Jumping at Sixty

One morning during November, I took time out from writing my NaNo novel and went to check out a different dancing group – not the one I usually go to.

I had my doubts about it from the start because it was advertised as a group for over sixties and I wasn’t sure I wanted that segregation. It was much more serious than my usual group. They concentrated on one dance and discussed each step, telling us exactly how it should be performed – back straight, face the front and so on.

I understood that the result would be pleasant to watch because all the dancers would be doing exactly the same, but wasn’t sure I wanted to put in that amount of effort. I go dancing to have fun.

We had to hold hands. In my usual group we’re sometimes told to hold hands. I generally don’t and I’m not the only one. When I don’t yet know a dance properly I’m afraid of making a mistake when holding hands and bumping into my neighbour. When I know the dance and my neighbour doesn’t, I don’t enjoy being bumped into. In this group we had no choice.

But the thing that bothered me the most was when one of the instructors (there were two for this small group) discussed a step called: step step jump. She said they don’t actually lift the foot off the ground at the jump. She said at our age we shouldn’t be jumping – that it’s bad for us.

That was when I decided I definitely wouldn’t be returning to that group. I enjoy dancing because I like to jump around and have fun. How can that be bad for me?