September 18, 2006

Oh my aching feet

Tonight was my first ballroom class - what a frickin' fiasco ('scuse my language). I expected the ratio of men to women to be somewhat pathetic - but 1:6? Good grief. Anyways, that can't be helped - sigh. The instructors inform us that seeing as we don't have enough men for couples dancing, instead we are going to perform the steps as a line dance and later couple up together taking turns to lead. (This should have been my cue to leave).

I assumed that we would start with something simple, like the waltz and move up. Our instructors however decided that given the popularity of Latin dancing in the last few years, we would start with the merengue.

If I have never mentioned this before I should at this point make mention of the fact that I have 2 left feet at the best of times, can't remember steps to save my life - and this dance has 46 separate steps.

I need not have worried however about not remembering the steps, because our lead instructor couldn't remember them either! LOL His assistant stood at the back of the class prompting him with what came next from her "cheat sheet" - and even then every time he "took it from the top" he'd forget a complete sequence...the whole class would go left...he'd go right. It was laughable. We had all started exchanging looks amongst ourselves, rolling our eyes. At one point one of our more outspoken classmates actually stopped him and asked him what his training and qualifications were. Hysterical! After messing up repeatedly he finally walked out saying that he needed a break and a drink of water (it's only a 90 minute class) - leaving his assistant to take over. She was better at least, but her steps were slightly different again. By the end of the evening I was so confused, I doubt if I could even manage the macarena or the birdy dance properly.

I read my confirmation letter over, I can only get a cancellation refund if I can provide a medical note. Grrrr...it's worse than trying to get out of a cross country run in school. I could just swallow the fees and chalk it up to bad experience - but the sado-masochist in me can't tear my eyes away from the comedy of errors on the dance floor that this whole experience is turning out to be. I must still be suffering from the remnants of my flu from last week - surely I am delirious.

We'll see what class holds for me next week...in the meantime I am off to soak my feet.

4 comments:

Moon said...

To bad u didn't have a first class option. Some places offer u the option of giving one class a try and if u dont like it u lose nothing. ...
Maybe u will make a few new friends in the end.

JustSue said...

If this was through an actual dance school I am sure there would be that option. This is through the town's Park's and Recreations Department though. In the next room there's a group learning origammi, a photography class down the hall and the kids are doing their swimming lessons down in the pool. Sigh. Maybe next time I'll actually go through a dance school..if there ever is a next time.

Lou Lou said...

you could always complain about the standard of the teaching - not very professional is he- it's a service is it not?
i would deffo complain get a few fellow students together too no doubt hilarious as it was they aren't happy at the waste of their quids

JustSue said...

Funnily enough I decided to pick up the phone and voice my complaint this afternoon. Coincidentally the activities coordinator was present for the first 20 minutes of the class. She admitted she witnessed first hand some of the problems I had mentioned. She has offered me a refund (yay!) but has asked that I give the class one more week to see if things improve. Apparently the instructor's assistant has already been in touch with her and indicated how they were unhappy with how the class went last night themselves. They are making changes to the program and hope to make a fresh start next week.

We'll see.