Hyperreal

Hi Guys,

Just back from the 10th class.

It wasn’t so great for me this week. Not entirely sure why, but mostly I don’t think I was in the right mood for dancing.

But let’s get on…

We had that stand-in guy again this week. Compared to our normal teacher, Franck’s certainly funnier, but they’re both great teachers (well, I think so) and I wouldn’t pick one over the other.

What he does seem to bring though, is extra women. Are they coming from all around Scotland or from his other classes especially, or is it just a coincidence? Don’t know, but there were a lot of unfamiliar faces, and not just beginners.

The beginners’ class was OK – nothing too difficult for me. Let’s see… Started with a yo-yo, then a slow comb (first time I’d done that - kept on trying to just do a comb!), into a good ol’ in-and-out, straight into a basket and following that with a man-spin back for the yo-yo.

Franck re-named the man-spin a “batmobile” as the guys were supposed to pretend they had a toy batmobile car in their right hand that could fly through the man spin and also helicopter above the woman’s head for the return. :rofl:

The first freestyle didn’t last very long (it seemed to me) but I got in a few dances – first with an absolute beginner whom I’d just finished the class with. She was doing quite good considering, but I directed her towards a taxi dancer after our dance finished as I knew he’d be able to help her much more than I could.

After a quick sip of water, a taxi dancer (new to me, don’t know if she’s new to taxiing or new to this class) asked me for a dance (I must still have that beginner look about me) and after that I had another request from a fairly recent start who I think might have done her first intermediate class tonight.

Both went quite well – maybe better with the taxi dancer though. I managed to practice my pretzel from last week and felt good about that.

With the less experienced woman I think I managed to find a better mix of moves – it was the same thing as I’ve talked about before, where with a better dancer you’re going to be more intimidated, will concentrate too much on getting the moves “right” and then have less time to think about choice of move.

Was looking around for another dance partner, of my choice this time, when the intermediate class started…

Franck assured us that he’d picked three quick and easy moves to do, but I didn’t do as well as the previous two weeks where some of the moves were clearly more difficult. Hopefully just a bad week.

First was something like “the lady nelson step across”, or something like that. Because the initial lead was very different from what I’m used to, but enough like a basket (two hands leading the lady to my right) that I kept on messing up. Could do it on its own, but as soon as I tried combining it with moves learnt later it would usually go wrong. You’d lead the lady to your right, turning her under your right hand into a sort-of swizzle type thing. Then you’d pull her back in a step-across type move (remembering to let go of both hands!)

Next up was a move with a name almost as long as this post! It started with a sort-of first move-style step in, but you put your wrist on the girl’s shoulder and then as you pushed her round you kept leading with the hand on the shoulder until you had turned her round twice(?) and switched places. Then you’d do a mambo walk (?? I think Franck had an alternative name for this bit too – nothing to do with toy cars though!) finishing with a spin bringing you back round to face the way you’d started. I could pretty much do this move.

Last was a “Sway Tornado”, although Franck didn’t want us thinking that it was as fast as the tornado name might suggest! :nice: It started with a sway, a move I wasn’t familiar with, but in the sway you’d switch your hands to hold with your left and then as you came out of the move you’d turn the girl twice – once as part of unwrapping her, then once again for kicks. :nice: (I think credit for this moves lies with Howard and Nicola, who taught it at the Aberdeen Beach Ballroom event. Right?)

My big problem with this move was simply that I was always on the wrong foot when trying to sway - I had first-move compatible feet (step back on the left), which was all wrong for this move (step back on the right.) :confused:

I maybe managed to get through all the moves one after another successfully just once or twice during the class, but as the class ended and the freestyle started my current partner and I went though it again a few more times and by the end I think we had a not-bad approximation to what we’d seen on the stage.

After that I stopped for a gulp of water and hid in the corner for a bit. (sorry!)

I asked a beginner to dance, but she wasn’t up for it. It was a shame as I didn’t feel up to dancing with anyone more taxing. I was tired and bit confused by the new moves. But when it comes down to it, I just wasn’t in a mood to dance.

So I left.

Not my most successful week. I had noticed again my problems with returns when I was dancing with the less experienced women – I think maybe with the more experienced, they’re maybe just better at knowing what they should be doing when I don’t lead clearly. Didn’t get a chance to analyse it further.

I’m always amazed that other people have problems during the intermediate class – I guess as a beginner-intermediate I expect everyone else to have it all figured out by now. Of course, I’m mainly going by what the women I’m partnered with are saying, or doing. I rarely have time to watch the other dancers. I was also surprised by how quickly some of the women decide to move up to intermediate. Won’t comment further on that one though…

Well, I think I’ve written enough for tonight. Think I need to get to my bed.

As ever, thanks to the dancers, the taxis, the demo and the teacher. :cheers:

Oh, and the venue manager – keep forgetting the essential role he plays. :cheers:

And “Hi!”s to all the people I got to chat with, a few for the first time. :flower:

Bye for now…