´óÏó´«Ã½

"Don't worry. You're doing fine. We'll get there."

My dance partner Sarah consoles and comforts me just as I, yet again, forget the very basic of moves. She tells me that she is happy with my progress and that we are working really hard; but that doesn't really help my feelings of frustration and anger.

Normally I am a pretty placid sort of bloke, but the sheer annoyance of my inability to remember certain moves was really testing my patience.

Last Thursday was my turning point.

After an evening going through every single waltz move time and time again, I thought that my mind was too full, and it would never come clear. UNTIL… more gentle coaching from Sarah suddenly kicked in and a real natural feeling for the dance arrived.

The feeling was warm and pleasurable, exciting and scary. But would the feeling last to the next session?

Sunday evening was the next occasion we could dance together. Sarah and I arrived at the dance studio an hour before anyone else.

How happy was I to find that the last few pieces were dropping into place; I was getting there!

With the waltz more-or-less sorted (OK, I need to look at my posture and refine some movements), we started on the Cha Cha Cha. Things are looking promising at last.

I need to tell you about my partner Sarah. She is a gem. A determined patience, with an underlying plan.

Not only is she skilled in her dancing, but she really knows how to teach. She has certainly weighed me up and early on she realised that I am not one to learn all the names of different moves.

We practice in her lounge at home, which Sarah's mum has stripped of furniture while we practice (thanks mum!).

Somewhat idiosyncratically Sarah shows me the one step - "just as if you are squashing a big spider"Ìýshe said.

The routine is so well etched in my mind that when we are back in the dance school I am encouraged to remember to "turn at the sofa" or "reverse back from the window blinds". It's a system that works.

So where now?

Full speed ahead.

Can Sarah and I win on the night?

Yes we can!