Dancing fool

This week's work on "Pajama Game" has been particularly grueling. The rehearsal schedule is pretty much a bear to begin with. We rehearse three hours a night, Sunday through Thursday. If you aren't needed that night, you don't have to come. However, I've only ended up having one night off thus far. I'm not the lead, but I'm a principal. That means the story isn't about me, but I'm a major side character. If this was the Oscars, I guess I'd be a supporting actor. But I digress. The think that made this week such a challenge was that it was all dance rehearsals...

That's right. Two to three hours of dance every night for the last five nights. I've tangoed, soft-shoed, hoe-downed, and done other basic dance moves until my legs were, and are, ready to fall off. But, I am loving it! I'm having so much fun with this I may seriously consider taking a dance class when it is all over. I'm more flexible than I have been in years and I am certainly getting more fit. I not only know what is meant by kick-ball-change or hitch-kick, I can actually execute these moves.

The most fun has been the tango. I'm enjoying that one because I've been told I have a good "upper body carriage". I know how to support the women when doing dips and such. As a result, everyone wants to dance with me. And while I'm not harboring any adulterous thoughts, it feels pretty good when a cute twenty-five year old wants to be your dance partner. I plan to practice tangoing at home with my wife. We are learning the Argentine variety, which apparently is more sensual. Definitely no room for the holy spirit in this dance. A lot of very close contact, dips, and leg hooks. The part that has been hard to do gracefully is the tango drag. That's where the woman hangs in a graceful pose from the man's neck and he does the tango step backward while supporting her weight.Sadly, I won't get to dance the tango in the show. It doesn't fit the plot as I am supposed to be drunk and raving at the bowling alley while this number is going on. :( Regardless, I'm still enjoying learning and helping to teach others.

The rest of my dancing calls for me to be "a cartoon character". They keep telling me to be rubber legs. So, I do a lot of big and silly moves. Dance kicks like Michigan J. Bullfrog in the "Hello my Honey" cartoon. Knee steps. Maybe even a bell kick if I can pull it off. There's even a hoe-down part where I do those high side kicks.

So, what I'm trying to say is, dancing is cool. Go out and do some.