By Tony Wan
This post is part of 30 Days of Gaga. A Non-Dancer’s Diary of Dance. Read Day 1.
Day 4
This over-the-top-energetic Israeli teacher with frosted tips and rock-solid thighs has me shaking my chest like I’ve never shaken it before.
“USE YOUR CHEST TO WRITE THE NAME OF YOUR FIRST BOYFRIEND!!!”
“…OR GIRLFRIEND!”
Sounds ridiculous, but I do it anyways.
K… E… L… L… Y…
By the time I write the second “L”, I can’t help but grin.
The memory of my first crush mixes with the crazy things my chest is doing.
I’m not even writing in cursive yet.
After the teacher guides the energy of the class to our first crest, he takes us to the floor. He tells us to extend our legs in the air, bend our knees, and squeeze our thighs together.
“PRETEND A CHECK FOR ONE MILLION DOLLARS IS BETWEEN YOUR THIGHS!”
“KEEP MOVING YOUR SPINE!”
He jokes with a student in front of him: “YOU JUST DROPPED YOUR CHECK!”
Not me.
Soaked in sweat, my check is sticking to my inner thigh. It had better still be legible. Because right after class, I’m cashing that check.
This teacher enjoys making us burn, but he doesn’t hide that he’s burning too. He makes crazy faces.
Following his lead, we count down our struggle together.
TEN! NINE! EIGHT!
Thighs burning.
SEVEN! SIX! FIVE!
Thighs on fire.
FOUR! THREE!
Dear God, let it be over.
TWO! ONE!
AGAIN!
What?!?
TEN! NINE! EIGHT…
Motherfucker!!!
When the second ten-count ends, I hear thuds all around as we collapse to the floor.
The teacher says, “Don’t just collapse. Feel alive. Feel energy continue to travel inside.”
This isn’t savasana, Yoga’s pose of relaxation. Our cue is to stay available so that, at any moment, we can snap into movement.
As I lie there, eyes open, alert, full of sensation, I think to myself: We do some pretty weird shit in here.
But I can’t argue with the effect. These crazy gyrations are changing me.
I feel energized. Ready. Available.
The class is over, but the feeling of extraordinariness remains.
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Follow Tony Wan’s journey through a full month of classes with biweekly posts here and on his blog.
