Hyperreal

Just had the most awesome night at JJ’s. Might even have been my best night ever.

I haven’t yet been able to finish up my posts on the fantastic weekend I had at Aberdeen and Stirling, but it must have had a huge impact. Something has clicked, and I’m now a different dancer.

I think it wasn’t so much the moves, or the technique that Amir showed us that was significant, it was the attitude. And it has changed my attitude for some slower songs. I’m not reversing my opinion or my musical tastes, but I seem to have found something in me which can turn an otherwise boring slow dance into a drama. It really makes me think of Tango, even if I’m not doing the Tango/Jango moves taught to us.

I hope I can sustain this, and develop it further. I still really love the faster songs too though.

In my unposted report from Amir’s workshops I claim that my first move is similar to Amir’s. Well it’s not (and because it hasn’t been published I can go and erase this claim before I make it. ) It’s not really like the Ceroc first move though. Now that I know the three (mine, Amir’s, Ceroc’s) I can blend and twist them and who knows what will come out.

There’s still lots of stuff from the workshops that hasn’t sunk it yet, so still plenty to work on.

Let’s talk through the night though…

I arrived shortly before the end of the beginner’s class, so it was almost straight into freestyle when I got there. Had my usual rusty start, but there were flashes of what would happen later emerging.

Intermediate class…

• Shoulder Drop Catapult – Start with a shoulder drop, but as you slide to side, stick your left hand behind your back to go double-handed. Step back to the side to bring the girl to the catapult exit position and exit in that fashion. The girl may not take hold of your spare hand, so you might want to start this move double-handed (crossed over). For the next move instead of a free spin we held on to the girl to bring her round into a nelson position which will fit with the next move.
• Swizzle Comb – crossed over two-handed hold, turn the girl clockwise into a swizzle with your R a bit out to your left. Holding her still with your LH on her R hip, comb her, slow or fast - doesn’t matter. When we’re ready a wee lead in and then step back. So, for the routine, we’ve got the L-L nelson part, we just need to connect R-R as she comes round and comb. For the next move we want a R-R hold so let go R early so it’s in the right position to take her hand as she steps back.
• Man wrap – classic move. Travelling return, but turn to wrap yourself ACW to face. Lead the girl from her upper arm in and around for a few steps. I led her to stop at this point. You unwind CW, keeping your hand near your back until you’re facing when you can then lead the girl to prepare for a ACW spin. Normally you’d spin the girl now, but instead we held on and led a slower spin, again to fit with the next move.
• Two-handed sway – or is this the classic move? Don’t need to describe it here, but for this routine you step into the girl’s spin stopping her with your RH at her hip and a body connection right side to left side. Two-handed exit, and the return forms the start of the first move of the routine.

An excellent wee routine.

The two things we’re meant to get from this is the two spins which you don’t let go and so turn into something different; and half-nelson positions, for both the girl and the guy. I’m doing more nelson/swizzle things on girls, but I don’t often put myself in that position. Maybe I’m just too lazy.

Anyway, as a result, I’m unlikely to add the man wrap to my repertoire… I already do too many sways, so I don’t need to work on that… Which leave the first two moves…

The shoulder drop has always been a move I’ve liked, but I never remember to do stick them in after returns, so I don’t see this variation gaining much ground. For similar reasons, I don’t do many combs, but the swizzle comb is good, in that it fits in differently. I will see if I can take this one with me.

So, onto the freestyle. It took another dance or two to get fully into my stride, but that third dance I had was just awesome. It was so sexy, so intense, words can’t describe it. Not all my dances were that good, but one or two others came close. I had a few dances with some girls I don’t tend to dance with often and I wonder if I surprised them. I still managed to dance with many of my usual suspects, though I fear I didn’t get round them all before the night ended. Only got a couple of second dances when I wanted to dance with some of the girls all night.

But the night ended. George Michael (tribute) was due on stage…

So, that’s that. I’m now wondering whether to go to the GUU or not tomorrow. What if it’s not the same???