. They've lived through embarrassing moments, too. What's that song, "pick yourself up, dust yourself off, and start all over again"?

One more tip for embarrassing moments: as long as nobody is hurt, act like it's all part of your master plan.