First steps

Claire was struggling to move on, until she heard a familiar tune¼

Claire stood at the entrance to the Palais, took a deep breath and pushed open the heavy, iron door.

`Are you coming in?' asked a friendly voice as a head popped out from behind the door. I' m Sally. I' m the dance teacher who organises these classes. I' m just waiting for latecomers and then we' re going to get started. You would be very welcome to join us if you' d like to. Come on in.'

Yes, I' m coming in,' Claire told her. I might just sit and watch, you know, with it being my first time.'

Don' t look so worried,' said Sally. Most of the class haven' t danced before so you' ll fit right in.'

Claire wasn' t the sort of person who mixed well in groups, not any more, not since Sean had died. Her emotions were still raw.

She' d have to turn off the radio if a familiar tune played, for fear of it flooding her with memories that were too hard to bear. There was one particular song Sean' s favourite Motown tune

that she still couldn' t bring herself to listen to. It was the song they had danced to on their wedding night, and it was a song that came to mean the world to them both.

Claire followed Sally to a large, airy room with a high ceiling. Sunlight streamed in through the tall windows and lay in honey-coloured stripes on the floor.

Around the room, chairs had been pushed back and tables had been cleared. A bar ran along one side of the old dance hall.

Claire removed her coat and scarf and laid them over her handbag on a chair. Feeling slightly nervous, she wanted something to do with her hands and smoothed them around the knees of her jeans.

Sally clapped her hands. Ladies, I' d like to welcome you all here this afternoon for the first of our ballroom dancing lessons. Could you all match yourselves up with a partner? It doesn' t matter if you don' t know each other at the moment, we' ll all be friends by the time we leave.'

The women looked warily at each other with hesitant smiles. Some had come with their friends and they stuck together in couples. Others, like Claire, were there on their own, unsure of what to expect.

Claire wasn' t ready to get up and dance, she' d convinced herself that she was just there to watch, but when the others paired off, one older lady was left alone.

Hello,' she smiled. I' m Lillian. Looks like you' re stuck with me!'

I wasn' t going to dance today,' Claire said. But what the heck, let' s give it a go.'

I' ve brought some music,' Sally said. Some of you might know this one. But it doesn' t matter if you don' t.

I' ll play it all the way through first. Just listen to it to get familiar with the tune and especially with the rhythm. And then I' ll play it again and we can start with some very basic steps.'

The music flowed from Sally' s iPod and started filling up the room, sweeping all the way up to the ceiling. Once the music began, a few feet started tapping, heads moved and shoulders swayed in time to the beat. The song soon had the whole class moving on the dance floor.

Sally smiled and joined in, she loved this song and it never failed to do its trick as an ice-breaker at her sessions.

I remember this one!' cried Lillian. I used to dance to this as a girl.'

Claire remembered it too. It was a song she would recognise anywhere. It was their song, hers and Sean' s. And it was the first time she' d been able to listen to it since Sean had passed. Claire smiled as she sang along, letting the joyous rhythm of the music beat in time with her own heart.

Right, ladies,' Sally said, as the music died away. Let' s take things nice and slow with what' s called a box turn. Is everyone ready? All you have to do is take a step forward and turn a corner. Got that? Step forward and turn.'

Claire smiled and nodded. I think I can do this,' she said.

Once the music began, a few feet started tapping, heads moved and shoulders swayed in time to the beat