Certified to Rumba in the State of New Mexico

Actually, more than that.  I recently passed a checkout (like a belt test in karate) for Rumba, Waltz, Salsa, and Tango.

Now this was the first checkout, so it's just basic basics - basic footwork patterns and a couple of figures for each dance.  Plus basics like rhythm/beat keeping, etc.  There was no traffic so floorcraft wasn't an issue (whew!)

I did well (thanks Teach, and Mini-Teach!), and got some comments on my body position and line (mostly positive), my rhythm and timekeeping (not a problem for me...) and details on footwork like which dances I should be stepping with my heels, midfoot, or toes (or any of the many subtle variations in between).  I'd forgotten all those details within 15 minutes of finishing the lesson, except I remember that Foxtrot was given as a contrary example, as all my dances above don't use "hard heels", while Foxtrot does.  Of course, that's the one I'd remember.  Not only is Foxtrot not on the list of dances above, it's not even a dance I'm studying currently in private lessons (hey - I had to draw a line somewhere - I didn't figure I could learn all dances simultaneously.  Kind of a shame, as I love Sinatra and all that Swingin' Foxtrot music...)  Later, Noob, you'll get to it...

I had done some drilling to prepare, mostly alone, on two or three occasions based on notes I'd taken when Mini-Teach and I prepped for the checkout.  It turns out my notes were incomplete - I missed making notes on a crossover figure in salsa completely (so completely that I don't even remember the name of the figure now, and I'm not totally sure it was in Salsa...)  When the examiner asked to see it, I had nothin'.  I spent a couple of measures rooting through my memory for something, anything, but to no avail.  It didn't keep me from passing, and in fact didn't even drag down my score much, as the examiner explained that it wasn't used much, it was in the syllabus for a future reference in another figure.  Still, I kind of think I should have been marked down more for the mess up, but I suppose I *AM* a paying customer.

Anyway, yay!

Tango Face. Waltz Face. Noob Face.

About face

Dancing is so much about the details.

Tango face:  Tango is dramatic and passionate and serious.  Grinning takes away from the drama of the performance.  So you'll hear things like "get your tango face on!" from dancers.  It's encouragement and correction.  It's a light-hearted funny little in-joke and they're mostly kidding.  Mostly. 

It's just one of the hundreds of little details that you have to learn and get right if you're going to be any good.  Or even decent.  I love the hell out of the Tango, and whenever I'm tangoing, I'm grinning like a fool - I can't help it, I'm just having too much fun.  When some one tells me to get my tango face on, I laugh.  It's on my list of things to work on, I swear.

I only think about my tango face because it's a running joke.  I'm sure my facial expressions while dancing include "thinking too hard", "not getting it", and the ever popular "Please stand by while smoke comes out of my ears and my brain reboots".  Occasionally, "Hey, this is a lot of fun!" and "that went pretty well"  and "I actually know how do do this - mostly".  And, of course "wow, that was amazing!"  and "I really, really want to learn how to do that" - These last two while watching others, of course.

But in general, I have no idea what my face is doing while I dance. For once in my life, I'm not watching myself, censoring myself, monitoring myself and judging myself.  Mostly.  Most of my time I'm very self-conscious, and occasionally on the dance floor, or in the dojo, I'll just let myself be whatever I am.  Not often, I'm way too cautious for that.  But if I get busy enough, or am thinking hard enough, or am distracted and engaged enough, I quit watching myself, briefly.  The point of Dancing (one of them), is getting out of my head.  Sometimes I make it out.

And then they pull me right back in.  In a recent group Waltz class, we had a full, unbalanced house and two of the gentlemen had to take turns sitting out or dancing solo while the rest of us danced with the ladies there.  I was doing the dancing solo thing, I need all the drilling I can get.  Then we rotated and I got a partner again.  The Young Turk (who's a much better dancer than I, because he practices like a fiend) was partnerless, and was amusing himself by watching the other dancers.  Including me.  I was working the figure with my partner and was getting it, I thought.

He laughed and said "You just had the dorkiest expression on your face!".  My partner laughed, too, which I took as agreement.   Dang, I need to figure out my frame, footwork, leading, floorcraft, rise and fall, timing, and now I need a waltz face?


Apparently.

Thanks, buddy.  Thanks a lot.