背景音乐：Pocket Full Of Sunshine by Natasha Bedingfield

請依自己喜好,調整麥克風音量 按了背景音乐自動播放，若無効，請在閲讀文章之後，再按 YouTube link 欣赏音乐。

https://youtu.be/0btXhLdAuAc

老友 Taipei， 鼓勵我寫下學排舞的心路歷程。寫文章對當年學術股長的他來說，是易如反掌的， 可是對我嘛~ 很慘！小學時候老師要求繳交作文的夢懨，馬上出現腦隙。

Anyway，趕鴨子上架，就當作是，少時了了的老來懲罰，豁了出去，自我挑戰！

我是個，以前賣命工作的矽谷工程師，最近榮升「空巢族」，去年有幸，又冠上「提前退休族」的頭銜；大學以前，是個依父母期望，努力用功的書呆子，學跳舞又要牽女生手的那种事，根本就是匪夷所思。

一年前，老婆參加了加州排舞協會的運動，我看她每晚下班，一身漂亮舞鞋舞衣，興致勃勃的趕場。回來時，香汗淋淋，眉飛色舞。幾個月下來 ...她身心健康快樂，不但對老公更貼心，人也變漂亮了，樂得我這升格「內人」不辭辛勞，每天上廚，打點美好晚餐，侍候美人。

因工程師好奇心的天性使然，左鍋右鏟之際，腦子裡一直在想，有一天一定要去探個究竟，打開老婆快樂的謎團，可是不太好意思說…

三個月前，出乎預料，老婆突然極力鼓勵，邀我跟她下海！我在半推半就下，從此正式踏入一輩子，想都不敢想的舞者行列，將自己由網路「老宅男」提升為陽光的「快樂族」。

第一次報到，我是懷著少女出嫁時那種期待，惶恐，喜悅，害羞交織的心情，坐著老婆的車子上路的。

一進舞場，煞見娘子大軍滿場，不敢多看，低著頭跟在老婆屁股後面，找個空間，立正站好。

一開始有十五分鐘的舒筋操，我順便定下心，偷觀四方… 這時才發現，場上還有三個男士，也驚訝，眾多女士們都是，個個健康陽光！教練及助教練們就不用說了。

舒筋操後，好不容易驚魂甫定，排舞教練上場，學習開始，才知大勢不妙! 這個排舞，每節八步，一舞多節；第一個八步還好，教練示範到第三個八步，第一個八步全還她了。還好人多好混，第一天就在韻律脫節，追在「學妹學弟」腳步後亂搖的慘況下，踏得汗流夾背，終於結束了。

雖然當場我就愛上了這個「不需牽女生手」的排舞；但老實說，我第一堂課是帶著尷尬及挫折感離場的~

既然愛上了它，我就以矽谷工程師「天地無恐，日夜打拼」的精神往前進。

上完課勤做筆記不說，有時還上網查資料。上課時，一定提早進場，虛心向學長求教，拜託老師臨場惡補，順便尋找地盤，讓自己環繞在高手中間，以便瞄準鄰居的腳，四方借鏡，跟著擺...反正就是，為了進步，無所不用其極！

經过幾次的觀察後，我發現到，每個人在跳舞時都專心一致，顧好節拍，無暇眼看四方，根本沒有人知道我是個慢三拍的「菜鳥」。很快的，那新娘子似的尷尬感，在第三堂操就煙消雲散了，哈！

一個月下來，老婆還發現我，為了努力記好每節八步，一舞多節的順序排列，所下的功夫，使腦子靈光了不少，對我稱讚有加，使我信心大增。

從此以後，我就抱著快樂陽光的心境，每天期待著這一小時「身心提昇運動」的來臨，謝謝老婆。

以前總覺得排舞「擺腰曳臀」，是女生的玩意。現在才發現排舞對男生好處，其實真的很多; 健身冶心，強化記憶，既沒有一般跳舞需要牽女生手的尷尬，也不失「如浴春風」的感覺。

每天只要一個小時，在音樂韻律與身体擺動的交織下，就可樂得汗流夾背，心曠神怡，白天累積的工作壓力不知不覺的消失無蹤。

此外，排舞對消除啤酒腰有奇效。我跳了三個月的排舞，因腰圍恢復而省下的換褲錢，比排舞協會一年的年費還多。

据考，有女會員，加入排舞運動一陣子後，衣服尺寸，就從 14 號 降到 Petite 級。難怪我們的教練說: 「跳排舞，女的會變美女，男的會變帥哥。」

我剛開始加入時，男生好像是稀有動物。最近數了一下出現的男士，好像已超過十位。所以我們慢慢也將失去因「物以稀為貴」而得到的厚愛，看來需要「自強不息」了。

由於團隊和諧，除了運動，成員有時也不免，放下身段, ，輕鬆開些玩笑。前陣子有個教練說: 她以一支「10 minutes」為曲的排舞，差點迷死「老公」。我也請求「主教練」幫我們男生創作一支可以迷死「老婆」的舞子。

這個月的新舞叫做「如雷打」Cha Cha Ruleta，特難! 第一輪，在一片人海中，學得霧煞煞。第二輪，是趕鴨子上架，昏頭轉向。第三輪，還好，大概只慢教練三到五拍，慢學妹們一到二拍。我的期望是第四輪時，可以跟著隊伍沒失誤的擺。

這個「如雷打」雖難，但韻律特美。跳完後，汗出得也多。私底下，我認為這支舞是「操兵舞」， 特別適合男士。我就不懼艱難，在家反覆練習，漸入佳境。到了第三個禮拜，舞齡多我一年的老婆，在這支「如雷打」上是甘拜我下風的。回了家，還拜託我教她，讓我成就感十足，嘿嘿嘿 ...

排舞真的是「空巢族」夫妻，一起參加的最佳運動。因嗜好相同，回到家話題共通，互相切磋琢磨，可擺脫很多「大眼瞪小眼」的場面。

還有，信不信由您，大概因為持續的排舞運動，加州排舞協會的教練及助教練們都是; 健康活潑，快樂友善，個個看起來都像二十出頭的「中年留學主婦」。

若在台北是 http://www.taipeilinedance.twmail.net/  

My Line Dance Journey - The First Three Months 

Through the encouragement of my classmate, who was the leader of art and literature extra curriculum in our high school class, I divulge on public Blog for the first time in my life about a personal sensation – my journey in Line Dance.  

After dedicating more than 30 years to the high-tech industry in Silicon Valley and coaching my kids to become independent, I recently earned an "early retiree" title.  Initially, a sudden loss in the excitement generated from daily contributions at work left me depressed.  Luckily, it did not take long after I refined my life-value from accomplishing paid-job-related services to giving toward myself, my loved ones and community.

Prior to college, I was daddy and mommy’s nice kid; studying very hard to meet their expectations.  Extra curricular activities such as dancing (that requires holding the hand of girl) would only be a dream. A year ago, my wife joined the California Line Dance Association and started the hour long daily exercise.  To my surprise, within few months into her exercise, she looked like a different person both on her health and beauty.  Out of curiosity, I always wanted to know the reason behind it, but was shy to bring it up on the table ….   

In the beginning of this year, after one of her after-dance dinners, she asked me if I would like to join her in the line dance club.  Although I agreed reluctantly, I felt as if I had hit the lotto. This started my inconceivable dancing adventure.

I can still vividly remember my first day. My wife was driving us to my first lesson, and I felt joyful and anxious but also a little uncertain, much like the mixed emotions of a girl getting married. We were late that night.  So as soon as we walked into the dance room, there were already an overwhelmingly massive number of ladies filling the dance floor.

Embarrassed, I followed my wife into the room with my head down, and managed to find a space to stand.  During the first 15 minutes of the stretching workout, I perked around the room and to my relief found two other men.

The ladies on the dance floor all looked healthy and bright, needless to say about the coaches and assistant coaches.The nervous mind that settled down during the stretching section was re-agitated as soon as the line dance exercise began. It turned out that Line dance is a multi-section dance with eight-count steps in each section. Some have as many as 8 or more sections.

After coach moved on to teach the third section, I had completely forgotten the first section.  There was no way for me to follow except to shake and struggle to move my body around.

Fortunately, nobody on the dance floor noticed my awkwardness because everyone was focused on his/her own steps.  An hour passed, and my first class ended in a catch-up mode lacking behind young classmates’ footsteps. Honestly, although I instantly fell in love with this female-dominated dance, I left the class with embarrassment and frustration.

Being intrigued by the dance, I committed myself with the fearless spirit of a Silicon Valley engineer.  I worked very hard; this includes note taking after-class, studying reference materials from on-line surfing, practicing at home, and reviewing before-class with predecessors and assistant coaches. I also arrived early to position myself around skillful classmates so that I could gain references in all four quarters during dance.

I eventually discovered that, because everyone had to concentrate on the dance-beat during exercise, there was no embarrassment on being a fresh member.  And the awkward mindset I had in the beginning went away quickly. After a month into the exercise, my wife applauded my memory enhancement - due mainly to the repeated use of the brain to remember the sequence of multiple sections in the dance. With her praise and my passion, I became anxious to look forward for this one-hour physical and mental enlightening exercise every day.

It was my misunderstanding that line dance is nothing but a hip and waist swing stuff - a female only exercise, until I personally experienced it.  After three months of participation, I have to say that the intensive rhythmic movement under line dance music is a great exercise for men, not only on physical improvement but also for mind enrichment.  It is also an amazing prescription for killing beer-tummy syndrome.  

It was a delight that I saved more money for not needing to upgrade all of my pants with a larger waist size than the money I had to pay for the CLDAA annual membership.  According to an insider story, there was a female member who dropped her clothing size from 14 to Petite after continued line dancing for over a year.  No wonder one of our coaches said, "The Line Dance can make women pretty and men handsome.”  

When I first started, male members were so scarce that every one was treated as well-protected rare species.  Lately, I have noticed more than 10 men showing up routinely.  It is inevitable that I need to work even harder before our special rare-species’ right is taken away. 

Aside from exercise, members also enjoy friendship and humorous conversations in the dance class.  On one occasion, one of our coaches told us one of her secrets that she used the CLDAA designed dance "10 minutes" to awe her husband almost to death.  I have pleaded our "seed coach" to create an equivalent dance that allows male members to magnetize their wives.

This months new dance is called Cha Cha Ruleta (pronounced "thundering hit" in Chinese).  It is a very hard advanced dance.  It took me three lessons to start following coach’s teaching, but still 3 to 5 counts behind her steps. Although difficult, it is a beautiful and great work-out dance.

Personally, I treat this “thundering hit” dance a perfect exercise for men due to its intensive and fast-paced turning movement. I repetitively practiced it with great effort and eventually became better on this dance than my wife who joined line dance one year earlier than me.  It was a great feeling of achievement. Joining CLDAA for line dance has been the best decision for me and my wife this year.  I strongly recommend it particularly for those couples whose children have grown up and started their own lives.

Finally, it is amazing that, probably because of their continued line dance exercises, the coaches and assistant coaches in California Line Dance Association are all very healthy, happy and friendly; all looked in their 20s’ even though they are "middle-age study-abroad housewives”.  

Line dance really can make the dream of dancing into a healthy, happy, and brilliant life true.  If you are motivated to learn what the line dance is, there are plenty of references on the web.