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,
When I’m dancing and make a mistake I am so hard on myself that I keep making more and more mistakes. I struggle to just continue dancing. Help me, Poppy.
Self Berated
Dear Berated,
Sweetie, when you make a mistake, don’t mentally berate yourself. Stay calm, regroup, offer your partner a quick “oops” or “sorry,” and smile. Find your composure and keep going! You’ll find that the more patient you can be with yourself, the more patient your partners will be as well. Just keep your sense of humor about learning and enjoy the process.
Dear Poppy,
I am really afraid to go out to a club dancing alone or without a partner, but I really want to go out and practice the dances that I’ve been working on at Dance Station. What would you suggest?
Scaredy-Cat
Dear Scaredy-Cat,
Darling, the only way to cure you of this fear is for you to participate in Dance Station’s Night-on-the-Town. This is your chance to take all your new dance skills and try them out in real club settings — with fellow students and the fabulous Dance Station Staff. They will help you if you need a little reminder on a dance pattern or some reassurance. This is a perfect way to get over any nervousness you may have around social dancing “in the real world.” You’ll have a safe, enjoyable evening of dancing. Lucky you, there is a Night-on-the-Town scheduled for 7:30 p.m. Saturday, April 18. Go for it, Scaredy-Cat!
