SHORT SHORTS by Tonig73

ROTTERDAM

As usual, Eurostar to Rotterdam, and also as usual, an event free, relaxing trip. Didn't get there until about 11 pm, but reception at my hotel was efficient and welcoming. And a gorgeous hotel too, The Art Hotel, a 4* establishment that surprised me in the best ways. Gorgeous decor, brown and gold marble floors, big breakfast, lovely big room, comfy bed. What more could a girl ask for ?

Met up with a few LT sisters, some I already knew. Lisa, Angela, Radna and Maruska, but a new sister joined us who we all knew from IG, but this was her first workshop, and it was lovely to meet her. I spent the day with her before the others arrived, and we got on well. We had a lot in common, didn't we ?

Workshop day arrived, and as usual, we were all slightly nervous. It was funny, but even after meeting them now so often, the butterflies still take flight, and for Francesca especially. She kept telling us she was going to faint, and we told her, don't worry, we'd hold her up. We found somewhere to eat pizza, then walked the ten minutes to the workshop venue.

It seemed to be in a small community hall in a not so salubrious neighbourhood, but that jogged my memory in some way. From what I could recollect, the guys seemed to choose, more recently anyway if they had the choice, the smaller venues that were located in neighbourhoods. The community and youth centres, the school gyms. Maybe they were just keeping it real, maybe they thought that by being there, they were contributing something, even if it was just ethically and morally. Maybe it was something as simple as being the less expensive option. But I liked it.

The hall was small, and with no mirrors, but they've taught workshops with no mirrors before, so no biggie. At the London one at Sadler's Wells, they purposely covered the mirrors up, so we couldn't see anything, and that was the point. And to see Larry on Laurent's shoulders as he carried him around the room pulling the drapes closed, was one of those brotherly moments you knew you were privileged to see first hand.

This was a school gym and a community meeting place for the arts. Old fashioned wooden climbing bars stood against the walls, gym mats lay on the floor .... oh Larry wasn't going to like that. I did think about popping out to go get him some baby powder like he needed in Montreal. We were then told they were going to be about an hour late, what a shocker, but due to traffic apparently. However, Laurent's IG showed Larry, as cute as he could ever be, humming the Pink Panther theme as he cycled around Amsterdam as Lau waited and fretted in the car. I think it was earlier that day, but I thought it was funny.

An hour and a half later, in they sauntered, and I looked straight at Francesca's face. I thought she was going to cry, but she was just beaming. Larry stopped suddenly, scraped the toe of his shoe along the floor, and voiced his displeasure at the floor not being slippery enough. See, told you .... anyhoo.

They situate themselves, call their dancers to sit in front of them, and resume the usual talk and fussing about the music and why they're here and doing what they do. Lau complains at Larry about the choice of music, and Larry tells him he doesn't give a hoot. Brotherly bickering ensues, and laughter fills the hall for a while. Eleni comes over to me and gives me, and the other familiar faces, the biggest hug, asking how we are, apologising that they were late.

They divide up the room, and while Larry faces the length of the room, and it's very close quarters, Laurent puts his group side on, and he stands ... right in front of me. I mean, when he moves forward ... in my face in front of me. Waist height. Am I complaining ? No ma'am, that would be rood. At one point, he turns sideways to use the wall as a teaching moment, and his ass is literally in my face. Lawwwd have mercy ....

There are a few characters at this workshop. A couple of boys/almost men but not quite in Larry's group who were amazing, and he recognised them as such. A girl who thought she was all that, but who gave up less than half way through, and ohhh, Larry wasn't going to like that one bit, and he made an example of her when they gave their speech at the end.