Ms. Poppy Chiffon – the doyenne of dance, the baroness of ballroom etiquette, the sultana of Southern hospitality – is pleased to answer your dance-related questions. Here are a few queries that Poppy deigned to extract from her mailbag this week. If you have a question that you would like Poppy Chiffon to address, please e-mail her at askpoppy@dancestationusa.com. Ms. Chiffon regrets that she cannot respond individually to questions.
Dear Poppy,
Every time my dance partner breathes on me I think that I might swoon. I really like dancing with him, but his breath is simply appalling. What should I say to him?
Breath Taken
Dear Taken,
Sweetie, I always bring an extra tin of mints or pack of gum with me when I go out dancing. I suggest you do the same and offer a piece to your partner. You may have to repeat your offer a couple of times before he gets the hint.
No one wants to make a bad impression or exhale his fetid breath on a dance partner. However, if your partner is one of the duller tools in the shed you may have to give him an extra nudge. I suggest saying to him kindly, “I know my breath is simply atrocious after I’ve had some garlic or onion for dinner; you didn’t happen to have any garlic tonight, did you?”
Dear Poppy,
I am a single woman of good virtue. Is it proper to ask a man to dance?
Lonely
Dear Lonely,
What century are you living in, sugar? Do please ask a man to dance. Virtuous or not (and Poppy believes one must always err on the side of the former, unless one has a really good reason), you don’t have to be bored. After all, if you don’t ASK you may as well be prepared to sit for a year until that partner you want to dance with finally asks you.
Dear Poppy,
When the music begins I never know what dance it is. They always announce the dance at the Dance Station practice parties, but when I’m out at a club, there’s nobody saying, “The next dance will be a rumba…” What do I do?
Slow To Get It
Dear Slow,
Listen for the slows and quicks in the music and try to figure out the dance from the pattern. For example, a “slow, quick, quick” pattern indicates rumba or nightclub two-step.
If all else fails, do what most people do and watch what everyone else is doing. In my impetuous youth, I used to go to Mexican dances and noticed that the leaders all would wait until someone began dancing. Everyone else would then follow in whatever dance it was. Several measures of music would sometimes pass before anyone moved. Don’t be afraid to make mistakes. You can always begin again. Your Poppy has certainly started over a few times. But that’s a story for another week . . .
Remember to e-mail your questions to askpoppy@dancestationusa.com.
Oh joy poppy is a great addition to the site, many good things I see in the future of the DANCE STATION Santa Fe
NM LOVE AND LIGHT
ALLWAYS