Heritage Classic 2014 - Final Chapter

Chapter 5: Back to the Future; Return on Investment

Getting back to the question at hand, after 4 intense years of ballroom dancing, I must ask myself what is the return on investment?  Reading the first Heritage Classic account written 4 years ago as a beginner, I was filled with hope and expectations of my burgeoning dance skills.  I’m no longer a virgin dancer and its time to take stock of where I am and how much my efforts have paid off.

I’ve always promised myself that the moment I fail to improve, I’m done with competitive ballroom dancing. Some folks are contented to maintain their skills, I’ve never been.  I promised myself this much in all aspects of my life.  In my work as an intensive care doctor, after 30 odd years, when I began to question myself about my skills, that was the precise moment I planned my transition from clinical medicine to research and medical school administration.  I did not want to leave medicine with the memory of a declining doctor – I wanted to leave it with the pride and dignity of my skills and accomplishments.  Too many doctors wait until it’s too late and the last public and private memory of them is a terrible one, focusing on the most recent mistake and misstep rather than all that was accomplished throughout their career. 

This competition was arguably my best.  Taken together with the Holiday Classic, I feel I have consolidated some of the improvements I have made over two dance competitions over the last three months time.  In terms of results, I generally predominated in my closed single dance heats against 6-8 other gentlemen - in all four dance categories - especially smooth and standard.  As far as the open single dances, I lost to one lady a set of heats in standard….not really sure why…but anyway, I followed up with another set that, although uncontested, I danced extremely well…pleasing both myself and Yanna. 

I suppose the greatest surprise beyond the multi dance results I have already summarized was the result of the open silver smooth dance heats – two sets which had me competing in a field of six to seven contenders mostly women.  Now I really didn’t recall that Yanna signed me up for open silver events (I assumed they were bronze) so I went into them unknowingly nonchalant, while still intoxicated from the win I had just experienced in the closed silver 3-dance championship.  I was really nowhere to be found, not particularly interested in dancing the open events, not realizing they were contested with open silver ladies.   And I royally f……d up the first tango not hearing the beat of an unusually strange tango resulting in being off in my timing.  So I was shocked when I came in 1^st in waltz, Viennese waltz, foxtrot and 2^nd in tango.  In the next series, we were joined by two more advanced ladies,  resulting in a third place result for me in everything except Tango, for which I was scored a dismal 5th place position.  I guess I really f.....d up the second Tango as well!!! 

I was also pleased by my progress in Standard and in Latin.  At the very least, I am dancing with a little more confidence and swagger.  I have made little progress in rhythm, but I make almost no effort to practice the rhythm dances concentrating mostly on smooth and standard. 

I have little else to say.  It was a great competition.  The results were decent, I met and talked to new dancers and was recognized like never before by many others who complemented my performance.  Although I didn’t do that well in the scoring of my Egyptian solo, I felt that I executed it to the best of my ability so I will put it behind me and begin a new one that hopefully will be ready for the Millennium competition in Tampa this coming June. Yanna and I spent some time with my best friend in Honolulu’s brother, Mark, shown in the picture, both at dinner on the night of our arrival as well as inviting him and his friend to attend the last evening of the event where they witnessed some of the amazing professional dancing on display - while I tried to hang on for dear life and stay awake after a rough week of competition and a few glasses of wine.  I was even able to find a new pair of Latin shoes that I like very much and have not been able to locate on line, and a new dance shirt that is very flashy.  Oh, and yes, and the obligatory gifts for a few lady friends.