If I could play an instrument I could get my music fix without dancing. I don’t and so I must dance! You may be saying to your self…”Self (cause thats how self conversations start…right?) couldn’t he just listen to the music to get his fix?” Which is like asking someone addicted to 8 cups of coffee a day if they could drink warm water instead.
Listening only involves one sense…hearing. Swing dancing utilizes ALL of the senses making the experience total body. You see your partner, feel their connection, hear the music, smell each other (this part can be just as bad as it is good which is why personal hygiene is a vital part of the equation), and you taste your own sweat as things get cooking (I nearly wrote a check that my ass couldn’t cash when I said ALL five senses so lets pretend it sounds normal and move on, shall we?)
For an outsider or beginner dancer the description above may seem like its bordering on disgusting at times but just like my coffee example…no one “likes” black coffee the first time they take a sip. What you like is what coffee gives you after you drink it and partner dancing is no different. No one gets up in the morning and looks forward to tasting their own sweat but when it happens in conjunction with a great dance you wouldn’t have it any other way.
“How do I have a great dance every time?” you ask. There are some keys to it but they all start with practice. Dancing after the lesson at a social doesn’t count either. You must do a little bit of drilling the basics every day. You don’t have to be an animal about it and work for an hour at a time but if you take 5 minutes and move through these 7 basics (see top video on home page) to a song it makes ALL of the difference in the world!
Only when our body can go through the motions on “auto pilot” can we begin to focus on what is happening in the music. if you can’t think about something other than your whip while you are whipping(or being whipped) you may not even be dancing on the beat. If you are not focused on the music it may as well not be playing right?
This Friday is my actual birthday and in leu of any gifts (or that gawd awful birthday song) I am accepting donations for Youth Storm in any amount (or nothing…no pressure) This week I am playing a ton of new music and some stuff that I haven’t heard in a long while (for some of you it will be completely new sounding). I have already ready heard from several friends that are traveling up to celebrate the night away with us so I expect we will be going later than usual. Bring your dancing shoes and I will have the extra water and pizza to accommodate everyone!
Tuesday January 14th (Every Tuesday in January)
$10
7:30 Beginner/Advanced Beginner
Dance 7:30-?
125 N. Lowell Rd
Bingo Hall in Windham, NH
(the light for the sign is out so look for the giant Silo and its across the street)
This Friday (Pizza Party)
$10
Lesson 7:30-8:15 (level is very Beginner Friendly)
Dance 8:15-?
DNE School of Dance
78 Princeton St.
Chelmsford, Ma
Sunday Night
$10
6-6:45 2-Step lesson
6:45-7:30pm WCS
7:30-? California Mixer
Longfellow’s Club JoEllen
524 Minuteman Dr off of Boston Post RD (Rt 20)
Wayland, MA