Throwback Thursday: When did you take your first dance lessons? #TBT

[#1]

It's Thursday!

Hello! My first memory of being formally taught some dance moves is when I was about 7 or 8 years old (might even have been 6). I lived at Suðurgata 23, Hafnarfirði, Iceland at the time and there was a very old town-hall type of house at the end of our street. There was a wooden floor and they taught us some basic side to side moves :) Here is a newer picture of that hall:

But it was nothing like Napoleon!

Soooo, when did you take your first dance lessons?

Let’s make it a great Thursday!

KGM

[Dan Breyen]

My parents took disco lessons, but for me, I can only remember taking a class on a cruise ship once.  

"Do the Hustle"

[Nic Brough -Adaptavist-]

We took some lessons last August/September/October. 

We got a couple of prizewinning ballroom dancers (Chrissy's employer and her partner) to teach us a simple waltz, so we didn't embarrass ourselves during our first dance at our wedding in November.

[Thorhalla Gudmundsdottir Beck]

When I was around maybe eight to twelve there was a woman who came to our town regularly to hold dance courses. 

WORST DAYS OF MY LIFE! 🤣🤣

Absolutely not a dancer 😅😅😅

[Trudy Claspill]

I started dance classes (ballet, tap, and jazz) when I was 7 when a dance instruction studio opened in my small town. I continued until the studio closed when I was 14. I restarted again at university when I thought I would pursue a career in musical theater performance. I eventually changed my degree pursuit to Computer Science, but I am still taking (and now sometimes teaching) ballet classes many, many years later.

[Anne Quick-Laughlin]

In about 1978, I was a red-headed pipsqueak and I had my first dance lesson in 2nd grade from a homeroom teacher who taught us all to square dance. I loved it and my mother made me a circle skirt that I loved even more. I participated in a lunch-time club to continue for the rest of the school year. Then I became a 3rd grader and was too cool for that! 

Wish I had a photo!

[Dan Breyen]

Well, to follow up, the professional dance lesson was on a cruise ship, but of course the MidWest Polka and Waltz lessons came from mom.  Practically every family wedding back in the 70's and 80's involved several polkas and/or waltzes and one needed to know the footwork and their variations in order to strut your stuff on the dance floor.

So if it wasn't for mom, I wouldn't be able to be strutting my stuff at the Oktoberfest Polka Party.  

A little tip, make sure your shoes are a little bit on the slippery side.  Grip is a bad thing when you're trying to remember how to count to three not step on your partner's feet, and most importantly to watch where you're going to not bump into your neighbor.

[Laurie Sciutti]

Wow.  I started ballet at a very young age -- I must have been 4 or 5.  I  distinctly remember watching in awe as the older girls laced up their pointe shoes.  I thought they (girls) were beautiful.  I never did stick with ballet but I've always admired the dedication of ballerinas and the pain they've endured in those pointe shoes!  🩰

[Brant Schroeder]

I took a dance class in college.  That was probably my first official dance lessons.

[Ram Kumar Aravindakshan _Adaptavist_]

As I remember it was 1984 after watching Micheal Jackson's thriller video.

[Summer Hogan]

I don't think I have ever taken a dance lesson. Maybe I should try one! 

[Dave Liao]

I don't remember when I took dance lessons, but I remember where - it was at a university, and their dance team members ran the lessons! 🙌

[Prasad Kalamkar]

Took my first dance lessons during my high school days.!! 

[Dave Mathijs]

I took them before my marriage, just for the opening dance. It went as well as the marriage ...

[Sanjog Sigdel]

Never Have I ever taken a dance class :)

[ABR]

Hi! @Kristján Geir Mathiesen 

Dance to me is my way of connecting to my true-self! Although my dear parents got me admitted to renowned teacher (Guru), to learn the Indian Classical dance called Kathak; I couldn't take the discipline required at such a young age of 3 years and my parents had to remove me from her school.

I really discovered my love for the rhythm of dance, when I was 16. I was a guest to the anniversary party of the parents of my then boyfriend, now husband. It is a tradition of their parties to have a talent show in which both guests and hosts take part. I was asked to dance by his mom. With much reluctance, I took the stage because I couldn't refuse her request. And I discovered in me a natural instinct to dance!

Rest, as they say, is history! Since then I haven't looked back! Today not only do I dance myself but I choreograph all the dances for the local community festivities!

I can only dance to Indian tunes but would love to learn to dance to Arabic and Western music! When I dance my soul flies and I can feel the divine connection to my audience! I'm forever grateful to have had a mom-in-law whose insight gave me this incredible gift!

So whether its a light classical number or Indian folk or even Bollywood, Dance is my ticket to happiness!

Thanks for the opportunity to share!