I’ve only ever danced four slow dances that i recall. When i was younger i didn’t ever really see the point of it … it just was an extended slow-motion hug that turned in circles upon circles to a song too slow to really dance to. Up through my Junior prom i never danced a slow dance, but, finally, at my Senior prom i was convinced to dance by my beautiful (platonic) date Ayelet. That one spin around the dance floor remained my one and only until this year’s formal at Drexel, where i danced another platonic dance with my favourite stage manager in the world, and one with Selina, who was my date. Even though that slow dance wasn’t really platonic at all, it still sorta falls into the “safe” category because we were supposed to dance … there was no risk involved and we obviously liked each other at the time.
Last night was the first time i ever asked someone to dance out of the blue, and she said yes. I stepped on her toes once or twice, she corrected my tendency to lead us in a continuous clockwise spin, and we wound up talking and laughing the whole time. Even though it was just one slow-motion spin within a whole night of dancing, to me it was a first. And there’s a first time for every thing.