We moved into rows in the center
of the floor, fighting for the back
row - away from her attention.
She pulled some of the ones in
the front closer to her. “You’re
going to need room.”
She had us move one leg and
step left. Then move the other
leg behind the first and kick out
the first leg. We did the steps
slowly. Waving our arms, added
a ‘grape-vine’ step and a couple
more steps left and right. More
arm movements and we were
done. “Excellent. Now let’s add
the music.”
The beat of the music was so fast
that, if my heart matched the
rhythm, I’d be taken away in an
ambulance. (Something that was
on my mind more and more as
the class progressed.) Not only
did the steps go out of my head, I
had trouble remembering my left
from my right. The ladies were
the picture of grace and deport-
ment as we collided with each
other.
The teacher gathered us all into
a corner. The next assignment
was to spin as we moved across
the floor and then finish in the
opposite corner across the room.
The leap, then spin; leap then
spin – how come the corner I’m
supposed to get to is over there
now. Crap the room is spinning
when I’m leaping and leaping
when I’m spinning. The women
that followed also arrived in the
same drunken manner.
“If you’d like,” the teacher said,
“We can prepare a choreography
and present it in the spring with
the rest of the classes.” I envi-
sioned this young woman leading
us seniors in front of the audi-
ence in the same manner that
she led the three-year olds; and
with the same obligation, to keep
us from falling off the stage while
we danced.
The consensus on the dance
About the Author
Judie Troyansky’s first young adult fantasy novel “Parlor Tricks”
was released in August 2016 and is available on Amazon, Kindle and
Kobo.
It took a while but Judie began calling herself an artist when she
turned 50. It all began with writing and she has been writing stories
since elementary school. At the age of 40, just after her divorce, she
went back to Concordia University to earn her Bachelor’s degree
in Creative Writing. In between, she studied jewelery making and
metalsmithing; learned photography and she also loves to make digital
photo collages with Photoshop.
She lives in Quebec, Canada with her extended family and
dog, Sugar. You can reach her through her website: www.
bohemianstoryteller.com
53
show came in. The group voted
to pass – unanimously.
I lasted one more class before my
ankle gave out. Barbara told me
that the group didn’t last much
longer after that.
(Return to 2017)
My sister smiled at the memory
of our attempt at hip-hop.
I reassured my niece that I would
not be joining any of their classes
anytime soon. Maybe I’m past
the age of hip-hop dance. But
even if I never take a class again
that doesn’t mean that when
there is a good song on the radio,
I won’t crank up the volume and
shake my bootie.
Maybe my nieces would like to
learn the Twist.