Dance Fever

Well, I finally got my laundry card. It turns out that the office hours and the times the landlord are in his office do not line up. It's easier to call his cell phone and see when he'll be around. Germans in general seem far more phone-centric. So many offices have given phone contact information but no physical or email address. Then again, that might have to do with the fact that I have had to deal with offices and logistics more than at home.

So, laundry card: yay! All the machines are in use: boo! Tomorrow though, I will wage war against sweat and chocolate stains.

Apart from laundry shenanigans, I decided to visit the ESG dance class. Unlike the Salsa class offered on Mondays, the instructor lead us through several dance styles. "Us" refers to the three people that showed up, one dance-pair and myself. Apparently a big party had pulled most of the regulars away. This left me to dance with teacher. Now, I consider myself a level headed and practical person. However, I am not a robot. When the rather attractive instructor pulled me into a closed position and announced that we would start with Rumba I melted a little inside. However, I pulled myself together pretty quickly.

Despite having no knowledge of Rumba, the teacher got me up to speed on the basics rather quickly. He could really lead. He did not just step and hold his hand in the general direction he wanted me to go like a weak lead might. Instead, he kept a firm frame and pushed me gently through the moves. All I had to do was let him lead and move my feet.

After Rumba, he introduced a tiny bit of Cha-cha, which was basically Rumba with a triple-step thrown in, and then moved onto Jive. Here, I had some experience, though I did not know it. It turns out that East Coast Swing, a style that I had some exposure to in high school, is incredibly similar to Jive. I picked up the moves even quicker than before. All too soon we moved on to the next dance.

The last style we learned was called Discofox. I had never heard of it. However, a quick google when I got home told me that the style is pretty popular in Germany. It came about, not surprisingly, in the 70s and is related to the hustle. The slightly dorky music not withstanding, the dance was a fun mix of spins and direction changes.

Unfortunately, the teacher and students all usually have regular partners. If I don't want to put someone out, I need to find a man that can dance. I study mechanical engineering. Boys I have. Men? Iffy. Dancers? We shall see.