Good news: I can still swing dance. I can no longer do it very *fast*, or for very long, but I can still do it. (We'll leave out "very well," since that's always been debatable. :P ( Read more... )

I can't say enough good things about the Hop Shop.  It's a fantastic and unique dance weekend, with small group instruction and lots of individual attention from world-class dance instructors.  I always come out of it with interesting things to think about and try out.  Sadly, I wasn't dancing particularly well at the evening dances (too tired from ( Read more... )

I've been saying for a long time now that I'm in terrible shape. My dance endurance has dwindled, to the point where anything over 200 bpm leaves me wheezing and panting. (Of course, to anyone who doesn't lindy hop, 200 bpm is quite respectable, but in lindy, that's where things are just *starting* to get fast ( Read more... )

I tried, I really tried. I got myself all dolled up for the dance Thursday night in Oakhurst, and went determined to dance my little patootie off. Usually when I feel lukwarm about dancing, the music gets me moving, and Thursday's dance featured a New Orleans jazz band I hadn't heard before, so I was pretty sure that would be the impetus I needed ( Read more... )

It's time to admit it: I'm burned out on swing dancing. More specifically, I'm burned out on social dancing. It seems lately like the "social" part takes more energy than the "dancing" part. Asking people to dance, or waiting to be asked, seems to stress me out more and more, which is kind of funny, considering how much it stressed me out when I ( Read more... )

Note to self: what I really need are variations on 6-ct basic steps for dancing with beginners!

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Took it easy tonight--only stayed out dancing til 2,and sat out quite a lot. This afternoon's workshop just about did me in, and it wasn't even that hard: an improv class about taking advantage of extra beats and free turns to do nifty stuff and engage in a communication with your partner. Worth doing, but soreness and sleep deprivation did not ( Read more... )

Had way too much fun today. Botanical garden with Mom and Z, weird flaming art at Eyedrum (release the Doom Cock!), and swing dancing at Tech. If my life gets any more fun, it may kill me.

Pictures

Another year, another Southern Belles Swing Bash. Whee! I feel like maybe I got a bit less out of it this year than last year--but thinking back, I think maybe I *needed* less this year. I'm a much better dancer than I was a year ago, when I was still figuring out what the heck this thing called a "frame" was ( Read more... )

Counting the long, LONG trip to NJ/NY/DC, I've gone dancing twice in the last six weeks. Abysmal. I'd fallen into a slump, where it just seemed like too much effort to get dressed and get out of the house in the evenings. Finally, last night, I got off my ass and went to Graveyard Tavern, where I had a revelation: gosh, I like to dance. I mean ( Read more... )