A Crash Course in Ballroom

Never having any dance training, I decided to take up Latin Ballroom in February of 2009. I was 23 years old and after watching competitors at a local competition, I thought – How hard can it really be? My boyfriend thought I was crazy.

And maybe, he was right. Its now August 2010 and let me tell you – it’s hard. Like really hard. It started off with 4 months of rumba walks. Walking may seem easy, but its not when you’re teetering in heels, trying to push your unused latz (it’s a muscle in your back) and throwing hip rotation in there. Oh and let’s not forget posture and arm movement. I’m not going to lie. I looked like Bambi with flailing arms. It wasn’t pretty.

And things just got harder from that point. I got partnered with a
10-year dance veteran. That meant I had to get from walking to dancing in all of 10 seconds. So a year and some later, I am preparing for my first dance competition. The plus is that we get to go to LA to compete. “Oooh, how glamorous” everyone has been saying to me. It’s not. It’s scary. I don’t think I have actually accepted the reality that in two and a half weeks, I will be half naked, 10 shades darker than my usual brown self and rubbing shoulders with amazing dancers with exotic last names.

So at this point, I have decided that it’s been an interesting journey so far and it’s only going to get crazier. I will be blogging about my various experiences along the way. And if I see some interesting
videos, pictures or images along the way, I will be sharing those as well.

I should have my costume next week. And trust me, even getting my costume made was an “experience”. Details and pictures to follow.