A Look Back

“Advanced class, indeed. I nearly fell over after the first 10 minutes of warm-up footwork. An hour later, my knees are sore and my thighs are still burning. We also learned a mini alegrias choreography and then had to perform it individually. Boy, did I choke.” — me, 6.03.10

Next month will mark a year since I began writing about my experiences as a flamenco dance student. So, over the next few weeks, I’ll be looking back at some of my online blurts to help me put things in perspective and measure my progress.

The quote was taken from a post I did after my first advanced class with Rina, which was about nine months ago. I remember that night plainly. I remember thinking, “Um, ok …. I’m clearly not as coordinated as the other girls, I’m out of breath and my legs hurt like HELL. Maybe I’m not ready for this.” I also recall being sore for DAYS and thinking I must be high on crack to believe I should even be in that class.

But what a difference nine months makes. The build-ups are a little easier now and I can do them for much longer. I don’t run out of steam the way I used to. I think it’s partly due to the conditioning and partly due to the fact that I’m a little lighter than I was last year. It’s amazing the difference a few pounds makes.

If I could cut McDonald’s out of my life completely, I’d could probably get in really great shape and kick some major ass in class. But I’m still a sucker for a Happy Meal (and a rainbow-sprinkled donut), so I’m taking things one step at a time …

I’m not sailing through the advanced footwork class by any means. No, it’s still hard, but I can hang. And the last couple of weeks, I’ve left class feeling I could go another hour. I love that!