Hyperreal

Hey, happy new year everybody!

Last year was pretty outstanding for me. Mainly due to taking up dancing, and all the wonderful people I’ve got to know through that.

As I said on the Ceroc Scotland forum…

Who knows what 2006 has in store for us, but I’m looking forward to the ride.

Hope you are too, and it’s a good one. Maybe our paths will cross on the way.

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Last night I went out with some friends to bring in the year at a bar/club in the south-side on Glasgow.

I don’t like the term “muggles” dancing, as it can sound a bit condescending and geeky. But that said, it is a simple and concise way to describe people who dance, but haven’t yet experienced “real” partner dancing. Except that last night on the crowded dance-floor, as we were all “muggle” dancing, the fact is that quite a few of us had knowledge of “real” dancing, but still chose to do this apparently lesser form of dancing.

As I looked around there was one couple who quite clearly had a fair amount of some Ceroc-like dancing, as they were doing moves I recognised (when they weren’t just dancing in a close embrace.) There was also a big bunch of people who also had some partner dance experience, as they were occasionally pairing-up and doing wee spins, turns and even the odd dip or lay-back (which when you’re on a very crowded dance floor full of drunk people isn’t recommended) – they looked terrible, so much yanking and cranking I could hardly watch. But it was partner dancing.

So I don’t think I can call them all “muggle” dancers, but I’m not sure of a good way to describe what we were doing. How about “free dancing”? Or “club dancing”? I think I’ll use club dancing for the moment…

I’ve always really enjoyed going out dancing in clubs, moving to the beat, hitting the breaks, and generally having a good time. Some dancers I’ve met have told me that since learning “real” dancing they no longer enjoy club dancing, and I was worried this was happening to me. (Plus if some people are to be believed, I’m too old to enjoy it!) The last couple of times when I had a chance to enjoy some club dancing, I didn’t feel at all like joining in, and this concerned me.

But last night after a bit of reticence, and a few drinks, I ventured onto the dance floor. And I had a whale of a time.

And here’s the thing – I now enjoy it even more as I can now do more with the music, I’m more aware of my body, and I’m even capable of dancing to music that before I’d not care for, cos it was (guess what?!) too slow.

OK, there were times when a piece of music came on that I really, really wanted a partner to dance with, but I still enjoyed myself, and having had a few drinks it make it easier to do things that on a Ceroc dance-floor I’d be too self-conscious to. I genuinely had as much fun “muggle” dancing as partner dancing. (I definitely prefer partner dancing though for so many reasons.)

I think the moral of this tale, if there is one, is that just because we’re “trained” dancers, and know how to partner-dance, it doesn’t make us special. We don’t own dancing – it belongs to everyone.

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I’ve been thinking about some new-year resolutions, and once I’ve figured out how I’m going to try to change my life this year, and if there’s anything you can all help with, I’ll post here. I recommend that you too think of a few resolutions – last year I made some which resulted (indirectly) in me starting Ceroc dancing. Who knows what’ll happen this year?!

May you have a safe, peaceful, and prosperous new year.