You Should Dance

If learning how to partner dance (Ballroom, Swing, or Salsa) was a required part of LDS training for those 16 and older, it would solve all the social awkwardness problems that go hand in hand with the culture of LDS dating.

Why? Because the cause of the problems are all solved in dancing. The problem is the pressure. The pressure comes from the drive to find your eternal companion, and therefore evaluating each member of the opposite sex you meet for eternal potential right away.

If you meet someone and only have to evaluate them for two to three minutes of enjoyment at a time, then the pressure thing dissapears. Will you dance with me?, thanks, the end OR that was fun.

It also solves other issues. The music is classier, without the overt sexual content of most dance music today. It solves the concerns regarding full body contact ("Is there Book of Mormon space between you two?") - and it requires you to at least meet members of the opposite sex.

Then, if you really like the person, you can have a possitive outlet for those physical drives that can get out of hand when two people like eachother.
Dance practice. Dance practice. Kiss. Dance practice.

I guess what I'm *really* saying here is I'd like to meet a dancing Mormon boy.

With great expectations

Expectations lead to dissapointments. Or at least that's always the case for me. That's why I'm truly an optimistic pessimist. I expect the worst not only because then I'm prepared, but because then I'll know I'll be happy with everything but the worst.

Last night I went dancing again. It was very sparsely attended, and the reason I paid the $8 cover was because most people inside were ones I had not yet danced with. They looked like decent dancers, but -

The better I get at things (music, dancing, etc.) the less I appreciate mediocre performances (go church musical numbers, yeah!). Take one guy last night for example: He started off by telling my he teaches dance, his way of saying "so, I'm good," but he didn't know how to do a send-out which meant he was pushing me off balance each time, not that I fell - but that he made it impossible for me to keep centered. Worse than that, he held my hand in the way that strains my wrists; the novice really high hold that isn't anywhere near where a good lead should come from.

He was typical of last night, and today my wrist hurts.

The dance floor was really good, but I was in the wrong shoes because I prepaired for the worst - so I didn't have enough traction. I need to save up some money and get some really good supportive sporty shoes. And there was smoking going on upstairs. The worst part of dancing anywhere is getting home and realizing you reek like cigarettes. Ew!

But overall, I'm still glad I went. I still love dancing, and as I won't be going this weekend because my parents are coming to town I need to get it in while I can. But I'm happy to have learned the moral of the story: I now know not to spend $8 for dancing on Tuesday nights. If someone in particular wants me to go, they'll either have to pay for me, or I'll make them go somewhere else to practice with me.

Blues dancing boy called last night to schedule a practice time with me. It will have to be next week sometime. People are always shocked when I tell them my work schedule.
"When do you get off?"
"I get home around 10[pm]."
"Ok, well how about morning? When do you start?"
"Around 10 [am]."

It's fulfilling, ok!

It's somewhat like the reaction I get from dancers when I tell them I don't dance on Sundays.
"But that's the best night of all! Do you go to church at night or something?"
"I just devote the day to other things."

and it's fulfilling, ok!

It Happens Quickly

Just a little over a week single, and in one day I had three different guys calling to ask me out - for the same evening! AND I had to work that evening.

One guy wanted to go lindy-hip-hop dancing, another wanted to go blues dancing and the other one wanted dinner. I had to work, but I did go with guy 1 after work.

Guy 3 of the above listed has been around since before I moved here. I sent a broad email out to Portlanders in an online network asking for the scoup on the city. He was the most helpful, and we continued to chat online. He invited to take me out when I get here before I moved, but in the month I was offline he got a girlfriend - and of course getting together was no longer an option. By the time he broke up with her, I had a boyfriend. Now, we're both unattached - and he's trying to schedule a time for us to get together. That makes me kinda nervous. I'm looking forward to it, and he's cute, but it's strange to already have an idea about someone before you actually meet them. Also, I bet he's short.

A Blue Christmas

But in a good way.

I spent the morning cleaning my apartment, which was exactly what I wanted to do. I never have time - so using my day off was very welcomed.

Then, the one Portland dancer I knew already (from college dancing days) called and let me know of a get together Christmas day. I joined one girl and six guys (most of them Jewish) for a day of Chineese food, movies, and Blues dancing. The odds made for lots of positive attention for me. I'm ok with that!

I've done some blues dancing before, but always felt very silly and didn't know what I was doing. So, one of them gave me some tips, told me the techniques, and it was a blue blues Christmas.

I can't believe I often forget how happy good dancing makes me. It's time to really start prioritizing fun again.