Ballroom Dancing

Since moving to Chicago, Elisabeth and I have been branching out and taking advantage of the variety in this city. Food, music, museums, etc. . . There is so much in this city beyond other places we’ve recently lived. This week Elisabeth and I did something outside of our comfort zone.


We took a ballroom dance class.


Let me set the stage.

It was a warm spring day in 2016. A lovely day. The sun was shining. The spring flowers were in bloom. Winter was surely past and spring was here. It was a perfect day to celebrate the union of Elisabeth and Keenan.


Family and friends had gathered from near and far. Tables were set. Cakes were made and not a detail was out of place.


The ceremony was set in a quaint New England church. They proceeded down the aisle to a piano accompaniment of Hoppippola. Kind words were said about the couple. The marriage became official and they left the ceremony without a flaw.

Every detail of this day had been planned to the minute. Nothing was out of place.


After photos in front of lighthouses on the beach, everyone arrived at the venue of the reception- a beautiful brick building sitting on the shores of the Atlantic overlooking the islands. There was laughter, sharing of memories, wonderful food, and decadent cakes.


It was the perfect day until...


We were invited to the dance floor and the first chord of the song we had chosen for our first dance was played. Elisabeth and I froze. We looked at each other. Fear shot straight through us. The rooms started to constrict as we both made the common realization that we had never danced together before.


Here we were alone, in front of dozens of people. Staring at each other.  Embarrassed that we forgot such a detail. Embarrassed that we had never danced together. We slowly found each other and pulled something off.


I don’t know if it was known to anyone else, but we felt so out of place. Dancing isn’t something we grew up doing. It felt so unnatural to us. Could anyone believe that we didn’t plan for this?


As one could imagine, we recovered. The day was not ruined. Probably no one noticed, but it is funny that we have held on to this memory for years. In fact, we now tell it is a funny story.


Our fumble on our wedding day encouraged us to sign up for this class when we heard about the studio that was offering this introductory ballroom class. We wanted to make sure we had at least the minimum skill set to pull off a dance at the next wedding, gala, or party we attend.


Neither of us have danced much. I don’t think I have particulalry good rhythm. Fortunately, Elisabeth does. It is fair to say that both of us felt out of place, self-conscious, and silly. However, we had a great time. We made many mistakes. We looked like fools at times, but it didn’t matter because everyone else in the class was either looking like us or having a great time doing their own thing! As much as we believe others are watching us, they’re not. They’re enjoying their class for themselves.

 The class was a great learning experience.


I know that the way I felt going into that class- self-conscious, apprehensive, shameful - is the same way that many people feel when they begin working out. Taking the first step to doing something outside of your comfort zone can be daunting. Whether you’re taking a dance class to become a passable dancer or you’re taking a fitness class to become healthier, the emotions leading up can be scary.


Even for me. I’ve taught thousands of classes. New people are always coming in and you can tell when they’re nervous or unsure. Something I pride myself in with my work is helping those people feel at home in the gym. 99% of the time after class I ask them how it was and they respond with, “That wasn’t so bad” or “That was a lot of fun!”.


I should have known that I would have said the same thing to our instructor after our dance class. I think I actually told her, “We had a blast!”


Regardless of the class or experience, I think it is okay to feel these emotions. It’s okay to be nervous or self-conscious as long as it doesn’t stop you from trying something new! I can all but guarantee you, once you get started, those emotions dissipate quickly. A good instructor will always do their best to make sure of that.

So let's go out  and try a dance, yoga, fitness, pilates, or whatever kind of class you want. 


Getting started with exercise is hard. If there is ever anything I can do to help you overcome those barriers (emotions, strategy, accountability, etc…) please reach out!