Dancing through life?

Yes, some of you musical aficionados may note that the title of this blog is also part of a Wicked song, so now you now that about me.

Also about me, I have started dancing. I never took ballet as a child, that was my sister, and as the second, I had to do something else, so I chose gymnastics, which I enjoyed, but still in college I felt I had missed that sexy, feminine, awesome dancer chance.

Now, as I have in the past year uprooted myself and moved across the country, I am taking leaps to try many forms of dance. It started as with Contra, dabbling in Lindy Hop, glimpsing Blues, a peek at Square, a first fumble at Balboa, and now more intentionally Lindy Hop, with hopes of more Blues.

Contra dancing was safe. Weird, I know, to describe an event where you enter solo into a room full of strangers and have to submit yourself to the awkward asking/not being asked ritual of partner dancing, as safe. But, as I say, they were strangers. I was alone in a new city and could make a fool of myself in front of these dancers, who were mostly many years older than me, or in the younger clique, but I didn't have to worry too much about grace. Dance steps were walked through before each song started, and after several repetitions you got into the groove. Not quite expressive enough, but definitely worked up a sweat, got to hear live bands, and enjoyed the choreographed dance hall feeling.

Lindy Hop, at first, terrified and also didn't entice me. I found the online YouTube videos jerky, not terribly graceful, and I never get the whole vintage scene. But my best friend here invited me, and as a new comer, I made it my goal to seize all opportunities that came my way, so I tried it. Seattle has a large Lindy scene, and it intimidated me (still does). I went cautiously, not even sure if it was a world I wanted to be in very deep. More on this dance later.

Blues dancing was something altogether different. Think of the cliche scene from the film Dirty Dancing, where Baby bring beer or something to the dimly lit, hot, sweaty, secret dance space with all the staff pressing against one another. Okay, good frame of reference. I went with my friend, same one, to my first Blues dance at 12 AM, with assurances from my friend that it would be going on until 4 AM probably. It was in someone's house, and on the porch was a pile of 50 or so pairs of shoes. We entered the house, shoeless, and walked through intertwined couples, through 3 rooms of hardwood floors filled only with slinking, grooving, sweaty bodies. Yes I was nervous, but these dancers made me feel graceful, sexy, alive. At the end of it I had the sweat of everyone I had danced with and my own mixed into the fabrics of my clothes, but I felt inspired, and cool! I have since quoted to a friend this line I feel fits the blues scene. "Blues dancing is like smoking, if smoking actually was cool." I don't know why this fits, I am not a smoker, but has that forbidden, feels so smooth feeling that I imagine people who smoke must like.

Anyway, I digress, and I haven't covered all the dancing yet! However, this is a good start. I must go, out to hear music or try some new steps, but I will return with more patchwork stories soon.

Go out and try some moves yourself!