heels

i'm trying to make myself learn to like dancing in heels. not even super-high ones, just these.

project had been put on hold, as i recently sueded a pair of green keds that make me really happy, but a couple dress-up sorts of dances in the last week made me get them back out. i wore them to the monday night dance last night, just for a little more practice.

i know my dancing is less comfortable in these shoes, but i'm trying to understand exactly why. predictably, the biggest is in distance of heel from ground... i rarely dance flat-footed anyway, but i think i tend to pulse from both knees and ankles. wearing heels limits the latter -- my heel is stuck at close to its usual maximum height above the floor, so it feels like there's less bounce and elasticity in my steps. suppose that's a matter of learning to use the rest of my leg more. and i am -- i think that's how a lot of the styling winds up feeling like it's a lot more in the knees and hips when i'm wearing these. my quadriceps get really tired. it looks different, it feels different, but i'm starting to enjoy having the option.

the other biggie is balance. i've worn them enough now that most normal steps are fine, and i think (hope!) i've quit going super-heavy from arm tension due to fear of falling over at any moment, but my body still hasn't figured out exactly how to compensate for the difference in foot angle on some of the fancier spins and such. guess that means logging more hours in them until those things feel right...