What's In A Name? Addendum: Graceful Dancer

There's always room for a little more grace.

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When formulating a series like What's In A Name?, it's not unusual to aggregate as much information and as many ideas and evidence as possible before paring it down to its core parts. As a result, things are often forced to go by the wayside, and typically appear as part of another post later on.

Today is one of those days, and it has specifically to do with Shane, and the alternate interpretation of that key quote about "dancing" and "grace."

A House Rule Revisited

"We danced together before and you are not entirely without grace."

While a direct reference to her name with it's mention of "grace," this quote also alludes to a greater truth related to Shane, referring to her "dance" of a relationship with Oliver and the "grace" with which she eventually grew to approach its more challenging seasons.

If you remember, Shane's original house rule was based on a directive to "dance a little," which I posited began long before Theresa ever gave the word. That dance began in the Pilot, the encounter which Oliver is referencing here.

And, for all intents and purposes, Shane did gracefully navigate the tender space between Oliver's hurt and urging him to go after Holly---at least up until she crossed over into "psychoanalyzing the Section Leader" as Oliver put it. This is probably why he was hesitant to label her completely graceful. Haha

As both Shane's House Rule and its follow up detail, Shane had to learn to become an effective dance partner, as it were, for Oliver, which took time and a lot of practice to achieve. Sometimes she handled it with particular grace, other times it was if she had two left feet. In the end, however, she mastered the complicated art.

And that's the other dimension through which Shane has lived up to her name!

Putting Her Dancing Shoes On,
~C