The first time someone referred to me as a dancer was shocking. I had sought training to dance in higher heels, after a meltdown related to my first ballroom competition (another story for another time), from talented burlesque babe Ginger Valentine.
One day, near the end of our lesson, she asked me to step out of my comfort zone and try something new. Trepidation flashed across my countenance like a neon sign; I do not possess a poker face.
She looked at me and said, “We are just two dancers hanging out and dancing.”
Me, in disbelief, “You just called me a dancer!”
“You ARE a dancer,” she proclaimed.
That was the first day I acknowledged that I AM a dancer. What a feeling (cue music from Flashdance). I am fairly confident that I don’t fit most people’s image of a dancer; I certainly don’t resemble many of the dancers at a ballroom competition. Nonetheless, I am a dancer.
Working with Ginger has been liberating. Through our practice of Pilates, Ballet, and Burlesque I have gained more confidence, a stronger core, more flexibility, and a whole lot more IDGAF (Google it if you don’t know what it means). One of the best compliments she gave me was, “I love that you are making adjustments; you are really connected to your body”, as I shifted to achieve proper alignment.
I loved working with Ginger and I really missed ballroom dancing. I had taken a year off after my first competition to recover. The first competition was tough on my body (75 dances in 1 day), getting up at 4am, and a few other incidents that made it not so enjoyable.
Since January, I have been taking ballroom lessons again. My ballroom teacher, Tamas Kardos, is fabulous. He makes me laugh, he gently pushes me out of my comfort zone, and he encourages me when I get frustrated. He is training me on proper foot placement, arm styling, timing, and so much more; he treats me like a dancer. Since we have been dancing together we have already danced in 2 Pro-Am Competitions; both were a lot of fun.
Most importantly, both Ginger and Tamas hold space for me when I experience big emotions while we are dancing. The vulnerability of being “in your body” and engaging in a movement practice can stir up a lot of feelings. As with dance, tolerating some emotions takes practice….5, 6, 7, 8…
