Things That Make Your Bum Go Shake-Shake

The latest Cadbury Ad that is just so AWESOME! Everytime its on TV my hips start to shake and my bum makes dancy-dancy motions. Of course, this is not so good if I happen to hear it when I'm outside in public. But anyway.... I just had to share with those of you who may not be watching TV recently!

Enjoy!

Starry Starry Night

On Friday night, I met up with a friend with whom I had not had ANY contact with for the past 2 years, but when we meet it was like no time has passed at all. Peaches (unfortunate name from his high school days that just stuck) and I caught up on each others adventures on a sun kissed patio over some fine brews and good food.

On Friday night after Peaches and I said goodbye, I headed over to a West Coast Swing dance and hit the floor for 3 hours straight. I wondered, how is it that I can be a sexy inhibited dancing QUEEN here, but am all legs and arms and awkward as hell each time I do the Rumba? Same level of "sexy" required for both dances. Huuuum.

On Friday night, I left the dance hall tired and sweaty and instead of hopping on the subway, I took a detour and a midnight streetcar ride. The driver had a little transistor radio on and the music of Cole Porter hummed gently.

On Friday night I finally got home at 2am and realised that Friday night was long gone. Saturday was here.

Dare to Dance!

One of the primary reasons I have enjoyed learning ballroom dancing over the past 2 years is the fact that the lessons are kept very entertaining thanks to the (unintentional) efforts of the head instructor. I'm going to call him Line Man based on how he's always going on and on about the "line of dance" and about the angles and lines in each of the dance steps.

Line Man is passionate about dancing - that much is evident. Sometimes though, he gets too caught up in the drama and passion of the dancing atmosphere and forgets that he's in a classroom. This results in him using some rather interesting terms and analogies to explain or break down the steps to the students.

Like yesterday for example at the Level 1 class where I am a teaching assistant. We were teaching them the very basics of the Tango which requires a rather close contact between the partners in order for the dance steps to be executed well. In many cases where the students are not a couple, getting them to attempt that level of closeness is challenging. This level 1 class was particularly timid. Even the couples in the class seemed adverse to the close contact of the dance and the results were shaky at best. I tried everything to get them to relax and loosen up, but even my best quirky one liners were being met with stony silence and I was beginning to have that distinct "Is this mic on?" feeling. Even Line Man seemed to be giving up, and in a final attempt to salvage some of the class he instructed everyone to just dance around the room using the steps that they'd just learned. He gave them one last piece of advice. This is the most manly of ballroom dances guys. Just push into her. Dare to go right between her legs.

There was a split second of pin drop silence, and then with one accord the entire class burst out into hysterical laughter. I am happy to report that most of them did follow the advice, and were able to execute the steps quite well for a "virgin" tango dancer!

The Answer

For anyone who has every wondered why dancing and travelling are my passions, here's why. I couldn't have expressed it better!

Enjoy!

Bother!

Just found out that this years Toronto Open Swing Dancing Championships are being held the weekend AFTER I leave for Thistle Towne.

Damn!

Now I won't be around to defend my title!

Fantasies

At dance class last week we were learning a new step in the Waltz that required the leaders to take 4 steps backwards and then turn and whip the followers around. The instructor was warning all the leaders to make full sure that the path was clear before attempting this move on a crowded dance floor.  

Think about your follower like a beautiful and expensive car. You don't want to damage any part of that body - do you? You're in the drivers seat and can do anything. Show off the car, but keep it safe.
To which, one of the guys replied, "So if we're pretending.... can we pretend this is a convertible and take the top off?"

My New Loves!

Was finally able to find me a pair of dance shoes that fit both my not-so-dancer-like-size9-feet as well as my rapidly-shrinking budget. I proudly present to you, my new ballroom babies!
With just the right balance of support and style, these shoes are going to help me do wonders on the dance floor! Man, am I going to nail those triple turns in the Cha Cha and demolish the rope spin into Aida of the Rumba. Henceforth, the intricacies of the Quickstep will be vanquished and the dizzying spin turns of the Viennese Waltz are like a walk in the park.

Oh, I am so looking forward to class next week!

Wishing and Hoping

We are a mere 3 weeks away from my birthday and this is what I hope the Birthday Fairy will be bringing me.

Natural Spin Lady's Dance Shoes - Size 9 (US), Model no. 160801
I am supremely confident I'll be able to just nail all those Tango turns and Foxtrot sashays with these babies on!

Validation

As my gentle readers know, I've been dancing for some years now. Started out with exploring Salsa back in 2003, then moved on to a bit of Lindy and 20s Charleston before settling down with Latin/Ballroom in fall of last year. Still, it wasn't until I began with West Coast Swing that I truly found my "groove". After a hiatus from the dance for about a year, I went back to it in May when my teacher had a weekend of WCS dances, workshops and events in celebration of her 50th birthday. After 3 days straight on the dance floor - I was back in love with the dance style.

Then, a few weeks ago at one of the regular Friday night dances, one of my "Westie" friends persuaded me to sign up for the Toronto Swing Dancing Championships that were taking place in the city for the very first time. Before I quite knew what was happening I found that I had forked over $$ for the entire weekend's registration AND signed myself up to compete in the newcomer Jack & Jill* competitions! I figured, there were so many people in the newcomer category that no one would have the time to stare at just me during the competition. Later I found out who my "competition" was and seeing that there were some folk who had been dancing for way longer than I had (but had never before competed), I was even more reassured knowing that there was no pressure at all!


I was lucky enough to draw a good partner, and we went out on the Saturday afternoon and had a good time during the competition. When people asked me how I thought I'd done, honestly, I considered not nervously hurling all over the dance floor an accomplishment in itself! Even during the award ceremonies on the Saturday night, I was so sure that nothing would come of the competition that at one point I even considered skipping it and going to dance in the Salsa room next door!


It's time for the Newcomer category and they call out the 3rd place winners. And we know the guy! Cheers and clapping and hooting......
.....they call out the 2nd place winners. Another couple from our dance group!!!! But wait, everyone thought that she would win first place FOR SURE. I turn to the person next to me and indignantly vent about how I feel that S and L should TOTALLY have won, and how she's so good... yada yada. I'm so busy being indignant that I totally miss the fact that 
MY name is being called - as FIRST PLACE WINNER!!!!! Many hands yank me out of my chair and push me towards the podium where I stagger (in a very UN dance-like manner) to collect my plaque. My partner is giving me a huge hug (huum, he smells good) and everyone is shouting and cheering and all I can manage is a generally goofy smile and a "thank you" before I stumble back to my seat. As the realization of actually placing, let alone WINNING sinks in, I find myself literally trembling with happiness and OMG, I think I'm now actually going to barf!!!!

Yes, I forced the judges to stare at my ass!!! Brilliant move I thought!

Other than my frequent urges to barf on the dance floor, the weekend was absolutely filled with fun times whether it was trying out some new moves during the workshops, or dancing till 5am each night (morning?) or just hanging out with the "Westies" who I might add are some of the nicest people in the dancing circuit. I must have learned about a hundred new moves on the dance floor from people from all over Canada and the US; many of who I hope to see at subsequent events.


What was most special for me was that I finally felt that I "belonged" to the dance community; that I wasn't just a stranger who showed up for a dance every now and then. People knew who I was (not only because of the win) and knew my name and best of all, I knew who THEY were and was able to smile and nod and greet them back.

I've enjoyed dancing for as long as I can remember. This weekend just made me realize why I love it so much.





*For the non dance savvy readers - a Jack & Jill is a popular form of competition where participants sign up as individual competitors and partners are determined through random selection or a draw. The couple is judged as a unit with points for leading, following, music syncopation etc.

I'm Bringing Sexy Back

I've been so caught up with Ballroom dancing over the past 6 months, that I'd almost forgotten the joys of West Coast Swing. Thanks to JulieFest this past weekend - I'm back in love with that dance all over again!

To celebrate her 50th birthday, dancing diva Julie Epplett decided create an entire weekend dedicated to her love for the dance! She brought in Mike Topel - a diva in his own right - to lead a series of WCS workshops and styling sessions and invites were sent out to all and sundry. And since it was a Madonna themed weekend, why not invite the grand dame herself? Well, that's just what Julie did! Lady M was a no show, but perhaps that was all for the better as it would have taken the spotlight off the rest of us party guys and gals!

JulieFest offered an entire weekend of WCS and at first I thought that I'd only sample a few bites here and there. On Friday night I went to the class on combining Cha Cha Cha with WCS patterns and wow was it a revelation! Who'd have thunk that you can alternate between two styles of dancing in the SAME song! After the workshops, I stuck around for the dance even though I wasn't quite sure if I remembered everything I had learned a year ago. Apparently my trepidation was showing in my steps coz one of my partners leaned in during a dance and said, "Look, I can tell that you've got it - somewhere in you. You have the feel of a dancer - now just own the idea! I KNOW you can give me something more."

I could only gape back at him (while trying not to miss time) and wonder if he was still taking about my dance moves! I tried to keep what he said in mind as I went through the rest of the workshops and dance sessions for the rest of the weekend. Obviously something went right because on Sunday night as I danced with the same partner, he gave me a big beaming smile and (much to my general embarrassment) shouted out, "Alleluia!!! She's got her SEXY back!"

Dance Dance - 2008!

To celebrate the end of the 2008 Winter term, the students of Toronto Dance congregated at The Westway Club last Friday night for an end of term dance session. In spite of the location being rather far out and generally quite inaccessible, there were still over 120 members of Toronto Dance present and ready to shake a leg - a record number for the dance school! The last time I went to one of these dance nights, I was fresh out of my Level 1 Ballroom class and was quite bedazzled by the quick-stepping, fancy-foot working, salsa-savvy couples on the floor. This time, I could join in the quick step (with the basic steps true, but still!) and with some fancy footwork of my own I Foxtrotted, Jived, Quickstepped, Waltzed, Cha Cha Chaed, Rumbaed, Salsaed and Tangoed my way through 4 straight hours of dancing!

The next morning my feet were crying foul - but I'd had an incredible night... so I shushed them up with a warm soak and some pedi TLC.
Classes for Level 3 Ballroom begin next week, and I can hardly wait.

For anyone who will be in the Toronto area in May, and would like to indulge in a weekend of West Coast Swing dances, activities, workshops and more check out Julie Epplett's website. The costs for each of the workshops is as low as $15 and you can even get a "day pass" for 2 or more workshops/dances.
To the folks out there who have always wanted to dance and wondered what style they could possible start with - WCS is a great option for you! Its not as fast moving as Latin dances like the Cha Cha or the Salsa and I find it relatively much easier to learn. It's not a bopitty-bop dance and so its much easier on the back, hips and knees for all those damaged bods out there! I like to call it the "Jazz of Dancing" or the "Martini of Dance Drinks" - looks good when done right, and goes down smooth with the ladies!*
FYI, Julie's next beginner session starts April 1.

Starting tonight is ABC's 6th season of Dancing with the Stars. Yes, dance purists hate this show, but a purest I am not. There is room in my heart (and my TV time) for all kinds of corny shows! Half the fun of watching this show is actually watching my dad's reaction to the dancing. He rivals judge Bruno Tonioli when it comes to shouting out bizarre compliments and is far more sarcastic than head judge Len Goodman when it comes scathing criticisms. So far, he hasn't emulated third judge Carrie Ann Inaba in any way - which is good!

And finally, to end my "dance dance" blog post, I'd like to say a big "Thank you" to my 'Frisco pals Diabolical Villain and Mrs.D for inviting me to come stay at their place on my vacation. If they hadn't done that, I would not have been wandering around their neighbourhood one night.
If I had not been wandering around their neighbourhood, I would not have discovered the tiny wee little shop that sold dance apparel. If not for that, I would not have found (and bought) my first pair of dance shoes. If I hadn't bought the shoes, I would not have been able to dance 4 straight hours and yet not have a single blister!!!!

See, it pays to go to new places and visit friends!

Blood on the Dancefloor

The always insightful Jo has raised a very interesting point in her latest blog post. In short, she was talking about how Japanese schools have what ultimately equates to a "No Fail" policy so that even student who score as low as 25-30% in courses have their grades artificially inflated so that they can move on to the next level or next grade.

Reading about this, and the subsiquent comments to the post got me thinking about this whole issue from a different angle - my dance classes. Things are always fine and dandy each time I start learning a new dance style with a level 1 class. Everyone in the class is a beginner and no one is expected to know anything. But, when it comes time to register for the next level, you can pretty much group a class into 3 categories:

• Group A: students who know what they are doing and who want to continue to learn
• Group B: students who don't know what they are doing, but want to continue and are willing to practice extra
• Group C: students who don't know what they are doing and should not be allowed on a dance floor for the overall good of the class - and the rest of mankind!

The reality is that some people should not be allowed to continue to a higer level as they have not mastered the information/skills/steps from the previous level.

But of course, the dance school wants to make as much money as possible. So they allow poeple to register for an advanced level even if they know full well that the person is not capable of handling the new curriculum. Sometimes you'll get a consciencious teacher who will take the offender(s) aside and try to coach them some more, but most often these poor students are left trying vainly to follow the instructions and master complex steps and patterns when they can barely do the basics. The best case scenario is that they frustrate the folks who have taken the time to practice the steps and have essentially "done the required readings!" The worst case scenario is that they can seriously injure their parter (or others on the dancefloor) if they don't know what they're doing. And we're not just talking a stubbed toe - I've been at the receiving end of some hand yanks that have left my shoulder aching for days!

I do applaude the fact that these individuals are very obviously out of their comfort zone and are trying something new in life. I still feel that I should not be made to suffer through someone else's learning process.

After all, I too am a student there.

I too am trying to learn.

I too should have the best possible chance to do so. Without fearing decapitation in the process!

Have Feet - Will Dance!

My dancing days began way back when my dad thought me the waltz when I was 4 and I was going to ballet classes. I was even cast as "Chocolate" in our little version of the Nutcracker - and the fattest little bonbon ever to grace a tutu! As I grew up, there was one thing I quickly realized - I had inherited the infamous "Mendonca Hips" that run rampant among the women in my Mum's family and the only thing I could do was - SHAKE 'EM!

This past summer, I started taking West Coast Swing lessons. After 2 years of intensive Salsa… this was a nice change in pace - literally! Before I started, like most people out there I thought Swing dancing was all the same - and everyone danced like Cameron Diaz in that club scene from Mask. Boy was I wrong!! West Coast, I learnt is the jazzier… smoother of the Swings. Bouncing is a strict no no and spinning is an alien word.

But this post is not a comparison of the genres. This post is about dance partners. For be it Salsa or Swing, Ballroom or Bolero….guys who go to dance classes can all be filed under one of the following categories:

1. The Sweaty-Hands Guy - Homus Handus Persperus Maximus
Be it 34 above or 22 below, this guys hands are always bathed in a thin layer of sweat. This can make dancing with such an individual a highly dangerous (and not to mention gross) feat as HHPM's partners are sometimes liable to slip right out of his hands and randomly crash into objects around such as walls, tables and other species on the dance floor.

2. The "Stompin' Tom" Guy - Homus Steppenitus Toeses
Members of this species of Prancis Homus are still caught in an evolutionary warp and feel that the best steps are the big ginormous steps. The foot is lifted as high as possible and then brought back down with a crashing force akin to stomping out a fire offa your best pal's camping blanket. HSTs often have dance partners who evolve with a counter defense mechanism which looks much like a gazelle drinking at the waterhole - always on high alert for the danger from the crashing foot.

3. The Freaky Staring Guy - Homus Breastes Starus
This kind of species dance by grasping your hand firmly, fixing their eyes on a point that would be akin to mid cleavage and then proceeding to stare firmly at that point for the rest of the dance. Any and all attempts at light conversation during the dance result in monosyllabix answers at best and pre speech grunts at the worst!

4. The Maniac Dancer Guy - Homus Loonius Mostus
If you see an HLM coming towards you on the dance floor... sashay as quick as you can outta there! Such a species views a dance more like a military conquest. Short staccato and violent movements rule their lead on the floor and often their dance partners come away like war refugees - barely escaping with the clothes on their backs and nursing their bruised and battered limbs - the ones that were spared!

A friend of mine reading the early draft of this post accused me of exagerrating and said that there's no way any guy fits snugly into one or the other category. And y'know what... he's absolutely RIGHT!

I forgot all about the combos that guys come up with! Just as soon as we've figured out what "kind" of guy they are... they either switch it up on us... or.. (oh horrors) come up with terrifying combinations of the above. Like Sweaty-hands-stomping guy or Maniac-staring guy or Stomping-sweaty hands-maniac... and worse!

Still, horror partners aside.... dancing has been and will continue to be a LOT of fun.... and a constant source of good blog posts!