Hyperreal

I love my nights at JJ’s, and I loved tonight.

If I’m allowed one wee gripe though, it’s that the air conditioning was first turned too hot, then too cold, then too hot again! Can’t they just set a temperature of , I guess, 20º and leave it at that?

Anyway, the rest was a good night.

Let’s quickly do the moves…

• Neck-break – classic move.
• Catapult steps – start normal catapult, but don’t offer L behind. Bring girl round to your LHS, and then scoop your left hand down between you and up to collect her behind her back. Then walk a few steps – tonight we did crossing over steps, left kicking right and then going left, right kicking left and then go right; so that we take turns to have our neighbouring legs in front of the other – when we’re done, lead the girl round in front of you and to your RHS to go into a first-move position, with a first-move exit.
• First-move elbow spin – tonight’s beginner’s move variation – normal first move start, but as you bring the girl back in, bring your R arm up from the girl’s waist to her elbow, twisting your arm ACW to allow her arm to go under yours as you start a weak push-spin. As she turns away from you, you should be in a position to stop her with your RH over her arm at her elbow, where you can pull back and spin her. Catch L-R.
• Frog-match returns (?) – do a (travelling) return from the previous move, but as she comes round, take your leading hand low and she should continue to follow the turn until she’s facing away from you and you have her in a half-nelson. Leading on her back, rather than her hand, lead her forward for a couple of steps, then stop and lower your hand to allow her to take another step forward and out of the nelson position to face you. Travelling return to do the same back where you can from. From here, start back to the neck-break.

I liked these moves. It was hard initially to get the girl’s elbow for the elbow spin, as I couldn’t figure out what way my arm needed to turn to get it to work, and initially some partners would hold on to my shoulder on the twist back in, making it very difficult to get her elbow. Further instruction from Franck stopped that though.

I don’t actually know if I’ve ever been taught the neck-break, just on its own (not a variation) I’ve known how to do it, but I don’t do it very often. Think I should change this. I do like the spin through variation especially.

Elbow spin I don’t think I’ll remember, and I think it might be too much of a surprise for most, especially if I’m struggling to lead it well.

The frog-march I don’t really fancy – I usually like to be able to see my partner – but I guess I should try it out sometime.

In the freestyle I did the neck-break and variation quite a bit, and the catapult steps once or twice. Didn’t find my exits to the catapult steps very good.

The other thing I should mention about the classes is that there were perfect matching numbers. Normally at JJ’s there’s loads extra women, but at the start of the beginners class there were two spare men. This was quickly balanced up and we spent the classes with the guys moving on one. (Just as well, as I don’t know if I can count any higher number and walk at the same time!)

Freestyles were both good. I was good that I could distinguish a definite difference in my style depending on the style of song. I was worried I was getting a bit same-y, dancing the same way no matter what the song. Nope, that isn’t so. I also felt good at times in the amount of variety I put into my moves for some dances. Of course, it depended on the style of the dance, and so where a certain collection of moves made more sense, I tended to stick more with them.

So generally happy with my dancing tonight, though there were still loads of mistakes and things I could be doing better. But I had some lovely dances though with some great dancers, and for that I am delighted.

Big thanks to everyone. (Especially to the late-comer who’s hopefully going to make my night on Thursday with some voodoo. She is my DJ. )

And so that brings us to the big party on Thursday. So looking forward to it!!!!!! I can’t wait!!!!!

It’s going to be a night and a half (almost literally, at up to 10 hours!) and so many of my favourite dancers are going to be there!!!

And did I mention it’s going to be my birthday on the 30th???

Hope to see you there….