For me, learning to square dance was purely accidental. I teach in the countryside, home on weekends to do housework, rarely shopping, even summer and winter vacations are rarely shopping, I do not know that there are outside the dance so hot square dance. Today is an exception, the neighborhood water stopped, can not wash clothes in the morning, cook dinner and early, so to the park to stroll for a while. This is not, met the neighborhood Chen Auntie.
I was pulled to the square by Auntie Chen, froze on the sidelines, do not know what to do. "Follow me to jump ah." Auntie Chen urged. At Auntie Chen's urging, I mechanically moved my feet. "No, move your hands too." Someone next to me reminded. Under the reminder of the person next to me, I tried to move my hands. However, as soon as the hands moved, the feet stopped again. All in all, moving my feet didn't move my hands, and moving my hands didn't move my feet. I hated that my eyes were not enough because I couldn't see my hands by looking at my feet, and I couldn't see my feet by looking at my hands. I was like a clown, dancing in an unorthodox manner and making a lot of faces. I was angry and annoyed, anxious and ashamed, did not jump for a while and stopped.
The songs on the stereo were playing one after another, and the dances on the square were going on one after another. I retreated to the side, watching others dancing square dance, that skillful movement, that beautiful dance, let a person vainly envy. In my opinion, the movements of the square dance are too fast, not to mention jumping after them, it is difficult to even see them clearly. That action, like a whirlwind, like lightning, like the snowflakes in the southern winter, not waiting to fall to the ground on the melting, can not find a little snow shadow.
Auntie Chen's square dance is not outstanding, but she can keep up with the rhythm. "One day I want to be able to dance like Auntie Chen, I will be satisfied." Looking at the back of Chen's back, I think far away.
An hour and a half later, the person in charge of the sound turned off the sound, which means the square dance is over. As soon as the sound stopped, the people on the square instantly split into multiple paths, scattering in all directions. I came along with Mrs. Chen in a daze, and left with the crowd in a daze. The process in between was like the first day of writing for a child who had just entered kindergarten and didn't even know how to catch the brush yet, and I didn't even know the most basic movements of square dancing yet. This is the first day I learned to square dance.
After the first day of square dancing back, Mrs. Chen repeatedly urged me to be there the next morning. The next morning, I went there again.
The beginning is to do two sets of exercises. One is "health care exercise", the other is "Jiamusi happy dance step fitness exercise". The first set of exercises is simpler, I followed the others to do, able to follow the rhythm. The second set is more complicated. Other people left hand right foot, right hand left foot, dancing beautifully; I? I was inertia, left hand left foot, right hand right foot, clumsy movement is not a dance, no sense of beauty to speak of. By the time I reacted, I realized I was wrong, but the last move was over and the next one started. My arms and legs were switching over and over, and after all my efforts, I ended up not being able to catch up with the others' moves. "You're so stupid, so stupid!" I cursed myself in exasperation.
If you compare these two drills with the square dance, it's a big deal. Take the "cross dance" for example. The left foot pointing to the ground, cross walk; right foot pointing to the ground, cross walk; right foot toes, heel before and after pointing to the ground; the last "7" step turn. Other people danced with their hands and feet; I could only move my feet, not my hands, because my eyes had to look at other people's feet, so my hands could not care. The soles of other people's feet seemed to be smeared with oil, toes pointing to the ground, cross-walking, walking so smoothly and naturally; the soles of my feet seemed to be glued by tar, toes pointing to the ground for a long time, and cross-walking in a hurry, like a drunken person walking, stumbling and stumbling. Especially the last "7" step turn, other people jump especially easy, a twist or a spin, the body turned, like an athlete in the run like a curve, the body gently tilted, slipped through. What about me? Jump especially laborious, like moving a big mountain, will be hard to move his body over, that action is clumsy and laughable.
The result is not bad. On the morning of the sixth day, my square dance was finally recognized by Auntie Chen. That morning, Auntie Chen looked at my feet out of breath and said to me with a surprised smile, "Look, you've learned the 'cross dance.'" Listening to the praise of Auntie Chen, my heart was sweeter than honey, and I was so happy that my heart was bursting with joy.
In the following days, my square dancing became more energetic. Before this, I jumped conservatively, the movement range is small. For example, arms to stretch straight, but I stretch is half-bent half straight; feet to jump up, but I am half-stepping half-jumping; waist to backward, and I only a little bit of back posture. After this, I jumped with much more confidence. With confidence, I became more bold and my movements were more relaxed. In other words, the jumps were more in place.
When I do square dancing, I feel good when I compare myself vertically; when I compare myself horizontally with others, the gap is still very big. In particular, when I learn a new dance, others will learn it as soon as they learn it, while I learn it especially slowly. In order to shorten the distance between me and others, I often go early and ask for advice from people who know how to dance. The amazons are very enthusiastic, and they are always willing to help, and they teach me over and over again.
Dancing square dance is a two-way street, both can strengthen the body, but also to bring people closer to each other. Dancing out of the many dancers, usually encountered on the road to chat on two sentences; dancing out of the excitement, cooking, busy to jump two. Dancing square dance, the joy is endless.