Any Other Dancers?

[harllee]

DH and I are dancers, we met on the dance floor 50 years ago and have danced ever since. At age 68 we dance at least 6 hours per week, everything from ballroom to hiphop to shag to swing to flatfooting. Dancing is our main aerobic exercise and boy do we get a workout. We also love the social aspects of dancing, we have made many friends through dancing.

Our newest dance is flatfooting which is danced to bluegrass music. We spend the summers in the mountains of North Carolina and there is a local music venue (Altapass Orchard, right off the Blue Ridge Parkway, great place). At this venue the main music is Bluegrass and all the locals (some in their 90s) do flatfoot dancing. If you are interested, look it up on Youtube, it is a great dance for older folks (flatfooting means you keep your feet on the floor as opposed to clogging which involves hopping and jumping and is mainly done by young folks). I teach flatfooting classes a couple of times a month.

My only injury while dancing was a torn meniscus in my knee a few years ago (did it swing dancing). I was back dancing 2 weeks after surgery, my ortho doctor was amazed.

Who else out there dances and what kind do you do?

 

[Bamaman]

We square danced for many, many years. Had a great time going all over the region to the big dances. Wife's mobility problems prevent us from doing that activity any longer.

 

[harllee]

Square dancing is great fun and really good exercise and a good way to socialize and meet people. The square dance callers make a big difference. There is a similar dance we have done called a "Contra Dance" which is a folk dance I think from Great Britain.

 

[joeea]

I envy you.

My wife and I took some lessons prior to my son's wedding. It helped a lot and I didn't embarrass myself too much, but I don't think I'll ever be considered a good dancer.

 

[harllee]

joeea, if you enjoy dancing you should keep at it. DH and I have taken many many dance lessons, that is the best way to learn to dance. I have found that many senior centers give excellent dance lessons. At our summer homes and winter homes there are many dance clubs and dance venues.

As one of my dance instructors said there are 3 keys to dancing:

1. Smile

2. Keep with the beat of the music

3. Don't worry about people watching you, they are only looking at the good dancers

 

[joeea]

As one of my dance instructors said there are 3 keys to dancing:

1. Smile

2. Keep with the beat of the music

3. Don't worry about people watching you, they are only looking at the good dancers

I'm pretty good with #1 and #3. I'm rather challenged with #2 I guess, if the music is fast.

The part I really dislike is that my wife doesn't seem to want to let me lead. I get frustrated with that.

When we were taking lessons, the instructor corrected her several times about leading. But in recent weddings, she seems to have forgotten that point.

Oh well. Not too many weddings these days anyway.

 

[harllee]

Ha!! I am sure that my husband would complain I also like to lead too much. Why not take turns leading--you lead on one song and your wife leads on the next. I don't know who invented this thing saying only men get to lead.

Of course there are also dances where you don't have a partner you just do your own thing like the twist, flatfooting etc.

 

[candrew]

I end up doing a version of this when attempting to dance.

 

[harllee]

candles, I remember that episode of Seinfeld. Actually her dancing looks like fun and good exercise, a little jerky but that could be easily remedied.

 

[Red Badger]

Tap.
Tap dancing.
I'm not very good, but do it quite often.

DW asks if I did (or did not) do "X."
Tap - tap tap - tap tap tap.....

 

[Dalmore]

One of my goals in retirement is to learn ballroom dancing.

 

[harllee]

Tap.
Tap dancing.
I'm not very good, but do it quite often.

DW asks if I did (or did not) do "X."
Tap - tap tap - tap tap tap.....

I guess this means you tap your foot to answer your wife. But on a serious note I have done some tap dancing, good fun and GREAT exercise.

 

[harllee]

One of my goals in retirement is to learn ballroom dancing.

One of the best and least expensive places we have taken ball room dancing lesson is at our local senior citizen center. Some of those folks are expert at ballroom dancing--waltz, foxtrot, all the latin dances, cha cha, rumba, tango, etc.

 

[omni550]

I got into ballroom dancing about 10 years ago. Loved it. I used to dance a lot. Even went to BYU dance camp twice, for a week.

Life happened and I haven't been dancing in 2 years. Would love to find a dance partner, as that would simplify things.

omni

 

[CardsFan]

I'm pretty good with #1 and #3. I'm rather challenged with #2 I guess, if the music is fast.

The part I really dislike is that my wife doesn't seem to want to let me lead. I get frustrated with that.

When we were taking lessons, the instructor corrected her several times about leading. But in recent weddings, she seems to have forgotten that point.

Oh well. Not too many weddings these days anyway.

(rant on)DW and I took swing dance lessons this past spring. I actually enjoyed it, and learned a lot. The part DW has a problem with is following a lead. NO, we don't have to do it the same every time (rant off)

 

[Bamaman]

At some square dances, they also have round dances. It's where the dancers (and their partners) dance ariound a large circle with a caller gently giving them instructions to do classic dance steps. It's a very beautiful form of dancing, and I would think they have 100's of dance moves. It's a very advanced form of dance.

 

[joeea]

One of my goals in retirement is to learn ballroom dancing.

My wife and I took some group ballroom dance lessons in preparation for my son's wedding.

It was very cheap (If I remember correctly, just $99) for 6 weeks of lessons, plus free Sunday meetups that were sort of refreshers.

It was fun. We learned enough to get by at the wedding. Fox Trot, Rumba, Waltz, Swing. And at the Sunday dances, we learned a tiny bit of some other dances, too.

 

[harllee]

I got into ballroom dancing about 10 years ago. Loved it. I used to dance a lot. Even went to BYU dance camp twice, for a week.

Life happened and I haven't been dancing in 2 years. Would love to find a dance partner, as that would simplify things.

omni

omni, don't give up dancing!! I assume you are female ( in my experience there are many more women than men out there looking for dance partners, I am lucky to have DH who loves dancing).

You mention BYU so I assume you are in Utah so I can't help you by introducing you to all the dancing guys I know looking for dance partners ( I live in North Carolina, if you can make a trip to NC, let me know). Are you old enough to go to senior citizen centers? Plenty of dancers of both sexes there looking for partners. I am also members of dancing clubs where there are partners available. How about learning dances that don't require a partner? Like line dancing, clogging, flatfooting, etc.

Oh heck, forget all that, just come to North Carolina and I will find guys to dance with you!!

 

[omni550]

omni, don't give up dancing!! I assume you are female ( in my experience there are many more women than men out there looking for dance partners, I am lucky to have DH who loves dancing).

You mention BYU so I assume you are in Utah so I can't help you by introducing you to all the dancing guys I know looking for dance partners ( I live in North Carolina, if you can make a trip to NC, let me know). Are you old enough to go to senior citizen centers? Plenty of dancers of both sexes there looking for partners. I am also members of dancing clubs where there are partners available. How about learning dances that don't require a partner? Like line dancing, clogging, flatfooting, etc.

Oh heck, forget all that, just come to North Carolina and I will find guys to dance with you!!

You're correct, I'm female. I summer (~5 mos.) in Michigan and winter (~7 mos.) in Florida. Haven't found any men looking for partners in either location, sadly. I've danced at studios, senior centers, UofM, etc. (And those senior women with partners in Florida give me the stink-eye to keep me away. ).

omni

 

[catii]

I taught ballroom dancing in college, & had some killer dates! But my wife just can't seem to follow the rhythm, no matter what we try (including 4 different instructors) & she changes from following to leading arbitrarily, right in the middle. Her lack of bodily control is weird, because we're both advanced martial artists!


But not worth fighting over, so I gave up on dancing...sigh.

 

[Montecfo]

C&W but tough to find good places at least here in Northern Va.

 

[Ready-4-ER-at-14]

Spouse and I do ballroom and latin and country 2 step. I also line dance.

In fact we recently had a smaller party at our home and had 20+ dancers here.

I too dance at senior centers.

Spouse shares me on the dance floor and I've heard several women thank her for sharing.

 

[pb4uski]

I square danced as a kid and DW and I square danced for a few years in our mid 30s... we were experienced mainstream/early advanced when we stopped.... we even got a young DD involved when she was 10 or so.

I liked square dancing for the exercise, mental stimulation and socializing. I even recall a few times where we didn't have enough girls so I had to dance as a girl... that gets you thinking for sure.

 

[Mdlerth]

I've got music, I've got rhy-hy. Thm.

My wife and I took some lessons prior to my son's wedding. It helped a lot and I didn't embarrass myself too much, but I don't think I'll ever be considered a good dancer.

Ditto here. We practiced extensively for our son's and daughter's weddings, but then it sort of dropped off the radar. DW loves it, but I can't keep a beat so I'm a bad partner.

I learned that for every man who is willing to dance, there are 10 women eager for a partner. Decades ago my younger brother got heavily into C&W dancing. It was an immensely effective way to "expand his social circle" (aka "meet girls"). Being 6 foot 3, with a wrestler's build and a striking resemblance to Hank Williams Jr probably didn't hurt either.

 

[yakers]

Ecstatic dancing. Love it, learned at Burning Man and DW & I keep at it. Dance like no one is watching.
We also like Zumba. I'm fortunate in having a wife who likes to dance.