Week 10 - spent this week using up some of the extra classes offered as part of the course. We get eleven weeks of classes but can attend three extra classes during the term. This week I went three times. I could tell you about all three but as they were all fantastic but one really stood out.

Monica took the Tuesday class. It is a bit strange going along to a class where you do not recognise anyone. I like Monica as she, like me, is into producing sound effects to go along with the actions (when I was a child, mum called me the sound effects man). Monica was teaching us a turn on the end of the latin fitness step. We cross one foot behind the other and unwind in a spinning action. During every spin, Monica would whistle, which made me laugh and fall over during the spin. Perhaps Monica should be known as the whistling instructor.

We also learnt a new Salsa step - that is stepping on the target - but with a back and forth action. Instead of the usual step back on the left, the leader steps forward, the back foot taps, the front foot come back, right foot taps and steps back, left foot taps, right comes back, left taps and back to the start. We practiced without a partner and with counting (no whistling) until most of us had got the hang of it. We then had to dance it with a partner.

Something strange happens when I get to practice a new dance step with a partner. I forget what I told a few seconds before, stiffen up, loose all flexibility in my hips and lose my sense of rhythm. This is compounded when Monica is watching our technique. I quickly forget how to count to four, confuse my left foot with my right, get backwards and forward the wrong way around, and cant but help look at my feet.

Fortunately Monica moves away, and after a few times through and encouraging remarks from my dance partner it starts to come together. I feel fantastic for having mastered this difficult new step. Unfortunately Monica decided to add a spin (a chance for her to perfect the whistle) which threw me into a spin. Actually the leader doesn't spin at all, in fact all that the leader does is repeat the step, the follower has the hard work.

After the front step (four count I think) the leader lifts the left hand to spin the follower in a clockwise direction. At this point I find myself tempted to stand on the spot and wait for my partner to complete the spin ... after-all she wont know that I cheated. Then I just tap once on the left and step forward. Monica was quick to pick up on my lazy technique and had me correct my step. The amusing thing about this step is that as beginners the leader and the followers end up being about half a mile apart after the turn. At which point the leaders invent all sort of extra steps to catch up with the follower. None of which looks very graceful.

Later in the class we formed a circle, with leader on the outside and followers on the inside. Dancing merengue we stepped on the spot for a four count, in for a four count, back for a four count and then a spin. Once this was mastered we added a clockwise turn of our partner, a clockwise turn for the leader whilst changing places, and a clockwise spin of our partner until again swapping places. To finish we spun our partner anti-clockwise to the person on the left. Having already done this at the dance party really helped this combination.

Ten o'clock came around all too quickly. I was just starting to relax and have some fun and it was time for Monica to read the weekly announcements. I was pleasantly surprised when one of the girls asked me out to coffee afterwards :-)

Steve