Dance, Dance, VOLTA!

Janna and I went to waltz class together last night--it started last week, but I was in Philadelphia. This class is being taught by Gaye Fifer, a soft-spoken, graceful woman, whose name is as whimsical as the dances she teaches. Her roommate is Michelle, an old friend whom we haven't seen much of recently, so it was pleasant to see her at the waltz class. Apparently, Gaye's ex-husband?, Gene, is also good friends with John & Alaina and Judy & Liz, and Janna has this vague paranoia that she always says offensive things at parties that causes him to leave early.
I've always enjoyed the waltz, simply because I was introduced to it at a younger age, and it is a dance that you can enjoy at a very simple level. I have to admit, that there is something about poetry and dancing that seems quite ephemeral and that I don't quite understand at an intrinsic level. However, I enjoy interacting with the two because of that mystery. My fascination with physics is much the same. I really don't quite understand it, so I only know enough to prove my ignorance and to maintain that sense of mystery.
Of all the classes I took in college, I think some of the warmest memories I have are of Jazz Dance. I remember telling someone during orientation that I was going to take it, on a whim, to fulfill one of my PE requirements, so I actually followed through and did so. Calvin's dance professor, Ellen Van't Hof, is really quite a remarkable teacher, both demanding and patient, as the best teachers are. I enjoyed that class, for many reasons, but the millieu of students was perfect for a dance class--my friend "Kat," the queen-bee theater major, "Princess," a voluptuous blond who lived on Kat's and my cousin Bev's hall and was P's roommate. My dance partner was a Tejana whose name escapes me. She was pretty enough to be interesting, but not too pretty to be distracting. She was very patient, and attempted to introduce me to the world of Latin dancing. Also, there were two or three other guys--who were more or less as clueless as I--so I didn't feel completely alone--but the gender ratio was still completely skewed.
I'm looking forward to really learning how to waltz well, so the next time we go to a contra-dance (which hasn't been in a while), I can hold my own. Contra is quite fun, and I'm dissapointed that I wasn't able to go with Janna the last time she went.