Michael Power:  

Dancing Lessons 101 It was the the P.E. teachers decided we needed more than pushups and dodgeball—we needed to learn how to dance. It was probably the 10th grade of the 64-65 school year, when both the girls and boys P.E. class was directed to go to the Old Gym in our street clothes. Upon entering there were the P.E. teachers, Miss Parrie Pinyan and Mr. Wade Nobles. The genders were segregated and told to sit in the bleachers with a wide gap between them. It was at this point the reason for our presence was announced. We were to be taught how to dance. A record was dropped onto the turntable and started playing some easy listening tune. Pinyan and Nobles approached each other and assumed a dancing posture. As they were gliding along to the music they explained the type of dance they were demonstrating was known as the box step, slide right, step forward, slide left, step back and repeat. After the demonstration the girls were told to gather together on the floor, remove one shoe, make a pile of them, and return to their seats. The boys were then told to pick a shoe from the pile, thereby selecting their dance partner. During this instruction, the boys’ heads were raised and turned like meerkats toward the girls to discern what kind of shoe a particular girl was still wearing. When the word was given to pick a shoe there was flurry of motion to be some of the first to reach the shoe pile. I saw one guy actually sniff a shoe and put it back. I’m not sure if he cont...Expand for more