Hip Hop 101

I’m not really a person that has to go out looking for opportunities to humiliate myself. Those situations usually tend to find me. This is a story of self-inflicted humiliation.

Being in New York is an amazing opportunity because there is always something going on. I decided on day one that I was going to take advantage of as many of the things NY has to offer as I could.  Tonight I attended a Hip-Hop class.

The last dance class I attended was in 1998. The day I saw Mulan I decided I was finished with dancing and Karate was for me. The day I hung up my leotard also seemed to be the day I lost any type of rhythm or dance coordination. The Cupid Shuffle is out of my league and I always considered myself the exception to the song, “I Hope You Dance.”

Tonight I rode the train to the dance studio. The entire time I was trying to talk myself out of this ludicrous act I was about to commit. I arrived at the studio in my Sperry’s and khaki shorts and saw immediately that I was out of place. I didn’t have a flat-billed Yankees hat with the stickers still on it or any untied high-top Nikes. I learned very quickly that owning the Nicki Minaj CD didn’t make me as thug as I though it did.

If their attire wasn’t intimidating enough their intensity was. The only Dougie I know is my father and I still haven’t figured out how “Jerkin” is positive thing. One small man in his tight v-neck shirt had already staked claim right in front of the mirror when I got there. He did not play games! He would add things and kept using the word “Choreo!” After about ten minutes I figured out that was an "Abreive," for choreography.

Class was fun for the most part. There was one kid that was even worse than me and he made me feel a little bit better about my lack of ability. We both decided to ignore the rule that every five minutes each row would move up so that eventually everyone got to stand right in front of the mirror.

I wasn’t near as bad as I though I would be but I still can’t “Dance Like Nobody is Watching!” FACT: There are always people watching in a room full of mirrors.

I haven’t decided if I’m going to attend next week so I can learn the rest of the “Choreo,” but I definitely have a newfound respect for dancers. Despite the judgment I received I am very glad I attended Hip-Hop 101. Only in NYC would I be brave enough to “booty pop” and “body roll!”

In the meantime, keep an eye out for me on “So You Think You Can Dance!”