Muscle Memory

Though approaching senility has compromised my mental abilities lately, I have always been somewhat proud of my excellent memory for dates and events. Hence my love for History.

And yes, it's also pretty great for mugging desperately two days before the Biology finals.

Unfortunately while I'm amazing at recalling exactly which dance steps to take next - can almost say it verbatim - that doesn't mean I know how to do it. At all. Seriously, I can barely recall how to move my feet. Yes, my muscle memory is utter crap. It's a wonder I can still remember how to place one foot in front of the other to walk.


Fuyooh! A move I definitely won't be attempting anytime soon.
So you can imagine how frustrated my dance instructors would be! Turns out as we all expected, dancers have a highly developed ability to see and replicate dance moves. Based on innate muscle memory, most dancers, over a period of time time, learn to master extended dance pieces after just one or a couple of viewings. Just one look and a complicated dance routine an they can replicate it almost perfectly.

Hear a familiar beat and they start swaying their hips. To the tango. To the cha-cha. To the waltz.

And they obviously expect me to do the same.

Teacher : Just follow this dance routine. Follow me.
Paul : Uh.
Teacher : Just quarter turn, progressive chasse, forward lock and then turn naturally.
Paul : Uh.
Teacher : You just did it successfully ten minutes ago!
Paul : That was ten minutes ago. I have no idea what you just did just now.
Teacher : Not even the basic?
Paul : Do I move my foot forward or backward?

Surely they would just love to fling me out the dance studio window! Oh yes, I'm obviously the nightmare created to haunt frustrated dance instructors. Poor fellows.

They meticulously sketch out an entire dance routine, have me follow their instruction perfectly for half an hour.... only to later have me forget the entire thing the very minute I walk out of the studio. Which is why I have to start from scratch almost every time.


Obviously I won't be joining a boy band anytime soon. And we're not even talking about my arthritic hips yet.