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Thursday, June 22, 2000
One year ago: Happy Birthday, Jack
Two years ago: More Clothes
Three years ago: Summer to Your Heart
More dance classes tonight. I normally wouldn't sign up for more than one night at a time, but I wanted to take advantage of this experimental schedule the Savoy Swing Club is offering.
I was early at the Bellevue Arts Center (of course), so I had a chance to recline my seat and listen to part of the Sondheim 70th birthday concert. This pleased me very much! I do like his music. I've watched my video of Sunday in the Park with George so many times (Mandy Patinkin is also a factor).
Adam Noble and Tonya Surface were teaching both classes tonight. (I like both of these names -- Dickensian!) We were in the large room of the Arts Center, which has more room (duh!) than the room where I took class here before.
The first class was shag. This is another fast dance, more bouncy than the smooth balboa. Adam and Tonya told us about some of the history, and brushed over a few of the variations, but we'll stick with "single" shag for now. The basic pattern is slow-slow-quick-quick, hopping from one foot to the other (but not too "hoppy" or you will wear yourself out). We have mostly intermediate or advanced dancers in class, so the teaching moved quickly.
A class on "hollywood" style lindy (or smooth style, or LA style -- the terms themselves are controversial) was next. I've attempted this style before (with Theo, Tonya's former partner, and Viola). I still don't feel that I'm dancing at my best when trying this, but I'll see what I can accomplish. At least Tonya said I was giving the right amount of tension when she danced with me. It's just that the mood of the dance seems more serious than the savoy style I'm familiar with.
Despite my doubts, it's always good to learn new things, and I'm sure I'll have better luck in a continuing class than in a one-shot workshop effort. I want to support Adam -- I remember dancing with him at Zoot Suit Sunday when he was just learning to dance! He's come a long way since then.
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(Written several days after the fact) I was struck with horror when I realized that I'd forgotten Jack's birthday! This was partly because we'd done some celebrating last weekend, and because Jack was coming down to see me the next day. But still! At least I wrote him a good tribute last year, and I feel even more strongly about him now.
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