KEEPING IT TRILL*

I recently read a study claiming learning new things can make older adults’ brains 30 years younger in just 6 weeks… isn’t that fantastic? It encourages us ‘olders’ to be like sponges and urges us to give new escapades a whirl; particularly when the bar is set high.

I like the idea of new adventures. Mostly.

Coincidently, one of my nearest and dearest dancing soulmates suggested we actually bite the try-a-new-thing bullet and proclaimed, “let’s take a hip hop dance class!”

Initially, I cracked up,

before long I snorted,

and in due course… I rolled on the floor hooting with laughter.

Before you yada, yada, yada with c’mon you are dancers, so what’s the big deal? The big deal is – it’s HIP HOP. And there is not a bone, tendon, ligament or muscle in my body that can make sense of popping, locking, or let’s get really real… krumping.

I can moon walk. But does that have anything to do with hip hop? I haven’t a clue.

All that being said, and echoing the research referenced at the top, if my brain can shape up to be 30 years younger in just 6 weeks – imagine how it will be transformed within an 8-week course of study!

To that end, I needed to get into the groove. Hell I could practice my Cabbage Patch move all day long, but more importantly… WHAT WAS I GOING TO WEAR?

Naturally I Googled and here are the recommendations:

Sweatpants, hoodies, sneakers, loose t’s. Baggy is the way to go. Bright and bold colors – hot pink, electric blues, neon greens. Patterns and mesh. It you wish to look effortlessly cool, top your noggin with a bucket hat. Then to kick it up a notch I’m told to add a strapback hat.** And to notch it way the hell up you tie a bandana around your head and place the strapback hat on backwards with a pair of oversized sunglasses.

As one would suspect, I searched my closet. However, if you read my post Very Nice But Does It Come in Black, you know I am in ‘deep doo-doo’ as there is nothing electric/neon residing in my ebony/onyx filled closet.

Soooo… I grabbed a pair of grey sweatpants, a black tank and grey sweatshirt to cover my butt casually drape around my hips for some obvious swag. I know, I know it was not as aforementioned – but points for slouchy, saggy, baggy.

The day arrived and I entered the studio… hand in hand in hand… with my two dance buddies. As others began to trickle in I couldn’t help but notice the disparity in our ages. Like forty years of disparity!

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA- OY.

But when I tell you we killed it – I mean WE BUSTED THOSE MOVES. We left those babies in the dust. Or at the very least we kept up. We learned the basics of tutting. Now I am not calling myself a tutter, but I tried really hard to tut.

To be perfectly honest, I tut-ished.

What’s tutting you ask? Well… imagine doing really sharp intricate geometric shapes and angles with your arms and hands. Then, to do it justice, repeat the sequence ten times faster.

Upon further reflection, I sorta tutted.

(I also thought tutting was cutting until some youngin’ clued me in).

I doubt I am hip hop hirable for the likes of Lil NasX or Kid Laroi. Yet. On the other hand, the old guys like Ice T or Grandmaster Flash might appreciate my mature expertise for no other reason than I would surely keep it trill.* 😉

Will I continue to endorse new adventures? Absof%@kinglutely. Next up? Aerial bungee workout. Yay? I mean, YAY!

*Per Urban Dictionary: to keep it true and real – or keeping it cool.

**The strapback is literally just a baseball cap with a cooler name.

ps: My rap name is lil pickle.