Hyperreal

Back to JJ’s for the first time in two weeks…

Not a bad night, but again it has proved the rule that too much of a good thing can be bad for you. Despite 36 hours of dance-related activity over the past week or so, I was dancing really bad tonight.

I know why. It was the workshop. Well, that and all the other classes I’ve been to. I’ve probably been taught about two dozen moves over the last week, and my poor wee brain is struggling to cope with it all.

It’s either I’ve got too many options (e.g. first move variations), or more often, an inability to remember a good new move to perform. And once I come up with one of these moves, because it is new to me, the lead doesn’t always go to plan.

Then at the same time I’m trying to be clever, putting a bit more musicality into it all. But what’s the point if I can’t even lead whatever I’m trying to do – assuming I actually know what that is?

But it’s not all doom and gloom – I did remember quite a few of the moves, and managed to lead most of the ones I remembered fairly well (eventually, if not first time!) I even got to practice my dip move a few times. (Though this is one place where musicality is so essential! You can’t just throw a dip in any old place, it has to fit the music. And because the timing of it isn’t wired into my brain yet, it’s hard to get in to it at just the right time. And so because of that there were a lot of first move without seducers led. And because I’ve missed the break with the dip, I’ve also likely missed it in the middle of doing the standard first move. So, just when I’m trying to be more musical, things are going to pot!

Hang on! I thought I said things weren’t all doom and gloom – so why am I back talking about the negatives?!

Well, while I’m still moaning, let me tell you that I have a sore foot! I need good arch support from my shoes, and these flashy new dance shoes of mine just aren’t giving it. Normally that wouldn’t be a big problem, but remember the 36 hours of wearing these shoes I’ve just been talking about? Well it takes it out of my feet. The left one in particular. I’m going to have to find some cure quite soon, or else it’s just going to get worse and then I won’t be able to dance.

Let’s get back to the positives… We did some good moves tonight…

• First up, a Granada Mangle!

Only joking! In fact, that was Franck’s joke. He was at a loss to explain why I had been taught this relatively rare and rather complex move three times in the same week by three different teachers. We figured that they must have talked about the moves they were planning to teach when they met up at the competition.

So, the actual moves were…

• Secret swizzle – Classic move of the night… like a standard double-handed yo-yo, with LH offered below, but where you’d normally block, keep going until girl has turned away from you and it’s the LH holding her left hand that has stopped her. Your RH is high for the swizzled turn. Pull back to turn the girl CW, and as she comes round raise LH above to be by RH to do double-handed turn. (Normally finish with a return.)
• Instead of doing a return do a left-handed comb with the ladies LH. RH provides the leads for “step-in/stay close”, a couple of sways or some wiggling, and the step-back.
• Catapult block – lead the girl behind you in a catapult movement, but turn anti-clockwise to face her. Your RH is nelsoned behind you holding the girl’s RH. Raise LH for left-hand hold in front. Girl should follow. Then lead with the RH to pull the girl past to your left, and at the same time push LH out over girl’s head to make her turn clockwise as you let go of RH and turn CW following the girl round. On the step back you should now be in a L-L hold. How do you get out of this one?!?
• Not sure of the name?? – sort of like a hatchback – you lead the girl in with her left arm across your chest and push with the right to spin her behind. Turn to catch R-R, return…

I’ve done the secret swizzle before, but it was a long time ago, and it wasn’t clear enough in my head to use it. Think I’ve got it sussed now. I really liked the catapult block, but getting out of the L-L hold is difficult – two girls during the class told me they didn’t like the exit we were taught, though I didn’t have any problems with it myself. During freestyle when I did the move I tried various other exits, but I think the easiest one is just to re-connect R-R, and then move on from there. I wonder what would have happened if I’d tried something like a left-handed sway into something… Hmm…

Anyway despite the pain and misery, I had a good time during freestyle. It was good to be “home”, with so many familiar faces, a few of which had missed me.

finally, I’m now ready to explain my patented technique for getting asked to dance (which seems to work in JJ’s at least…)

1. Wait until there’s a song on you don’t especially like.
2. Then notice that the girl/guy you wanted to dance with is already with someone else.
3. Decide you’re just going to wait this one out.
4. The crucial bit – step back, away from the bannister, and away from the crowd to get some air.
5. Maybe turn to talk to someone near-by.
6. At this point some-one will sneak up behind you and ask you to dance.

There are other things you can do to make this work even more reliably – such as wearing a bright shirt, or looking slightly forlorn.

Don’t ask me how to get asked to dance to a song you actually want to dance to – I’m usually doing the asking at that point. Why wait around??

So not a bad night all-in-all. There’s no dancing in Glasgow tomorrow, but I’m probably going to Rutherglen on Thursday. Hopefully I’ll have found a fix for my foot by then.

See you all there!