lindy hop!!!

We walked sheepishly into the building, knowing it was the right address but not knowing much more than that. Ryan seemed to recall that the class was being held "upstairs" so up the stairs we went, and we immediately came upon the dance studio, or whatever you call a big gym-like thing in an arts centre. The room was mostly empty, but for a few people standing along the edges and a couple of swing cats doing their thing to some blaring big band music.

The lead (in super know-it-all dance terms, that means the man) was a guy in his twenties wearing jeans, a t-shirt, and sneakers. His outfit didn't fool us for a moment, however, since he danced the lindy like he had been doing it since he was three. The follow (um, woman, yeah.) was a very lean, lanky lady probaby in her early 40's who had a thick mop of brown curly hair on her head - unkempt and artsy. She looked like a pro herself, though very cool and untouchable.

Upon our entering the studio, she glanced back, took note of us, and called (without missing a step) "I'll be right with you!". We waited. She danced. Then she spun out from the lead and swiveled her hips as she pranced towards us.

We signed in, paid our fees, and hit the floor. Okay, so we didn't get down to dancing that fast. We stood awkwardly on the edge of the room, not knowing what to expect. We waited what seemed like an hour (though it was only 15 minutes) amongst a handful of interesting characters. The guy we had seen dancing with the instructor when we came in seemed nice enough, and made friendly conversation with us. There was an older man standing quietly, like us, on the edge of the room. I thought for a moment that perhaps he was alone and didn't know anyone either, but then I glanced down at his shoes - leather dancing shoes. Nope, he's done this before.

There were also two teenage girls clad in black leggings, looking quite fancy dancy. They sat together, doing their stretches and warm ups (which consisted simply of doing the splits) and I wondered just how advanced this beginner Lindy Hop class could be.

The class finally started. The instructor strode cooly up in front of us and gave us some instructions, demonstrating the moves with her partner. She danced marvelously, swinging her hips and holding herself in a low, sultry position that made the dance look great. I couldn't wait to start.

We tried the moves one by one, switching partners as we went. We weren't so happy about the switching at first, but after I got to dance with some of the other leads, including some that were really really good, I felt happy we had been forced to do it.

One man, perhaps in his 50's, wandered in late wearing a full suit and hat, ready for action. He had obviously not come for the class, because his skills far surpassed our level....maybe even the instructor's. He certainly didn't keep to the moves we were learning either. When it was my turn to dance with him, the music started, and I was swept off my feet (rather literally) as he threw me about, giving me tips on how to hold my arms more stiffly so that I didn't flail out on the send-outs. His little pointers actually went a long way, and I couldn't even begin to describe any of the wacky dance moves he put me through - crazy.

But educational!

I can't wait for next week. I can't wait to learn more! Wahooo!!

(here's a little taste of the lindy hop)