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I won't Dance (Don't ask me!)

Historically, France and specifically Paris, have always favored dance. Every opera in the late 19th century had to have a ballet. If it didn't have one in the German or Italian versions, the French would make them put one in. Yes, even Wagner was forced to add a ballet to Tannhäuser. So it should not have been too shocking to find that at parties in Paris there is always dancing. It shouldn't but it was.

If there are 10 people or less at a dinner party you are safe but once you hit critical mass, which I would say is about 25 or so, you will not be able to escape it. And I do mean escape. Here I am at a party. 



And this is after politely saying no, then insisting no, then saying ABSOLUTELY NO. 

You may wonder what is the problem? I love partner dancing. In fact, I spent the better part of 5 years dancing 2-step every Saturday night. The idea of basic steps and then variations from those steps appeals to me and I am good at it. There is something, though, to the "stand and jiggle" dancing that escapes me. I just don't get it. People tell me all the time, "Oh, there is nothing to it; you just go with the music." We all know that is bullshit. Look at the dance floor. There are the people who dance and it looks magical, there are those who look sexy doing it, and then there are the rest of us. Clumsy, with odd fits and starts. 

I have been told I look like a muppet when I dance and I have no reason to doubt this assessment. Also, there is very little in the pop music genre to make me seek out a solution to this (i.e. dance lessons or some other mentoring process). Jim, my ex, was an excellent dancer (sexy, never quite on the beat but rhythm was unbeatable) and Helmut has a swing style that, again, is very sexy. Me? Muppets all the way. 

So, I still think it is best I sit this one out. And the next. Don't ask me. Really.


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