Poll: How many X Markers Dance?

[wsk]

Don't. It's how my Dad met my Mom. As I was growing up, they were always dancing round the house. But, by the time I was old enough to appreciate girls, I was also old enough to rebel against my father so anything he did I wouldn't. Shot myself in the foot there.

Interestingly, now that I'm much older, I find myself enjoying exactly the things my Dad enjoyed. I love to watch Gene Kelly or any of the other great cinematic dancers dance.

In elementary school the teachers tried to teach us to dance. It was laborious and there weren't any male teachers to show us boys how fun it could be. Teachers shot my other foot.

Once spent a great day at the Wurst Fest in New Braunsfels (sp?), Texas with my Aunt, Uncle, and Grandmother. If we'd have gotten just one more bucket o' beer I'm pretty sure I'd have dragged my Gran onto the dance floor for a polka. It was beginning to look fun.

Completely separate from this discussion, I recently started thinking about dancing and why so many men don't do it. The conclusion that I arrived at is that men of my father's generation did not know how to show their sons that it's ok to enjoy yourself in "non-manly" ways. What a shame.

Of course all of this has come to me now that I'm single again without a partner to share it with. Someday perhaps.

And now, just this morning on NPR they did a piece about ballroom dancing and health. I had learned about this same Italian study earlier somehow, and the tag line then was that one of the benefits the researchers discovered is that ballroom dancing leads to a better sex life. Why didn't they tell me that when I was younger?

[Panache]

...Completely separate from this discussion, I recently started thinking about dancing and why so many men don't do it. The conclusion that I arrived at is that men of my father's generation did not know how to show their sons that it's ok to enjoy yourself in "non-manly" ways. What a shame...

This came up in the conversations I had as well. Hence this thread. I agree that there is a common modern perception that dancing is unmanly, though the success of "Dancing with the Stars" television show (which in truth I have never seen) gives me hope that this will change. There was a time once when a gentleman was expected to know how to shoot, fence, ride, as well as etiquette, dance, and poetry. Those things I didn't get from my parents or school I sought out as a young adult (I've said it before, I watched waaaaaaaaaaaaaay too many swashbuckler type movies as a kid). My though is that kilt wearers lean toward a lot of "old fashion"* notions. We have an interest in manners, customs, fashions, and etiquette.

I just hope Sinbad doesn't rebel against all this when he gets to his teens.

Cheers

* At least a modified version that includes most of the good things and leaves racism, sexism, and hygiene issues (amongst others) back in their appropriate centuries.