Dance the Night Away

Here I am awake at a ridiculously early hour again!  Yes, the clocks went back one more time.  As far as I know, there will only be one more time when we have to change our clocks before we arrive at Antigua.

Last night was the Black and White formal evening and it really was beautiful.  I would guess most of the passengers followed this guideline, with the exception of one (beautiful) purple dress and another yellow one.  Even the bridal party followed the black and white theme.  This would not be difficult for a bride and groom, but I did think how much easier it must have been for the family and friends to have a limited scope for what they were going to wear!  The people at our table looked absolutely stunning in their evening clothes and all of them  took pictures of our table, except me!  We had arrived late due to having a formal picture taken and the men were seated on one side with the women on the other.  This worked very well.  I noticed Alan taking a picture of the women’s side and we all passed his camera around to admire it.  But it never occurred to me to take the men’s side!  I must have such a departmentalized brain and that was Alan’s camera – not mine.  Tonight, I will take my camera and make up for this!

Following dinner, Alan and I went to the Malabar for the Black and White Ball!  Ryan and Ksenia hosted this and would either dance with people or at least explain what the next dance would be.  They noticed us coming in and Ksenia invited Alan and I to join in on a waltz!  The surprising thing is – we did!  I was grinning like a Cheshire cat because we have never danced a waltz together on a dance floor or anywhere else for that matter!  We were not as good as the other dancers and once or twice, we got barged into, but we managed two waltzes!  A couple we have spoken to a few times are really good dancers and they came up and complimented us!  Knowing that Alan could not dance at all when we boarded, they could appreciate our progress.

Ryan and Ksenia will be travelling to Blackpool at the same time as we all leave the Caribbean:  They will be competing in a national dance contest there.  I hope we will be able to follow their progress because they seem like exceptional dancers.  Not too sure about Ryan’s dance instruction though!  Our class yesterday was the salsa.  We chose not to go to the morning class and wouldn’t you know it, that was when the ship video was done.  However, I arrived at the Manhattan to see the tail end of the class and Ryan was teaching a progressive dance with the salsa.  It looked like so much fun we had to go back in the afternoon.  The salsa is a simple dance and Alan and I seemed to get the basic alright, just like all the other dances we have been taught. The problem is, Ryan is too ambitious and wants to give us more than the basic.  This works for most people, but not sheer beginners. 

At the end of the class, we were placed in a circle and the progressive dance explained.  However, due to this being the afternoon class, Ryan had added another dimension to this dance.  To cut a long story short, the dance was a train wreck. But we all had never laughed and had such a great time together.  Even Ryan was laughing when he told us this was the worst dance class he had ever done!  If they were all that “bad”  there would not be a room large enough to hold his dance classes!  The class ended with thunderous applause for our instructors!

Oh! Did I mention the chocolate buffet?

Having a balcony really makes this journey so much better.  I just looked over my shoulder and noticed the sky is lightening up a bit.  Maybe I can catch a few more ZZZ’s before it is really time to get up!

“You can collect the nuts that have been provided along the way, but you must crack them yourself.”