tangodancer208 wrote:

Hi, all!  Long time, no post!   Real life has intervened, and I've been trying somewhat to limit my time on SM.  It's hard to go cold turkey!

So on Thursday, I had the most wonderful time in Soho! The only thing that would have made it better would have been if Maks showed up.

I had scheduled 5 hours of lessons on Thursday.  I had seriously trained for this.   I didn't want to huff and puff like an old lady.  Hubby and I have 2 2-hr. private lessons each week on Tues. & Fri.  On the days we don't dance, I swim for an hour.   Then on the weekends, we do a 2.2 mile walk at least one day, if not both.  

I walked to the studio from my hotel and got there about half an hour early. You have to buzz to get in, and the studio is downstairs. I was outside on the stoop texting my assistant because I was afraid that my phone wouldn't work downstairs. Someone came along and let me in the door and I took the elevator downstairs. I introduced myself to the girls at the desk. They were delightful and showed me around and we chatted a bit. One asked if I was coming back for Sway! Silly question! She was one of the dancers, and we talked about how wonderful it was. Then Leanne, the manager and also one of the Sway dancers, came up and greeted me.

They let me leave my suitcase in the office because I was leaving directly after my lessons for the train station. I changed my shoes and met up with my instructor Andrei. He was wonderful. We spent 2 hours doing Latin. Mostly rumba and cha cha for the first hour and then some samba and a little bit of jive. Of course, I am a sweat-er and was dripping by the time we finished. It was a very good workout. I could tell that I was being checked out by everyone, which is typical when someone new comes to a studio, esp. if they have had some training. Again, I was delighted that my technique is good, and we mainly worked on polishing and the finer points of arm and hip movement. I noticed approving glances from Leanne and the other instructors. In fact, a couple of them walked by us, welcomed me, and complimented me. One asked if I competed, which I never have.

Then I had a 2 hour break before the next 3 lessons. I went to the nearest McDonalds (I know, I know--Maks would disown me, but the internet is free, and I couldn't find a Starbucks). On the way back, I got a little lost because I had forgotten that there is an east and a west Broadway. I was on Broadway and none of the landmarks looked familiar, but as soon as I came out on Broome St. I recognized where I was. I was wearing my "Dancing is F***ing Awesome" T-shirt and getting close to the studio when I ran into David Thomas Moore. He, of course, recognized the T-shirt, and then I told him who I was. I was like his 15th follower on Twitter, so he knew immediately when I said tangodancer. And I had talked to him at the after party as well. I told him I was there for lessons and would be back for Sway. He said he would be around the studio all afternoon.

I went back in, a couple of minutes late, and had my next 2 hours of lessons with David, who is also terrific! We did smooth--foxtrot, waltz, tango, Viennese waltz. I had told both of them that Latin is my strong suit and foxtrot my worst dance. Well, for some wonderful reason (Maks vibes?), everything just fell into place. I was able to do more-than-reasonably-well almost everything he had me do. I was following leads, and usually only missing when we were talking. Might I add, that doing smooth dances well requires serious movement around the floor, and when it works, it feels like flying, esp. V. waltz and quickstep. David kept throwing new combinations and twists into things to see if I knew them or could catch on. He was acting like a kid in a candy store. I have never received so many high 5's in my whole life! I told both of them that it usually takes me 3 times to catch on to something new.

When we finished, I was EXHAUSTED. I had been training for this so I was never really out of breath, but I was sweating like I had a hose over my head, and I was so tired. It felt like I had run a marathon. I don't think I have ever done the smooth dances so intensively. Shortly after we started dancing, Eugene arrived and spent most of the afternoon in a meeting.

I went back to Andrei for the last hour, but by that time my feet were killing me. I had brought 3 pairs of shoes, but only one was fully broken in and the other halfway and the 3rd not at all. I'll have to prepare better next time, and wear socks! So we ended up working on some technique stuff that didn't require a lot of movement. So I think now I have a better idea how to pace myself and prepare.

I was so pleased with how I did. Of course, the first few minutes you are nervous, but they both put me very much at ease. I can't wait until next time when we can just dive right in. I was very conscious about trying to be "on" all the time in case people were looking. There were more students there in the afternoon, and one student even came over to ask us what dance we were doing (V. waltz). Through it all, approving looks from Leanne and the other instructors. The most disconcerting part is that they have flat screen TVs at either end of the studio constantly playing a loop of the Sway promo video. It seemed like every time I look, it was shirtless Maks. I do think I made it clear that, IMHO, "Maks is the Man!" He's the sole reason I came to Sway in the first place. They've all hooked me now.

So after we finished, I went over to set up my lessons for during Sway. It'll be the same guys, the same schedule. While I was doing that, Eugene came out, and said "Jayne, how did it go?" I had nothing but praise for them. In fact, yesterday I tweeted my thanks to them all and Leanne favorited it.

I got my stuff together, changed into my other DIFA T-shirt with Sway on the back and headed out to the sidewalk where I called an Uber car. That was my first time, and definitely it won't be the last (dancing in Soho & Uber). I would have been literally skipping down the street if my feet hadn't hurt so bad. Not bad for a 60-year-old having done 5 hours of intensive and high level dancing. It is so much fun to see people's reactions when you surpass what they are expecting.

Friday morning, I called back to get the full names of my teachers, because I didn't get their last names. I also scheduled 2 more hours of lessons on Sway Friday because it was so much fun!

Tango, first let me say ... 


...and thank you for sharing your adventures with us...it makes us feel as we are there with you....I am so glad you had a good time and I can't wait to here what SWAY has in store for us this time....Please don't be a stranger...
HUGS

View, unobstructed wrote:

Derek's blog....interesting, and about having a chance to bond more with Nastia since his injury - how unfair he thought the package was in it's depiction of her. 

http://www.tvguide.com/news/dancing-derek-hough-blog-week8/

I must agree with Derek on the packages...they take a whole day and put the worse possible few seconds in a video for the world to see...TV DRAMA at it's best...maybe after seeing the reaction to some of the stars and pros in regards to the way it makes them look to the public they may rethink what they are doing!!!!
 

Tanith and Charlie Wedding April 25, 2015 (from a tumblr...)





[quote888]Tanith & Charlie were married April 25, 2015.  Enjoy
 [/quote888]
Nice work!  icudoucmetoo

Hmmm