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Jan. 14th, 2002 12:07 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
unbibiumThis last weekend, I participated in New Year Swing Jam 2002. I only attended two days of events, but I had a blast.
Friday night, I listened to Frankie and Norma and Chazz tell stories about the Harlem jazz dancing scene in the 20's and 30's, and Frankie and Chazz taught a roomful of us the Shim Sham. That lesson took at least an hour, and I was exhausted afterwards. It was like an aerobics class. It's remarkable what shape Frankie is in, to be able to lead classes at his age. My grandfather isn't that old, and it takes him a half hour to get out of the car. And the Shim Sham is an awful complicated line dance, and it was remarkable that I could learn it in such a short period of time. I think I might even have retained it.
And then the dance for the evening started. I met lots of interesting people, including a Swedish guy who was even shyer than I was the first time I danced. I tried to tell him it was OK to ask women he didn't know to dance, but he was still pretty timid. I decided to take a chance on him by introducing him to the first woman I danced with that night. I hoped that would help him get the ball rolling, but he still spent the rest of the evening just chilling with his friends on the bleachers. I got to dance with several women that night, including one who gave me a ride home that night.
The following day wasn't as much fun, but I'm glad I went. There were some lindy hop classes, during which I seemed to actually figure out Lindy to the point where I can actually do a few swingouts during social dances. Of course, I still end up retreating back into the safety of six-counts soon enough. I learned a little more about lead techniques in another class. But the third class I took was in an overheating gymnasium that was so crowded I couldn't see the instructor, and everyone was sweating buckets. I learned the moves, but didn't retain them. I sat out any remaining classes and went home for dinner, with the help of the same woman as the night before.
She gave me a ride back for the dance that evening. It took me a while to get warmed up; I danced with ride-girl once, then a few people I recognized from the Bash, then some strangers. I didn't feel too good; I was in Apologist Mode where I'd spend half the dance explaining that I'm not very good at what I just tried. But when ride-girl wanted to leave early, I told her I had one or two more dances left in me, and could she wait? Well, she couldn't, so I was kind of on the spot. But I wouldn't be able to make it to the Sunday dance, so I told her I'd find another ride home. So she left.
Two minutes later, I started to panic. Most of the people I knew were staying to the end, or were in full cars. Of course I wouldn't find another ride home! What was I thinking? Well, it's only 10:00, maybe my parents are still up, and they don't live too far. My mom was up, and didn't mind, but she wouldn't be there until about 11:00.
I'm glad I was able to stay that much longer; I seemed to get my second wind. Found some more people I knew, danced with some more women, and to tell the truth, they played an old rock and roll song from the 50's at one point, which usually gives me trouble, but luckily my partner was very energetic, confident, and tolerant when I started a move and couldn't finish it. You wouldn't believe how much it helps to look at your partner's face and see that she's having a good time. And by some fluke in the space-time continuum, it ended in the most death-defying 90-degree dip I ever performed.
I left while they were playing the Austin Powers theme. I spent the night at my parents' house, but that's another entry.
I had a lot of fun at these events, but I think what I really came away from it with was a deeper appreciation of the history of swing dancing. When Frankie led a lesson, he would tell you how the dance was invented, and you'd believe every word of it because he was there. I even learned that our instructor, KJZZ DJ Steve Conrad, took his first dancing lesson from Frankie many years ago. Someday I'll study up on the subject a little more, but it's only the latest addition to a great pile of things I'm curious about.
Friday night, I listened to Frankie and Norma and Chazz tell stories about the Harlem jazz dancing scene in the 20's and 30's, and Frankie and Chazz taught a roomful of us the Shim Sham. That lesson took at least an hour, and I was exhausted afterwards. It was like an aerobics class. It's remarkable what shape Frankie is in, to be able to lead classes at his age. My grandfather isn't that old, and it takes him a half hour to get out of the car. And the Shim Sham is an awful complicated line dance, and it was remarkable that I could learn it in such a short period of time. I think I might even have retained it.
And then the dance for the evening started. I met lots of interesting people, including a Swedish guy who was even shyer than I was the first time I danced. I tried to tell him it was OK to ask women he didn't know to dance, but he was still pretty timid. I decided to take a chance on him by introducing him to the first woman I danced with that night. I hoped that would help him get the ball rolling, but he still spent the rest of the evening just chilling with his friends on the bleachers. I got to dance with several women that night, including one who gave me a ride home that night.
The following day wasn't as much fun, but I'm glad I went. There were some lindy hop classes, during which I seemed to actually figure out Lindy to the point where I can actually do a few swingouts during social dances. Of course, I still end up retreating back into the safety of six-counts soon enough. I learned a little more about lead techniques in another class. But the third class I took was in an overheating gymnasium that was so crowded I couldn't see the instructor, and everyone was sweating buckets. I learned the moves, but didn't retain them. I sat out any remaining classes and went home for dinner, with the help of the same woman as the night before.
She gave me a ride back for the dance that evening. It took me a while to get warmed up; I danced with ride-girl once, then a few people I recognized from the Bash, then some strangers. I didn't feel too good; I was in Apologist Mode where I'd spend half the dance explaining that I'm not very good at what I just tried. But when ride-girl wanted to leave early, I told her I had one or two more dances left in me, and could she wait? Well, she couldn't, so I was kind of on the spot. But I wouldn't be able to make it to the Sunday dance, so I told her I'd find another ride home. So she left.
Two minutes later, I started to panic. Most of the people I knew were staying to the end, or were in full cars. Of course I wouldn't find another ride home! What was I thinking? Well, it's only 10:00, maybe my parents are still up, and they don't live too far. My mom was up, and didn't mind, but she wouldn't be there until about 11:00.
I'm glad I was able to stay that much longer; I seemed to get my second wind. Found some more people I knew, danced with some more women, and to tell the truth, they played an old rock and roll song from the 50's at one point, which usually gives me trouble, but luckily my partner was very energetic, confident, and tolerant when I started a move and couldn't finish it. You wouldn't believe how much it helps to look at your partner's face and see that she's having a good time. And by some fluke in the space-time continuum, it ended in the most death-defying 90-degree dip I ever performed.
I left while they were playing the Austin Powers theme. I spent the night at my parents' house, but that's another entry.
I had a lot of fun at these events, but I think what I really came away from it with was a deeper appreciation of the history of swing dancing. When Frankie led a lesson, he would tell you how the dance was invented, and you'd believe every word of it because he was there. I even learned that our instructor, KJZZ DJ Steve Conrad, took his first dancing lesson from Frankie many years ago. Someday I'll study up on the subject a little more, but it's only the latest addition to a great pile of things I'm curious about.
