I wonder how the guys in the class feel about having to do this?

sho 3aleeh omar 5aleeha, megbla 3al ra2as :)

Roba, that’s INSANE! You’re being taught wrong if you’re being told that you should step on the same foot twice in a row. No wonder it’s hard.

ALL basic steps in ALL the major partnered dances (and all the minor ones that I’ve had the opportunity to learn) involve alternating the feet. Always.

If you are being told to step twice in a row on the same foot, your instructor is probably forgetting to notice that there’s actually a small step onto the other foot in between them.

I mean, stepping onto the same foot twice in a row isn’t stepping at all–it’s jumping or hopping! And there is NO jumping in the waltz basic, lemme tell ya that.

Would you like me to dig around for some web sites that do a good job explaining partner dance and/or the waltz so you don’t even have to THINK about these complicated steps at the same level you’re having to think about them right now?

By the way, the key to ALL partner dances that I’ve done so far (and I’ve done quite a few) is that whenever the lead steps on a certain foot, you step on the mirror foot from him. Now, you might not step in a mirror PATTERN from him (instead, you might be walking in parallel), but the FOOT will always be the opposite one from him.

If he’s starting with his weight on his right, and then the step puts his weight onto his left, you’re going to start with your weight on your left, and then the step will put your weight onto your right foot when and only when you feel HIM take that step. I put “right” and “left” into this example, but really, it’s not your job to think about feet. You just have to make sure that you’re stepping on whatever foot would be tied to the foot he’s stepping on if you two were, say, facing each other, dancing with your sholaces tied to each other.

(This is one reason follows learn much faster than leads when they start to partner dance! Leads have to think about 1) which foot to step on (though really, it’s not that hard…it’s the foot you didn’t just step on last time!) and 2) stepping with really clear weight commitment so the follow can feel through the lead’s body that he just took a step.)

Did I help?

Nice, really interesting.

Questions:
1. How will you be graded? The one who can stretch more will get an A?
2. So when do you get to wear a Tutu (could you give us at least a one-day notice before :D)?
3. So there is no one peeking from windows laughing at their male acquaintance or checking out the girls?
4. No angry Ekhwan mob?

“3. So there is no one peeking from windows laughing at their male acquaintance or checking out the girls?”

I find that very insulting: it implies that men aren’t “meant” to do graceful activities and, even worse, that women are “meant” to be checked out.

Why not ask, “So is there no one peeking from the windows laughing at their female acquaintance or checking out the boys?”

*sigh*
I HATE it when people make flip comments without thinking about the stereotypes they’re reinforcing.

ARRRRRRRRRRRRRRGH.

Get it through your heads, people! Men are no less biologically “meant” to perform graceful activities than women. There’s nothing NATURE did to make women “better” at graceful activities. There’s a LOT that stereotype-ridden cultural habits have done to teach us, since we’re young, which helps us SEEM better at it by the time we’re older, but it’s NOT the result of anything but culturally required practice-makes-perfect.

There’s nothing NATURE did to make men less “interesting” as objects of attraction. There’s a LOT that stereotype-ridden cultural habits have done to teach men, since they’re young, to avoid beautifying themselves beyond a certain point. There’s a LOT that stereotype-ridden cultural habits have done to teach women, since we’re young, to beautify ourselves more than the other sex does. Thus we SEEM more attractive by the time we’re older, but it’s NOT the result of anything but culturally required practice-makes-perfect.

hahaha, i feel sorry for that