Hyperreal

Back to JJ’s tonight after missing it last week. In many ways, although I started at the GUU and it’s just down the road from me, Jumpin’ Jack’s is my “home” venue, in that it’s the one I would try hardest not to miss. It also seems to be the place I have my best dances.

The GUU comes a close second, and next time I’m back there I may even change my mind…

However, there seems to be a clear difference between “home” – JJ’s & the GUU – and “away” – everywhere else. And I really don’t know why…

Some other venues have, when I’ve had the right dancer, come close, there’s always something missing – for me anyway.

Maybe it’s because of the class format that I won’t get elsewhere as most “away”s are for freestyles. Maybe it’s the dancers that I’m familiar with. Maybe it’s the “comfy slippers” phenomena.

Maybe it’s my imagination.

Tonight at JJ’s I arrived just after the beginner’s class had finished (not deliberate hot-shottery, but another commitment) and my first few dances weren’t great (no reflection on my partners.) After the intermediate class though it was a different story, with almost every dance being a classic. One or two were simply fantastic.

Thinking back to Stirling on Saturday, this didn’t happen. Even at Route 66 on Friday where I thought I did OK, I never felt I was dancing my best.

Maybe it’s just cos I was still recovering from a cold. Maybe it was the unfamiliar surroundings and unfamiliar dancers.

Maybe I should stop saying maybe.

Let’s go back to tonight… Intermediate class, taught by Santa…

• Sway pull shoulders. (Or Sleigh pull shoulders for Santa!) Classic move. Start with a sway, lead girl out to do two-handed lean away from you (this is the pull or the sleigh, with the girl as your reindeer.) Step forward and lift the girl’s RH (in your RH) out to side and back in so it’s above her head. At the same time step round the LHS of girl and turn under your R-R hold to end up with the girl behind and you holding her hands on top of your shoulders. Drop into a catapult hold and normal ending.
• Tunnel and block. Catapult start but turn to face ACW to put yourself into nelson. Take girl’s hand L-L, hold it near her elbow, raise your L elbow (like you have a beach-ball under your arm) press down a bit on her R elbow with your L-L hands to make her duck as you lead the girl to pass your LHS, under your left arm. You need to step forward as she passes you, then to the left to bring her to your right, then let go L-L to turn/spin her ACW bringing her back in front.
• Putting those two moves together… If instead of bringing both girl’s arm up to your shoulders, you keep her L low and keep turning (1.5 times) you’ll end up in a mirror of where the tunnel started. So now you can tunnel the girl under to the right and bring her round to your left and spin… Catch L-R, and return.
• Side-to-side sit-on-knee. Usual side-to-side, let go and catch hip… go back and forward catching hips a couple of times, then one time as she passes L->R in front of you kneel down on R knee to present L leg as a seat. Lead the girl back and to sit. If she doesn’t automatically, take her R arm over your head in a wee comb. (Santa had to get one comb in!)
• Ceroc spin combo. Not sure what the “combo” bit means – I’m used to it meaning “with fries and a drink” in some fast-food places though… Anyway, usual Ceroc spin, but as she spins you turn ACW 180º and offer RH behind for lady to catch. Chuck her hand back to your LH, again behind you, then lead her round to front into CW spin. Catch R and return to go into sway… We use this move to get back up from the kneeling position – you can lead the first spin while you’re still kneeling, and while she’s spinning, you can struggle back to your feet…

I liked the first two moves together, but I didn’t like the first one on it’s own. I don’t really like the pull/sleigh bit, but from there on it it’s quite fun. I wonder if there’s another good way I can figure out to get there…

I really didn’t like the sit-on-knee. My knees ain’t the most sound part of my anatomy, and kneeling on a wooden floor just wasn’t fun. I don’t think I’ll ever be doing anything like that in freestyle. although I know quite a few cool side-to-side variations I stopped doing any of them as the whole thing is just tooooo cheesy, and not smooth…

UPDATE: I now have a nasty looking bruise on my knee to go with the one on my inner thigh that I got on Saturday night at Stirling. (Make up your own reasons on how I managed to bruise my inner thigh on Saturday – it’ll be way better than the rather boring truth.)

Still thinking about the Ceroc spin combo. Turning and catching behind could lead into lots of other cool things. Hmm…

I’ve already talked a bit about the freestyle… But to get into specifics… Based on what I’d been saying about getting bored with the moves I always use, I tried to add some more variety into my dancing, with mixed results… Some moves I haven’t done in a while just went to pieces, but I really enjoyed bringing back the reverse catapult. I used to really enjoy this one, so I don’t know why I stopped doing it. I tried at least once in almost all my dances in the main freestyle and it usually worked quite well, if not the first time, then usually the second. The thing about it is that the spin out is lead primarily L-L which can be tough for some ladies… Coming out of the second spin there are three possibilities.

1. The girl quickly switches you into her familiar right hand. That’s cool, cos there’s loads of L-R moves to go into.
2. The girl looks apprehensive, but is still in a L-L hold. I like to do what I think I’ll call a cog spin here, turning her CW against my ACW turn. It a fun move, though I don’t always lead it well.
3. Somehow you end up with both the girl’s hands in your left hand. Much harder to recover from this position. Need to figure out how it happens.

Despite one or two girls complaining they fear left-handed leads, they seem to like these moves – I usually get a big smile for my efforts.

Now! No copying! One girl suggested it could become a signature move for me. It’s definitely going back into my repertoire.

Musically, I think I performed better tonight that over the weekend. Maybe it’s familiar music??? Apart from one track that I ended up dancing to by mistake, I enjoyed pretty much all the music and felt I did most of it some justice (depending on the track and who I was dancing with) which wasn’t always the case in Stirling at least.

Oh, the only thing I haven’t mentioned… There was a Santa theme, but I forgot to bring any of my Santa hats! And I forgot to bring the cards I’d made out to various folks too.

You know, I’m getting so forgetful, it’s a wonder I always remember to finish my