Hyperreal

When does a dip become a drop? That’s a toughie…

Is it just me that sometimes finds that it’s not the guy who decides, but the girl? Some girl will refuse a drop and only do a dip, while others will refuse a dip and throw themselves into a “how low can you go” all-out drop. Obviously the last set are less likely to have experienced what happens when the guy isn’t ready to catch…

It’s because of this confusion that I don’t really know whether what we were taught tonight at the GUU was a dip or a drop. It was called a “seducer” which covers a multitude of sins…

Anyway, what was the rest of the class? Some rather nice moves…

• Octopus double-handed stuff into ladies’ nelson. Start with the first part of an octopus (though we later changed this to a travelling return, removing all trace of the octopus from the move) Travel the lady back to your right as you turn away under your double hands to face the lady as she’s come round. Double-handed turn of the lady to unwind, lowering R-L and keep turning with L-R to leave the girl in the swizzle position. Step across under swizzle, going into another travelling return.
• First move walk-around swizzle. Interrupt the travelling return to bring the girl into a sort-of first move “in” position – snapping her in as you walk around her. Both walk around for a couple of counts, then again, turn the girl into a swizzle position. ‘Nother step across going into another travelling return.
• This time the travelling return is blocked early as you bring the girl’s RH with your LH up to meet your RH, blocking the entry into the turn part of the return, and from a sort-of yo-yo-like block, turn her CW as you continue to change places, finishing R-R.
• Catapult wrap seducer. One-handed catapult start, but wrap the girl back in in front of you for a dip/drop/seducer. All the usual technique stuff applies. Position of feet, support on back, don’t leave over the girl… The usual script… Bring her back up and turn her out to reconnect L-R to do a travelling return for the start of the first move…

These moves flowed so smoothly. I liked them all, though as I wasn’t feeling especially inspired or adventurous though in freestyle, so I didn’t try the whole of any of the trickier moves…

Actually, I should have said… I was there for the start of the beginners’ class! Yeay! Seems to have been ages, but it was good to be there and take part. Managed to dance with some less-experienced (though maybe not beginner) dancers during the freestyle…

The freestyle was a bit of a disappointment for me though. There weren’t enough good women that I felt really comfortable dancing with… I danced with lots of folks of varying experience, but for the best results I seem to need to dance with people I know quite well, and there weren’t enough people like that tonight.

Maybe it’s the football thing keeping the women at home again… Dunno…

Anyway, I did have lots of good dances, but sometimes it’s a shame to have to dance to so many good songs with partners you aren’t sufficiently familiar with to get the best out of the music…

Well, I had fun, and that’s the main thing… Hope everyone else did too.

Also got my confirmation of Blackpool this evening, so the next time I’ll be dancing it’ll be in the Winter Gardens in Blackpool!

Looking forward to it.

I’m hoping for the best results possible for everyone I know. (In my case, it’s being knocked out of the competition as early as possible without making a fool of myself. )

See you all in Blackpool!