Changing / Ch.7 / Pt.1 / Rudaks

Paula

When I entered the seventh grade, my mother thought it imperative, that I learned to dance. She, herself, was an incredible dancer. So I was enrolled in ballroom dance classes at a place called Rudaks, which was located in Atwater, a bit past the large public water fountain on Los Feliz Blvd. This was the place where the all kids in the L.A. school district went, to learn the tango, the mambo, the waltz, and the cha cha cha.

My Older sister Geri had attended these dances, four years earlier. In her time, all the girls wore gorgeous ankle length, dresses made of satin, netting, and dreams; with shoes, dyed to match. My sister and her friends looked like fairy princesses, every time they floated down the stairway to depart for the ballroom. I would caress their skirts and breathe in their perfume as they passed by, fluttering out the front door. When will it be my turn? I would sigh. But, by the time it was my turn, the lovely dresses were passé. Never-the-less it was a magic time in my life. In a sense it was the closest I would ever get to the “coming out,” ritual of a debutant. Much to the horror of the nuns, Our Mother Good Counsel boys and girls, with progressive parents were allowed to mingle with the non-Catholic kids at these dances. Rudaks was my first introduction to the "publics," otherwise known as non-Catholics. My mother wouldn't even fathom the thought of my not attending. This was an intricate part of her plan for me.

“Screw them!” she would say.

A whole new social infrastructure had unfolded before me. I felt like Alice in Through the Looking Glass, fretting to myself . . . "But oh! If I don't make haste, I shall have to go back through the looking glass, before I've seen what the rest of the house is like!"

This was in actuality an important step for I would not be attending a Catholic high school with everyone else. In less than two years time, I would be attending a public school with many of these strangers. My parents could not afford to send any of us on to the prestigious Immaculate Heart of Mary High School, or the less prohibitive, Holy Family.

The only drag about Rudaks was my height. I had to always stand, between dances instead of sitting and relaxing. I felt that it was the least I could do, after a few embarrassing “go round” the dance floor with shorter guys. It wasn’t much fun to dance with a guys face in my chest, while I could see over their heads, the giggles of my friends. At least, it was polite to let a guy know what he was getting into. As it turned out, there was a constant flow of short males, filling out my dance card. The buggers.

	MusicDiva Music Lover	..."dresses made of satin, nettings, and dreams"...you, my friend, are a dream-weaver of words, bringing your stories to life for us. Perhaps the little buggers chose to dance with the tall, beautiful girl specifically because of where their face would land?? Short, but maybe not so stupid...Ha! Posted by MusicDiva on Saturday, March 13, 2010 - 1:11 AM [Reply to this] [Remove] [Block User]

	Paula Paula Servetti	..Boys grew slower than girls, a lot of those guys grew to be quite tall, but then..... Oh my! ...Funny now. Thanks Anna Posted by Paula on Saturday, March 13, 2010 - 11:53 AM [Reply to this] [Remove] [Block User]

	Paula Paula Servetti	..An e-mail from Alona . . .Great - more than a description, it puts one right there, I remember the same but with butterflies in my stomach. I remember Geri and her friends, a few years later you and your friends all get ready for Rudaks, such happy, excited feelings charging the air. The make up being put on just right, the dress and those shoes had to be dyed just right. The hours of watching you and Geri walking the length of the living room, with a book on your heads, leaning how to walk in heels with straight posture and no wobbling. (Mom would not let any of us wobble in our heels.) Knowing my time would be soon. Posted by Paula on Saturday, March 13, 2010 - 11:51 AM [Reply to this] [Remove] [Block User]

	The Guard	You are my tiny dancer....... and this is another well laid out piece of the chronicles of a young child's progress into the world of adults.....and their deadly games... Posted by The Guard on Saturday, March 13, 2010 - 11:09 PM [Reply to this] [Remove] [Block User]

	Paula Paula Servetti	..And I am smiling, and very flattered...... Yes, deadly games/ Posted by Paula on Saturday, March 13, 2010 - 11:42 PM [Reply to this] [Remove] [Block User]

	Paula Paula Servetti	.. March 12 at 7:38pm Only Friends Suzy Suzyy, Tor Hougen and 2 others like this. Bobby Jameson The details of this ongoing story of you growing up are very intriguing and give me great insight to who you have become..... March 12 at 8:15pm · PauLa Servetti Hi there. I was just over reading your blog. Ha! Thank you and I say the same right back to you. March 12 at 8:17pm · Tor Hougen I get great visual imagery from your writing... March 12 at 8:27pm · PauLa Servetti Buggers! March 12 at 8:31pm · Tor Hougen lol... March 12 at 8:38pm · Posted by Paula on Tuesday, March 16, 2010 - 8:19 PM [Reply to this] [Remove] [Block User]

Paula Paula Servetti

.. March 12 at 9:08pm · Jennifer Lee Barton Meisner Great as usual : ) Posted by Paula on Tuesday, March 16, 2010 - 8:22 PM