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Dancing is a wonderful training for girls, it's the first way you learn to guess what a man is going to do before he does it. |
Tuesday, September 26, 2000
One year ago: Cascade Loop
Two years ago: The Moons of Jupiter
A year ago, Jack, his younger daughter H----, and I were on a road trip on the Cascade Loop Highway. A lot of driving, and a lot of fun! I'd still like to go back there again.
* * * * * * * *
Tonight was the first night in my next series of dance classes. I've taken from Viola Spencer before; she's teaching with a different partner this time, Bryan Lynch. Bryan's a dance buddy from way back, but I haven't seen much of him lately, so I was glad to be in a class he was teaching.
The class I'd signed up for was "Advanced Lindy Technique with footwork and styling." Here's what Vi said about it in her announcement email:
This class for you advanced Lindy dancers will focus on fine-tuning your basics, but will also include fun footwork variations and styling tips.
You may have "volumes of creativity" in your dancing, but still have some awkwardness in your basic -- here's the place to iron out those kinks and stiff places. We'll work on posture and positioning, body awareness, fluidity, grounding your movement, and control.
I don't know if I'd classify myself as an advanced lindy hopper (I wouldn't teach others, for example), but all of the above is stuff I want to work on.
It was a good thing I double-checked the email for the location. I'd gotten the notion that the class was scheduled in the University Heights Community Center, where I took class from Viola and Theo last February and March. (I'd had the same problem getting the location straight that time, too.) Instead it was at Phinney Ridge Neighborhood Center, over near the Woodland Park Zoo. (I think Seattle is fortunate to have facilities like these, and the wooden-floored classrooms in these old converted elementary schools are good for dancing on.)
I met Viola and Bryan in the hall. I hadn't seen Bryan recently; a combination of my slacking and him being out dancing a bit less often than before, I think. It was a small class! I was glad when my dance buddy Devin showed up.
The main things we worked on in class were a series of footwork variations. I whispered to Bryan when he danced with me in the class rotation: "I hate footwork!" Of course, it's not my favorite thing to do because it's not as easy for me as some other parts of dancing, so of course I need to work on it! But I didn't really struggle too much tonight. Some steps might have been easy for me to follow because they are some of Bryan's most characteristic moves -- I've done them many times when dancing with him.
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