Dancing Lessons.

Hey CG! I've taken 4 dancing classes total over the years from both college courses and at small, learn-for-fun dance studios, not at big serious dance studios or at a rec center yet (I saw the Salsa lessons at my rec center too and was thinking about it really hard until EM's travel schedule ramped up and I figured it wasn't worth trying to find a sub for half the session - I think my rec center required a partner at sign-up, but I could be wrong about that).

I've loved all the dance lessons I've taken, but how much you enjoy it and learn from it depends a bunch on with whom you take the class. My first one was a college ballroom dance (learning Fox Trot, Jitterbug, Viennese Waltz, Tango, and Cha Cha all in ten weeks) with my college boyfriend at the time, who had no sense of rhythm at all. We got into more fights in and out of this class b/c of it - I enjoyed what I learned, but NOT dancing with him (at least we got an A!). The next class I talked my way cool brother into taking with me - East Coast swing/jitterbug at a small dance studio - back when I was line dancing and the good couples dancers did this around the outside of the line dancers (I so wanted to do that too!). It wasn't as weird as it sounds - we didn't do anything funny with each other (which is easy when you're awkwardly learning the steps and want to keep your distance in order to save your toes!) and we ended up having a good time, but it wasn't as fun as it would've been with a romantic partner! My brother had rhythm (he taught himself how to play guitar and banjo), and it was nice quality time spent with him (I hardly ever see him living many states away now so I'm more glad that we shared that experience - we still get laughs over it once in a while!). Third and fourth classes at same dance studio learning West Coast swing with a fellow line dancer (my brother's best friend who was also like a brother to me) who wanted to improve his dancing skills and catch the ladies. He didn't have much rhythm, but tried hard and was a good sport. Again, fun, but not as much fun as it could've been - dance can be as clean or as sexy as you want to make it - it's an unspoken conversation; two people's body language communicating with one another. If I were to take another dance class, and truly want to learn a dance well, not just try it half-heartedly, I'd find a friend who wants to learn as much as I do and who loves to dance (sadly, EM has no sense of rhythm, doesn't like to dance, doesn't really want to learn, and would be humoring me to agree to it. He said yes to the Salsa, but got out of it cuz of work!). Dancing is great for balance, memory, exercise, and concentration so go for it!