They learned about doing proper introductions, how to share refreshments in a proper, respectful manner and they did a whole lot of dancing. They learned the Fox Trot, the Jitter Bug, The Mamba and the beginning steps for a few others. Interestingly, there were six more boys than there were girls. Consequently, the boys had to take turns cutting in. There was a five second rule that if you did not have a partner, an instructor would find one for you. Some times it was a bit comical as there is a vast difference in size in this age range. It is a session for 6th-8th graders. Some of them were just about half as tall as Ellie and a few looked many years younger. When one of the girls danced with a boy who was much shorter, they'd have to bend their knees to make it work. The result was humorous. It was touching, too.
Some of the boys would not look at their dance partner (Ethan tells me it is the same with the girls in his class.) A few were ready to strike up conversation. Ellie found those boys more interesting to dance with. Many of them seemed to be Lacrosse players. One boy, Jackson, found a way to dance with Ellie three times and he refused to let the others cut in. She enjoyed his conversation (he is pretty funny) and appreciated his ability to dance a bit. Anna's boyfriend, Nial, is in the class, too. They found ways to dance together a few times. I was touched when they spied a girl without a partner (all of the partner free boys were on the other side of the crowded dance floor.) who seemed a bit lonely. Anna and Nial decided that she needed to dance, so Nial danced with her and Anna found another person to dance with. I found that very considerate and thoughtful.
Ethan had his third class. The focus was on how to eat at a fancy restaurant. Ethan was volunteered to demonstrate. He found it interesting to see how differently you would eat something, such as steak, here as compared to how to handle the silverware in the UK. They did a present drive too. Instead of having one of us take care of it, he picked out his own present. It was fun to watch. Walking through the young child toy area was a walk down memory lane for him. Certain toys sparked memories not often visited. He selected a colorful, wooden block set that comes in a wooden wagon. He wanted the child to have something creative.
On an entirely different note, here's a cool video I stumbled upon when I was uploading my most recent show for our bike team.
"It's Your Ride" by Cinecycling on Vimeo.com
It's Your Ride from Cinecycle on Vimeo.
The music is "The Hustle" by Alan Wilkis.
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