Major Mel,
When I read this post it brought back wonderful memories of my son's first partnering classes (nicknamed "baby partnering"at CPYB) with Ken Laws, Physics Professor at Dickinson College and author of The Physics of Dance. I think he was 8 or 9 years old. Ken invited the parents in for the final partnering class after the 5 week summer intensive.
I almost bust a gut trying not to laugh out loud!
I was seated next to a stage mom, whose daughter was one of the girls my son was partnering. She made it seem as if they were destined to get married. After I edged my chair away from her, I observed what Mel described as the beginnings of any partnering class - manners and respect. These little ones thought that members of the opposite sex where "yucky". One of the things the partners were to demonstrate was walking with one's partner and presenting her. Many of the young ladies just stormed acrossed the stage not wanting to be anywhere near their partners, some of the young gents were overly serious about their role, trying to corral their partners, ovethers looked clearly bowled over!
I had barely recovered from this exercise when Ken had the class in lines with their partners, girls in front. The girls were instructed to go on releve and the boys were to place their hands on their partner's waist. At this I was almost crying - on releve, many of the girls were taller than their partners - and all you could see was hands on waist! Ken told the girls to "trust their partners" - as they were swaying in the breeze. (One could just see the girls saying to themselves, "Trust HIM! - Ha!"). One was grateful that this is an artform without words.
And now, looking back 10 years later, having seen some of the member of that class grow up, it is wonderful to see that those basic lessons of respect, trust, communication, deportment, are well ingrained.
Thank you for brining to mind some wonderful memories!
