In which I dance for the first time in 25 years

[drscott]

When I was young I was a socially-inept wallflower -- fulfilling the stereotype of the typical MIT student. I did go to the Student Homophile League / GaMIT dances, but didn't dance. A few times at Harvard I was dragged out on the floor and gave it a shot, but I didn't feel comfortable being so visible. I danced a bit at some of the clubs (like the 12 in Boston), but it never became a big part of my life, and after 1982 or so I didn't dance again.

Paul is a dance fever boy from his earliest out days. He's talked about how much fun he had, and I wanted him to enjoy it on the cruise, so I put myself out there.

Well, things have changed a lot since I was a boy. Many of the people out on the floor are actually in groups, in a circle, talking and socializing as they dance. In some cases they order drinks to be delivered while they dance. One idiot broke a glass on the floor trying to boogie while drinking. Then there were the singletons -- one creepy drunk kept shadowing me, trying to bump up against me -- we moved away, and each time he gradually followed until he was with us again. Finally we left, reentered from the other side, and lost him. Blech.

Another oddity is the singleton photographer. Wiggling slightly, edging toward anyone he wants to capture, snapping, and moving on. Not as bad as creepy stalker guy, but still annoying.

I really enjoyed dancing, for the very first time in my life. We will try to get out to some suitably retro and furred event sometime.

Comments

[urbear]

Interesting. I saw you on the dance floor, and you looked like you were born to be there.

As I mentioned to Paul while you were off on a potty break, I'm exceedingly reluctant to get on the dance floor, to the point where it's a bit pathological. I'll stand around the edge and bob a little bit, but that's it. I've danced voluntarily just once in the last 30 years or so, at the 2003 Sydney Mardi Gras party, and I freely admit that I was strongly motivated to do so by the prospect of sleeping with my dance partner (who ditched me around 5 AM, the bastard). I have a lousy sense of rhythm and poor coordination, and I'm convinced that I'll look stupid. It's the last vestige of my pre-coming-out behavior; I've conquered pretty much every other obstacle.

[pagerbear.livejournal.com]

I have always, always felt awkward trying to dance. I went to bars in college, when I thought thats' what gay people did, and gave it a try, but it wasn't comfortable. I felt too self-conscious. I'm not so bad if there are actual steps to learn--I'm not bad at square dancing or waltzing--but going out on the floor and shakin' my groove thang? Not me!

That said, I'd like to learn more dances that have actual steps. More square dancing (although that's such a time commitment!) and bearfuz's English country dancing and Latin dancing, etc.

[nursetomsf.livejournal.com]

Look forward to seeing you boys out on the dancefloor soon!

[billeyler.livejournal.com]

Learning to dance as an adult is another form of coming out...at least it was for me. Although from your description above, I'm trying to figure the irony of your comments about the drunks and the dance floor versus your learning to dance...