dance lessons

When my husband and I were about to be married, we took some ballroom dancing lessons. Initially, we took them so that my soon-to-be husband would feel at least a little comfortable doing the occasional slow dance that would happen during the wedding reception (occasional as opposed to frequent in that he would only be willing to dance occasionally). By the time the first set of lessons were through, though, we'd signed up with the instructor to choreograph a "first dance" for us - that is, the first dance we would dance as husband and wife.

We really enjoyed ballroom dancing, and intended to continue our practice after the wedding & honeymoon, then after our busy schedules let up, then after having children, then after the business of buying a second home (when the only child was four), then after . . .

So we never did re-enlist in ballroom dance lessons. But every once and a while I'll see something that looks interesting. Like the following:

• tango article in Rochester Democrat & Chronicle

These days our son is in ballroom dancing lessons. He is 11 next week, and is very uncomfortable dancing with a girl. He even found a loophole in the "put your hand on the girl's back" rule. Apparently he holds his hand close to the girl's back but doesn't touch it (cheater!). His Dad and I noted that not touching the girl makes it difficult to lead. Maybe by the end of the lessons (this year or next?) he'll have gotten the point. Hopefully he won't understand *too* much yet, but alas . . . (my little boy :-} )