I wish... I could street dance (part 5)

You don't need lessons to be able to dance. All you need is a body and a soul.

"Come on people, show me some energy! It can't all come from me," said JP, the street dance instructor. "I'm giving you my life here!"

We wannabe streetdancers were a bit subdued in my third and final lesson in October. But I couldn't help thinking it was the rapid, non-stop routine JP had given us that was partly to blame.

I wasn't the only person who was struggling. But I seemed to be the only person who was so lost that occasionally I stopped altogether and waited for the right moment to leap back into the routine. Like a surfer choosing a wave to ride.

I refused to give up. As planned, I practised the routine without constantly watching JP, and squeezed in extra practice during brief interludes when he was fiddling with the MP3 player or we all stopped to drink water. I didn't care if I dried up like an old prune; I was determined to learn the routine.

Despite my best efforts, my final performance was poor. I accepted that although my soul was willing and my body was able, my mind would not allow me to remember the routine in the time available. I needed more time. 

But there wasn't any. The lesson was over and next week we would learn a different routine. Why couldn't we learn and practice one routine over several weeks? I wondered. Then I could practice at home and nail the flipping thing.

I drove home in a huff. It felt like an anti-climax to the month. I had secretly hoped that the final lesson would be my best yet. That suddenly it would all click into place and I'd seamlessly perform the routine from beginning to end with power and precision and afterwards we'd be high-fiving and freestyling out the door, all the way to the pub.

My expectations were unrealistic. To become any good at street dance I would have to practice week in week out for years. That's if my body held out. And my ability to learn routines is unlikely to improve with age. So where does that leave me?

I will go to a few more street dance lessons. If I enjoy them, I'll carry on going. If I don't, I'll stop going. Because dancing should be fun. It's a way of expressing yourself. Personally, it makes me feel alive and sometimes takes me to a higher place. It's hard to describe.

You don't need lessons to be able to dance. All you need is a body and a soul.

So I'm going to end this wish of the month on a positive note. After lesson 2, the lesson that I most enjoyed, I filmed myself practising the routine in my studio. I'm clumsy, it's filmed badly, and I didn't dress for the task in hand. But I tell you what - I had a bloody good time doing it.

I wish... I could street dance! (The music video)

Join me again soon for a brand new wish of the month. What do you wish you could do?