All that changed when a recording was switched on and beautiful music, I think by Purcell, filled the shabby dance hall. I was instantly hooked and have been coming back on Thursday evenings ever since. All of this in spite of the fact that I still don’t find it easy and have remained more or less a permanent, but contented, beginner.
I can’t begin to tell you in how many ways I find the classes rewarding: they require total mental and physical concentration, a musical ear and the ability to work with others, in a foreign language. None of these things comes easily to me. I am a writer and spend a lot of time at my desk alone, thinking in English, so it is deeply satisfying to practise dancing in harmony with others, in French.
Cécile is a perfectionist, something I have grown to appreciate more and more over time. Unlike the historic dance groups I have tried in London, at Chestnut you are actually taught, and a certain elegance is encouraged, right from the start.
I’m not prepared to put in the hours at workshops I realise would be necessary for me, not a natural dancer, to really master the steps, but I get a lot of fun out of trying, for an hour and a half every week. It’s the perfect break from writing.
I also appreciate the warmth of the group members, and the welcome they have given to the novice friends I have occasionally brought with me. I have known Cécile, Eric and some of my fellow dancers for years now and it feels rather like belonging to a family.
