..Remember that film...well what I really wanted to say is 'straight men can't dance' ..uh-oh..is that statement sexist?! Will I be slapped with a fine? Hey, I'm black(ish) and I can't sing so relax, we're quits :)
Okay, it's a bit of a sweeping statement, it really should read 'most straight men can't dance'. For those of you who wish to argue the toss with me you need to come along to an 'Exercise to Music' train the trainer class. I know I've touched on this before, but if you were a part of it, you would know what I mean.
Remember I told you about Mohamed in a past post, well he came out of his little shell on Monday night. After an hour of theory about 'Exercise to Music' we were told to go and get changed for the class....the groans around the room from the lads brought a smile to my face but there were more to come. My dancing shadow 'partner', the 2-left-footed Mohamed, who had arrived in a trendy silk champagne coloured shirt and matching tie, arrived back up the stairs, in a pair of shabby shorts, a jersey with Tír Eoghain across the back and the biggest smile you've ever seen. Ahhh I thought to myself, he's up to something....he's been practising. I expected him to tuck himself in behind me again in the third row but no....up to the front row he plodded. He turned, gave me a grin, gestured with his 2 fingers to his eyes for me to watch and follow him...well let's just say that started me off laughing.
Now he's not the only 'awkward' mover..I could pick a few. Tom in front of me couldn't manage an up-right row with his arms so improvised by turning it into a 'shrug'..so he was hopping up and down whilst doing overly exaggerated shrugs to the beat. Erica and I were doubled over laughing and had to tap him on his uncontrollable shoulders and ask him to stop as we couldn't concentrate. Thankfully these lads can laugh at themselves. Then we have Yash..beautifully dark-skinned, long black curly hair in a pony-tail, black trackie bottoms and a black very low cut vest top proudly revealing his hairy chest. He's actually very quiet so we were a little surprised when he appeared looking, but not dancing, like one of Madonna's backing dancers. Then we have young Gareth from Finglas who is probably the baby of the class (I'm fond of his cheeky nature, it's probably my motherly instincts taking over)...he loves his boxing but he's not so hot on his dancing. At one stage he was behind me and managed to get his foot up and around me, to kick my hand....I think he got carried away and thought he was at kick-boxing! I kicked him back and then we moved on...(joking)...
Anyway, back to Mohamed. He started well and I have to say was giving it socks, methinks he was practising in front of the mirror in his bedroom. There's something very refreshing to see a big solid man, in a Tyrone jersey, with Maori tattoos on his arms, who speaks English slowly with a French accent through a big white smile, thoroughly enjoying himself. However the backward leg-curls were not his thing. Poor Shelly, who was positioned behind him, had to dodge a hairy backward swinging brown leg with a size 11 on the end of it every so often.....ah sure it kept her alert and on her toes so to speak. He'd glance back at us every so often with his silly grin to seek our approval to which we'd give him the big thumbs up.
We all have our strengths and our weaknesses. That's why it's important to encourage one another and have a giggle as we do so .... *stomp stomp stomp stomp* :)
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