LAST YEAR, I WATCHED HALLE RUSHOLT coach an engaged couple through their third lesson at Extreme Dancesport, her studio in Cambridge. Paul Fombelle, the husband-to-be, was clean-cut and self-deprecating, but not overly so. His partner, Gina Poppe, was statuesque, a little shy, and laughed at Paul’s jokes. As the Avett Brothers’ “Swept Away” played on the speaker system, Halle peppered the two with dance instructions that, it struck me, were also lessons for a successful marriage.
“You’ve got to fully commit to the movement,” she said at one point.
Comments
Oh, my gosh. I would have believed your thesis was all true were it not for the fact that I have been married a long time now and our first dance was a disaster! My husband freezes when he dances - he can't dance! He stood still, like a rock, at our first dance. I tried to encourage him and eventually we just sat down. I thought it was bad then, but now I know him so well and it was a situation he could never handle and never will. It certainly didn't predict the success of our marriage, which is, for the both of us, deeply committed and loving.