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All of the latest Mists of Pandaria newsLearning to dance with WoW
by Michael Gray 
Apr 3rd 2009 at 11:00AM
I'm learning to dance. By which I mean, I'm learning various semi-ballroom or formal dances that are not characteristic of my native and well-honed ability to flop around on the dance floor like a seizing fish out of water. My fundamental problem with dancing is that I don't have any rhythm. None, nada, zip, zilch. I can notice a "beat" if it's being hammered on a drum, without any distracting vocals or "music" being played on top of it. But if that beat disappears for a millisecond, I instantly return to trampling my partner's feet.As a result, learning to dance has been a challenge. It's a little crazy, actually. There I was, struggling with the box-steps for a Waltz when a subtle inspiration hit me and my Draenei fiancee. For the box step, you kind of move around in a box. (It's not just a clever name.) But it's done on a three count. Very similarly to how you might call out Heigan's Safety Dance.
"Section 1."
"Section 2."
"Section 3."
"Teleport."
And, blushing fiercely as possible, I realized I had the steps. Yup, nailed 'em perfect every time, just by chanting that "Section 3 . . . Section 4 . . . Back to 3 . . . " The beat really was about exactly the same, and I didn't have any trouble after that.
Things didn't get any better for me when we had to do "hesitation" side-steps. Basically, you take two or three steps with the beat, then omg hurry up and take two steps for one beat! And, in the grand tradition of dorks everywhere, I was struggling to do it gracefully. And then my Draenei fiancee impishly started muttering "omigod adds. . . amigod adds. . . omigod adds. . . amigod adds. . ." (Think Noth or Kel'Thuzad.)
Yup, nailed the step right away again. So, while this may not be a direct buff from the Great Crab of Blue, Naxxramas may have helped me get my ballroom dancing right. I guess raiding makes dance steps more accessible?
I will admit, though. I'm probably not ready for the Dance Battle.
Filed under: Analysis / Opinion, Fan stuff
Reader Comments (Page 2 of 2)
csdx Apr 3rd 2009 4:21PM
actually, he's the one getting out and going dancing while we're all in here commenting on WoW Insider, seriously who's the one who needs to get off of WoW for awhile?
Carlos Apr 3rd 2009 11:41AM
Please tell me that's not you, a ret pally with Cryptfiend's Bite. :(
Nikkodemus Apr 3rd 2009 1:03PM
THAT IS HIM
Preston Apr 3rd 2009 11:47AM
WoW is dying. There's nothing to post about but freakin' dance stories and "screenshot of the week" all the time.
slartibart Apr 3rd 2009 11:59AM
Have you not heard about a little thing called patch 3.1?
Holgar Apr 3rd 2009 1:02PM
Yup Darkfall beat it to a pulp and left it out in the sun to rot........
Hua Apr 3rd 2009 11:49AM
Slowest. News. Day. Evar.
Zaylich Apr 3rd 2009 12:06PM
As a full time music teacher, I concur with your use of words to help develop a sense of rhythm! Here's another simple exercise that may help develop your sense of "beat": Find a clock with a ticking second hand. Count out loud for one full minute the number 1 to 59 as the second hand touches them. For the next minute, look away (or close your eyes) and continue to count from 1-15, then look back at the clock. Did you line up? If so, try looking away for a longer period of time. If not, try fewer seconds. Try to challenge yourself to count a full minute without going too fast or too slow! I hope this helps your internal timer!!!
Lycanthro Apr 3rd 2009 12:19PM
Michael, since you know from experience can you please answer this once and for all? Are they real and can they cut glass?
0bsolete Apr 3rd 2009 12:36PM
You guys are aware this is a blog right? Its not fox news >.>
I really do find it amusing how people react to some of these blog posts. Complaints about inadequate content, complaints about too much humor, complaints about not enough humor. All seems derived from the idea that the poster is obligated to do, well, anything at all with their blog posts. Its just a blog. Not high quality news reporting brought to you by CNN-Warcraft Edition.
All the same, these types of posts make me giggle. Keep up the good work here.
0bsolete Apr 3rd 2009 12:37PM
'er, or don't. Its really up to you guys. But for what little its worth, I like it.
Mar Apr 3rd 2009 12:42PM
Hehe. What a coincidence, my husband and I learned that exact move last night in our dancing lesson. We got the move but didn't quite use that approach ^.^
Kylenne Apr 3rd 2009 12:50PM
Ignore the haters, Michael. I thought it was a cute article. :)
My own WoW-related dance story: I've bellydanced as a hobby for a while now, and I've incorporated the troll female dance into routines on more than one occasion. Funny enough, I've never had anyone recognize it from the ultimate source material (Shakira). But when I perform with my classes in public, without fail, someone will recognize it as being from WoW. The best was at a local Ren Faire, when someone shouted "For the Horde!" at me when I did it.
Dave Apr 3rd 2009 1:07PM
Unfortunately the waltz is a 3/4 beat, whereas I believe Heigan would be a pretty standard 4/4. I do think it's awesome that you managed to learn to dance better using WoW though. I'd expect it to work the opposite way for my people(person x can hold a beat, so Heigan's rhythm seems natural to them), but you learn from what you know best.
I learned the basics of drumming from Rock Band, now I'm in a real band.
Cyanea Apr 3rd 2009 1:36PM
I had originally thought that this was some clever way of announcing that the Dance Studios had finally made it into the game.
Irshalthra Apr 3rd 2009 2:00PM
I smell "getting ready for the wedding". I went through the dance lessons a year from our wedding. I was awful, could've used this advice.
BTW I haven't used the steps since :(.
Verizamour Apr 3rd 2009 2:27PM
I lol'd irl at this article. Doubly funny is that fact that in our Naxx10 group, we have a holy/disc priest (Astriana of SWC) who had seen the Heigan fight in 25man, and while trying to describe the movements of the "Safety Dance" to the rest of the raid used the Waltz as an example...as if anyone else in the raid had even the remotest clue as to how to waltz. And yes, the fact that Astriana, at 19 years old and a G-IRL besides, knows not only what a waltz is, but how to do it, frightened us all.
Evi Apr 3rd 2009 2:37PM
I applaud you for learning to dance! I'm so uncoordinated, I don't think I'd have the guts to take a class with *gasp!* other people. It's rather embarrassing. So are you learning for fun, for an upcoming event, or...? Just curious. :)
Manic Soul Apr 3rd 2009 2:44PM
Ballroom dancing can be really fun. The hardest part is just getting the nerve to go in and do it, the rest comes with practice like everything else. It's definitely more memorable than raiding 3-4 hours every other night.
Johan Apr 3rd 2009 3:33PM
Pure awesomeness. The last time I enjoyed myself this much was when Mages were not going to be cancelled (Thank Goodness for that!).