Did you have dance-related fantasies when you were a kid?

[HothouseSalsero]

During the late 70's, without the help of seeing Saturday Night Fever, I found the whole sophisticated image around disco dancing very appealing. I don't think I spent that much time thinknig about it, but I like the idea of being able to dance well, while the strobe lights flahsed. This phase didn't last very long, since I soon discovered college radio, and became somewhat of a college radio snob. Disco was too repetitious. Meanwhile minimalism was a big exciting discovery: Philip Glass, Steve Reich, etc. Figuer that one out.

When I started going out to Latin dance nights at clubs several years back, I was finally getting a chance to live out something like those disco fantasies I had when I was a pre-teen. I had done some dancing before that, but hadn't done any real partner dancing, certainly not in a club setting.

I am particularly interested in hearing from other male dancers. I don't think it's all that common for a pre-teen boy (especially a white one) to find dance that appealing.

 

[Laura]

Well, I'm female, but I'll answer anyway. When I was young I wanted to take ballet but my mom wouldn't let me because she had had a bad experience with it when she was my age.

In the 70's, when disco was big, somehow a coffee-table style book about Studio 54 found its way to the tiny library in the tiny town (population 600) where I lived in New Hampshire. I was in about fifth grade at the time, and I read the book and looked at the pictures and decided I wanted to go to fabulous parties and have a great time. It took a long time, but in my 20's I discovered the rave scene and so got my wish there!!

And a few years ago, in my mid-thirties, I started taking ballet. I really wish my mom had let me when I was younger, because I really enjoy it and my teachers are absolutely wonderful.

I never had any ballroom fantasies, which is funny because that's what I've been doing for the past seven years!

 

[HothouseSalsero]

Well, I'm female, but I'll answer anyway.

I wasn't trying to discourage females from responding; I was just trying to encourage the males to do so (so I can make my unscientific comparison between myself and a sample group).

I remember being very intrigued with Studio 54 around this time too, but I can't remember if I first heard about it in TIME magazine (which was my introduction to punk, of all things) or on TV.

 

[SDsalsaguy]

Regarding the original question "Did you have dance-related fantasies when you were a kid?" I can unequivocally answer HELL NO! :lol:

Seriously, up through eight years ago you probably would have had to put a gun to my head to get me to want to dance. :shock:

I only started salsa because a woman I was in love with was into it and I figured that I'd need to learn in order to impress her (never really a good reason to do something, I know, but love can make people do foolish things... ). Still I consider this one of the most fortunate things to happen in my life – perhaps the most so – since it was through this that I first discovered salsa and later ballroom. Now I can't imagine my life without dance, as it is a regular part of my own activity (mostly salsa at the moment as I'm currently still without a ballroom partner) and my academic research (predominantly on competitive ballroom).

 

[Pache]

No, I hade no dance fantasies I fear my ambitions were to became a "boatman" (I thought that people with a ship of some sorts had as profession to sail every day a bit around...). Further I never thought even much of dancing. Well, may have had times I thought about dancing from age 11 forth, but in a concerned way, rather than something I wished to do.

 

[Sagitta]

Not really. I only thought of dance summer 1999, but on emonth after I started that came to a crashing halt a month into it when I got into a pretty nasty bicycle accident. Then I started having dance dreams. Those sort of faded away, and suddenly took the plunge again early 2003, and hear I am now. I cannot imagine my life without dance, but in the right circumstances even if it was mostly once a week that would eb fine with me.

 

[MacMoto]

When I was young I wanted to take ballet but my mom wouldn't let me

Same here! I think a lot of little girls dream of becoming a ballerina.

 

[cocodrilo]

No. No fantasies for me. Tried tap, ballet, etc and ended up quitting after a short time. Was more inclined to last with art-related hobbies and music.

 

[Swingolder]

Not just when I was a kid! I was married and the mom of three kids in the 80s when Dirty Dancing came out. I wanted to be Jennifer Grey. She picked up the dancing so easy, why couldn't I! And she was so cute and so tiny!

 

[motardmom]

Not just when I was a kid! I was married and the mom of three kids in the 80s when Dirty Dancing came out. I wanted to be Jennifer Grey. She picked up the dancing so easy, why couldn't I! And she was so cute and so tiny!

Add me to that list! I wanted to grow up to be Jennifer Gray! I'd venture to say that there is a whole group of women who wanted that very same thing! :lol:

 

[Swingolder]

Not just when I was a kid! I was married and the mom of three kids in the 80s when Dirty Dancing came out. I wanted to be Jennifer Grey. She picked up the dancing so easy, why couldn't I! And she was so cute and so tiny!

Add me to that list! I wanted to grow up to be Jennifer Gray! I'd venture to say that there is a whole group of women who wanted that very same thing! :lol:

And she is still cute and tiny but, thankfully, I have outgrown that "I want to be, or look like, someone else" wish. However, I still would like to be a better dancer! But I will just keep working at it.

 

[Laura]

When I was young I wanted to take ballet but my mom wouldn't let me

Same here! I think a lot of little girls dream of becoming a ballerina.

Thing is, I didn't have dreams of becoming a ballerina. I had never even seen a ballet. I just wanted to take lessons because it sounded like fun and lots of other girls were doing it.

 

[Kitty]

I had some dreams of being a ballerina in very early childhood (like 4-12) and from 10 and on I had a lot of dreams about ballroom. Actually, specifically about standard and other "formal ballroom" dances, not latin. All came from reading "Gone With The Wind," "War And Piece," "Three Musketeers" and other books that have descriptions of balls in them! I didn't get latin dreams until I was like 13 or 14 and watched movies like "dirty dancing" and ballroom comps on TV...