Have two left feet (dancing)

Have two left feet (dancing)

Have two left feet (dancing)

Be all thumbs


Ballare come un orso

Essere una frana

Ballare come un orso

Ballare come un orso


Meanings
Fig.: to move in a clumsy and awkward way, especially when dancing

Examples
I adore dancing, but I've got two left feet and I'm too embarrassed to accept invitations to dance
Io adoro ballare, ma ballo come un orso perciò non accetto mai inviti perché mi vergogno troppo

“This is the prom! Why aren't you dancing?” “Because when it comes to dancing I have two left feet
“Siamo al ballo di fine anno! Perché non balli” “Perché in fatto di ballo sono una frana”

Origin
Having two left feet, which are not symmetrical, would lead to lack of coordination, unbalance and stumbling when moving.
This expression originated in the early 1900s in the world of dance and referred to dancing only, but today it can be applied also to different situations, such as running, playing a sport, performing difficult physical jobs, and so on