Learning to Swing!!!

Learning to Swing!!!

I don't know if I should be excited.. or somewhat nervous, as there doesn't seem to be any dancing bones in my body! 

I am about to embark on learning a new 'Occupation' as part of my course work for Occupational Science, a second year paper for Occupational Therapy. 

As part of my learning I will become an observant participant and learn swing dancing. Along this process of doing & hopefully being & becoming a Swing dancer (or a bit better one!) I will be asking these questions, what, when, where, why and how.

'Swing' is a style of dance, danced to the 1920s-50s Jazz style of Music.. although the earliest of these dances began before this period. A majority of these dances orginated in African American communities, but, today there are swing-dance scenes world wide. The two most common ones being the Lindy Hop & the Charleston. The Lindy Hop style of Dance is the one I will be mainly learning. 

So now that you know a wee bit more about the background of Swing.. why exactly did I decided to choose this type of Occupation, this type of Dance to be the next 'New' thing I will learn..?

Well for several reasons: 

1. I've always wanted to be able to dance.. something that seems to have eluded me thus far!
2. My flatmates do Swing.. so it will be nice to participate along with them & do something social-able together.
3. Finally my home-town; Napier, has an Art Deco celebration every year & the prominent dance of that time being danced in the streets none other than Swing! Below is a short clip taken of Swing Dancers from this years Art Deco weekend (apologies for the slightly shaky footage).

So now that Why has been established for now... where exactly am I going to learn this style of Dance..? 

Through Clubs & Socs of Course!! (aka: OUSA Clubs & Societies Centre). It's affordable $21 for 5 lessons (student rates) & my flatmate has volunteered to join me as I learn (hopefully not for free entertainment!!).