Get Your Dancing Shoes!

Get your dancing shoes boys!!!

Here's the thing...
I want to raise boys who will dance with their wives.
I want to give them the skills to be confident in such a setting and remove the hesitation that could keep them from standing up.
It is important to me.

We go to a few weddings every year. Usually all I see all night long is ladies dancing in a circle while their men sit at tables. I have to admit, I don't like it. I don't care if guys don't like it, it would be nice to see them step up for the girl they love.

So, I am going to do what I can to raise men who will dance with their wives!!

I need to keep a promise I made.

This Sunday we will return to dance lessons with a couple of dear friends, our sons and some lovely young women who have agreed to join us in their Gentlemen's Training.  Oh, it is going to be good times!!

We are so pleased to keep our word and share the love of dance with our children. Sydney, you will join us in Spring.

A tribute to Attila & Alison our ballroom dance instructors,
written close to his last days and read at the celebration of his life.
Attila passed away from cancer on August 5th, 2014. 

We think it is brilliant to hold a dance for all who have benefited from your instruction. Craig and I are so sorry not to be able to come on the 28th and share our love of dance together.  We would treasure sharing a dance one last time. We are sincerely disappointed to miss this opportunity to see you both again. Craig and I often talk about when dance classes will fit into our schedule again and when we will be able to dance regularly. 

When Attila and Craig would bump into one another around town, Attila would quickly ask "When are you coming back to dance?" You made us feel loved and missed! Please know we have always wanted to. Raising 3 kids who are heavily involved in sports & music makes it a challenge right now!

Dance gave us a chance to get out and invest in our relationship, we fondly remember our classes and how Attila would take Craig aside and say "I want you to dance like this with her!". Then Attila would sweep me across the dance floor. Always encouraging, always challenging us to be free in the movement. You made class time fun and we always anticipated it with enthusiasm. I will never again have the opportunity to dance the polka with a gentleman who can create that kind of centrifugal force and spin!! Attila, it was so much fun!! SO much fun!! 

Dance gave us the chance to feel like a gentleman and lady during child raising years that often left us tired and exhausted. It gave us an evening out for laughter, to hold each other, make memories and just be us. Husband and wife. 

When we would practice at home, the kids would watch us and then ask to dance with us. If our oldest son thought Craig was leading in a boring way he would interrupt and say "No Dad, like this!" He would then take me from Craig and spin me in constant turns around the floor. He was about 5 at the time. 

We have incorporated many parts of dance into our marriage. You taught us not to fight on the dance floor. This made us conscious of how we interacted on and off the dance floor. Be kind always! We learned to come mentally prepared to leave the frustrations and irritations of the week behind and just enjoy one another. I had to close my eyes and learn not to think, anticipate, or follow a weak lead. I got to enjoy calming my mind and letting go of my thoughts. I simply had to focus on the music, movement of the dance and being held by my husband. These were amazing lessons for me on and off the dance floor. I had to trust Craig to keep me safe on the dance floor and he has never failed to do so. 

Craig learned to lead with confidence, plan ahead and watch the flow of the floor, this helped him as he recovered from a bad concussion. He took the philosophy of keeping me safe on the dance floor and made it a priority to be a safe place and protector for me in our marriage. 

Dance helped us learn to treat one another as a gentleman and lady. Taught us to guard our relationship and put it first. So important!

We have often thought that we could hardly wait to study dance with you again. We feel great sadness at the loss of this opportunity and pleasure. We have many fond memories of studying dance with you and no one else will ever compare. We are sorry for the cards life has dealt you and know that you have fought hard and with courage. You have touched our lives and we cherish that!! You have been significant in our lives, thank you for sharing yourselves and your love of dance with us. We have been forever changed by you. You are in our thoughts and prayers. May you have strength, peace, and joy for the road ahead.

Again, thank you. Your passion for dance is a gift that will stay with us throughout our lives. We will seek to pass it on to our children as a living tribute to you both. 

Much Love,
Lisa & Craig