Gaskell's

[torquill]

The dance was so much in itself that I figured it would get its own entry.

We got there just before the Grand March, but as I needed to lace eyeofcanaan into her dress in the ladies' dressing room, we didn't get out onto the floor until the first notes of the first Congress of Vienna were sounding at the end of the first dance set. I stood and watched... I wasn't bothered by missing that Congress, as I hadn't expected to dance the first one. And it was fun to watch the dancers.

While eyeofcanaan was decked out in red, trimmed with black sequins and beads, with a ridiculously full bustle, I went the other route and wore the dress she gave me last Friday... dark purple sleeveless shift with a full lace overdress, buttons down the front, full sleeves, and a high Victorian sweetheart collar that bared my throat. Hair up in a bun (a must!) with two hairsticks to keep it there, earrings and pendant, low heels, the works. I didn't have any petticoats or other tricks to fill out the skirt, just my own endowments, and the redhead was kind enough to lend me her soft corset again... I prefer one with more boning, but it does give me a bit of support and smooths out the curves. So I was feeling pretty.

I socialized during the first break, danced a bit during the next set with some people I know from Friday Night Waltz, and got complimented a few times. The biggest problem, one that only increased as the night went on, was that there were so many people there. Waltzes, particularly the popular ones, crammed the floor so full it was impossible to make a full circle around the room without getting bumped, bumping into someone, or getting kicked/stepped on. I had quite skillful partners, who were leading as best they could, and we still got jostled. Too many bodies... Don observed that he had thought the Christmas ball was crowded, and this was worse -- without even having a special holiday to explain it.

On the minus side, it made it very difficult to step properly, as my partners were too focused on where we were going and compensating where their own feet went to give me proper lead/cues as to where to put my feet -- I was keeping time just fine, but tended to shuffle and lurch a bit as we tried to navigate. The plus side, however, was that given how many times we had to stop in place because there was nowhere to go, there were a lot of chances to spin. A lot. And somehow, I got the knack of spinning and coming back in step, so I did quite well at that for the first time (not to mention a few more fancy maneuvers). It made up for feeling clumsy in the standard steps.

I tapped phantomdancer for the promised waltz -- a very short one, unfortunately -- and started retiring more and more often to the foyer with its open door to the cool outside. I had a borrowed fan, but it can only do so much in the oven that the dance hall becomes. At least the refreshments table never ran out of punch, so despite the fact that I couldn't drink the water, I never went thirsty, and it was iced to boot.

Looking ahead, I went hunting for a partner to dance the second Congress with, and did find someone who had not yet been claimed... a nice fellow I know from FNW by the name of Jeremy: decent dancer, quite pleasant to talk to. We agreed to meet by the doors when the time came around, and I went hunting for someone else in particular.

I found him after a little searching, finding him off the floor for once -- Brett is really fairly popular, being a very good dancer, not to mention that I don't think I'm the only one who finds him exquisitely kind to the eyes. (He's the one I was panting after at the last FNW too.) I tapped him for a dance and he chose to teach me how to mazurka... He did very well, I surprised myself by picking it up very quickly, and I thoroughly enjoyed the whole experience. Then it was outside to the foyer again, where both phantomdancer and eyeofcanaan burst into laughter at how red my face was. Well, mazurkas are strenuous, and the hall was hot, and... okay, it was partly the eye candy that was leading me around. I'll admit it.

I picked up Jeremy for Congress, and he assured me that he actually knew it fairly well. (The previous times I had been partnered with someone who acted like I wasn't there and someone whose enthusiasm far outstripped his skill.) And he did, indeed, know how to lead me through the panes, which are still my shakiest part, while complimenting me on how well I did them. Did I mention he's a good dance partner?

The floor was still crowded, but we managed, and I finally had someone to dance Congress with where I could flirt a bit too (because, y'know, that's half the point of that dance). So I did. And halfway through the first set of panes I realized he had his eyes on me... yow. Boy. I'm a little ashamed to say that it made me flirt a bit more, because I enjoyed being admired. It was, all in all, what I had originally expected Congress to be like, given a partner with whom one can hold eyes and enjoy the slow sensual portions. That dance can be downright sinful.

By the end he was admiring me outright, and gave me a hug before leading me back to the edge of the floor like a gentleman. (At the end of the night, he found me to exchange another hug and some pleasantries... that boy has a serious crush, and I'm going to have to be careful with him. I'm not used to handling people carefully so that they don't get hurt... I'm both pleased and dismayed.)

I got a couple more partners tossed my way by eyeofcanaan, and enjoyed the waltzes while sitting out the schottisches and polkas (waaaay too hot in there). So I did have a nice partner for the last waltz, the Air Force reservist Mark, in his dress uniform, looking quite sharp and leading very well. I couldn't find another partner for the last Sir Roger de Coverley, but a fellow tapped me halfway through and we joined a set already in progress. Oh, did I mention I had discovered seamoose there? It happened to be his set that we joined, so I got a little tiny bit of dancing in with him as well as the talking during breaks and after the dance.

And then we all sang "God Save the Queen"/"My Country 'Tis of Thee" (depending on which song one knew more words to) and it was over. We got out of our dresses (or eyeofcanaan did, I just removed various supporting garments and freed my feet) and started hunting for a place to do afters... as I mentioned in the previous post, eyeofcanaan, phantomdancer, his friend from Davis, and I ended up at Denny's by about 1:30, and chatted with increasing grogginess until eyeofcanaan took me home.

It was enormously fun. I'm starting to get more unsolicited compliments about my dancing, and I'm learning to accept compliments about my looks more graciously. I'm remembering how to curtsy, too. :) Nothing like a little formal dancing to make a lady feel more graceful and beautiful. That's something I haven't had in my life for a long time.

Comments

Amoeba amoeba, absorb absorb, digest digest!

[eyeofcanaan.livejournal.com]

Mu hoo, mu ha ha.
You have been assimilated, and I told you resistance was futile.

I do enjoy your recanting of these events! When we first started you in the dancing venue it really seemed as though it were a doomed cause. Initially, your exposure to these groups was less than acceptable.

But you gave it a chance and didn't give up!
And now these posts just make me smile so broadly my face hurts.

Welcome to the fold, my dear. I'm so glad you are here to share it with phantom and myself.

YT.