D is for.... Dance!

I was a bit late, but it's still April 4th, so I'm still getting my post in for today!  Phew!  Today is a bit of a hard day, because it's the anniversary of my grandfather's passing... I was very close to him, he lived in my household with me from the age of two so he was more like a second father than just a grandpa.  I cannot believe that it has actually been NINE years since he passed, it still feels like just yesterday.  I still miss you, Poppa.

On a happier note, my actual post for today isn't about D for Death... it's about D for Dance!  So, I'd rather focus on that!

My mom and I had been talking for years about taking an adult beginner's tap dancing class for exercise and something fun to do together each week.  We both needed a way to get active, and we had both been tap dancers as children (I only did tap for a couple of years at around age 7 and 8, my mom was a tap dancer through her teens and into her early 20s!).  Finally, we took the plunge and signed up for a class.  We began last September.

We are LOVING IT.  To the point where we've actually added a second class, so now we go to tap dancing every Tuesday and Thursday for an hour each.  It is amazing exercise!  It is so fun to move to the music, and tap away on our shoes, and just laugh and have a good time together.  There are five of us in our Tuesday class, and just three of us on Thursday.  We are all having so much fun.

Dancing has always been my favourite way to get exercise.  I was a ballerina from ages 3 to 16, did tap, jazz, and hip hop dance classes throughout that time, too.  In University, my friends and I signed up for  a session of hip hop dancing which was a blast.  I also love, love, love going line dancing with my friend Amanda who writes at Multi-Testing Mommy.  We aren't afraid to hop down onto the dance floor and follow along with the much more expert line dancers on a Saturday night.  It is so fun if you can release your inhibitions and just dive in!

For Christmas, I received a Kinect for Mr. Lock's X-Box, and the game Just Dance 4.  I live in a small space, but I've found a way to make the game work for me, and I work up a huge sweat following along to the dancers!  I end up dancing away an hour or more without even thinking about it -- it is just so enjoyable.

I'm just so happy to still have dance in my life!  I'm not great about going to a gym to work out and use the machines, so dance is my best way to burn calories and keep in shape.  I've actually lost 5 pounds since starting my tap classes, which makes me feel a bit more toned and happy about my body.  I hope my mom is up for continuing our tap classes again next fall!