“Let’s do the High Heel,” said our teacher, Maryanne Byington, a former ballroom dancer and High Heel Mistress, who was wearing a gray flannel pencil skirt, black hose and classic black pumps. Observing us was Miss Vera herself, a curvaceous brunette who opened the academy back in 1992. Men who like to look like women often need a little help and confidence, especially if they want to pass.

“Tonight, I’ll teach you how to make an elegant entrance ending with a pause.You’ll learn how to cross your legs and ankles, descend a staircase, sit down in a chair,” Maryanne told us. Who knew sitting down looked prettiest done sideways?

“No, Darlene! Your legs are too wide.You need to put one foot in front of the other,” Maryanne scolded good-naturedly, observing our footwork closely.We were walking around in a circle, trying to step smoothly. “Swing your arms naturally by your sides,” she counseled.“I don’t catch onto body stuff quick,” one girl muttered. Soon enough she was walking around the circle with her strappy four-inch black patent platforms and daintily crossing her stocking-clad legs. We all wiggled over to a nearby bar for a celebratory cocktail.

Most of the movements came naturally for me but one of my errors was over-acting. “Gerry, you’re prancing like a horse. Don’t step that high!” Maryanne told me. But I’ve always been a prancer; some of us are racehorses, some are not.