Scottish rig, gig & reels..

My friend, C who is a keen Scottish dancer participant, invited me along to one of her Social Scottish nights which several local clubs (as far away as Palmerston) were going to be attending. C invited me, on the assumption that now I am learning to dance, that i must have some natural talent and ability at dancing.. or like all dancing.. Anyways,  despite C, misplaced faith in my dancing ability, it was a good night.

It was $5 and a plate for a shared supper afterwards. Pretty affordable i thought. I was expecting to perhaps see a range of ages, but I must admit that there were very few participants representing the under 40's age group. Just a sprinkle of us in our 20s.. & a majority of the members from these clubs being 60 plus.. numerous grey heads dotted the hall that we were at (they hired a local church hall for the occasion) and there was probably at least 50 people present. Not everyone was dancing, there were a few members due to health and age, who were no longer capable of dancing, but still went along to soicalise. Their were a few members who still participated, but walked the steps rather than danced them, thus adjusting their occupation to suit their physical abilities. I found people to be pretty friendly, and willing to mix and mingle and ask for dancing, despite my lack of knowledge regarding sequences or steps. They gave out instructions before the beginning of each dance, what the sequence was, and we stepped through it, which certainly helped me to learn it. Also, while I was dancing, other members in the group also helped me, by taping on their shoulders or pointing, where I had to go next. Therefore, by their help, they facilitated my ability to engage in Scottish dancing and also made it an enjoyable experience for me!

What I like about Scottish dancing, is that it is soicable: you dance with a partner in a group, so you end up meeting and interacting with a range of people, people are willing to dance with you, even if you are unknown to them. It is also quite tiring.. so I felt like i got some good exercise, all while I was having some fun!! I think this is definitely something I might like to pursue in the future..  :)

End of a Swing era..?

So it was my last 'Beginners Swing' class tonight.. & I came away after tonight, actually feeling like I managed to achieve something! I can't say that Im a very good dancer, but i feel as though i've grasped some of the basics.. enough at least to do a wee bit of social dancing!!

On Thursday, as is the tradition, a group of swing and ceroc dancers head over to Robbies Pub (The Original Robert Burns Pub) on George street, for a wee bit of a drink, chat and a dance together. Often they head for some sushi first, before they go out dancing. Robbies is a cute wee pub with wooden floors.. & unfortunately.. two poles in the middle of the space, that on Thursdays transforms into a dance studio! Quite a lot of people attend and are pretty friendly. I ended up doing a mixture of swing, ceroc.. & something else..? Kinda fun, apart from the constant awareness of those poles! A wee bit of a physical barrier you could say, to engaging in the occupation, as it restricts your movements somewhat.. one doesn't want to be knocked out, whilst dancing. Crikey.. that would be so embarrassing. So why Social dance on Thursdays.. & at Robbies.. well it's partly to do with the Calder Prescott Jazz Quartet band which plays there every Thursday night. A bunch of 'Old Boys' who have  some awesome tunes, ideal for Swing style dance moves and rhythms.. Nothing quite like live music to dance to. You should check it out for yourself!

Re-try.. with Swing Riot

My flatmate who is part of the Swing Riot group on facebook and online (Check them out here: swingriot.com) informed me that there is a another set of swing lessons starting! She was aware of my feelings of incompentence when it came to dancing the other week.. so when this opportunity came up.. she suggested it also! Swing Riot is a group for keen dancers of Swing in Dunnas in the South Island.

Anyways, so along I went, as a causal-$7. Or for five lessons it's $30-but unfortunately as these clash for when I am away.. I'm only booked for two of them. However Im sure some repetition will help enforce what i've learnt.

Class-same teachers as at OUSA aka the entertaining and clever-  J & N.  It was a small class - only four of us, all girls, and no leads.. Ugh.. this may become somewhat awkward!! So for this class at least, until the men appear (hopefully for the next class..?).

So we're split, my flatmate as she is more experienced becomes a lead.. I & another newer girl are allowed the follow roles. I think the teachers realises how bad of an idea it would be to confuse me further!!

Retaught (kinda useful) about hand positions, the importance of the connection of the elbows (somehow I had glazed over this in the first lesson.. not surprisingly as it was brain, brain to limbs overload!) pressure needed.. the follow closing their eyes-to see if the pressure from the lead was sufficient.. We went over the importance of Pulse (all you need & more about Pulse is here: http://www.jeredmorin.com/pulse-in-swing-and-blues-dancing/) or bobbing in time to the music.. & Then we went over moves of Couple Charleston & Kick the Dog (gotta love the name!).  If you want instructions for Kick the Dog here it is: http://www.lindy-hop.co.uk/wiki/index.php?title=Kick_the_Dog

Here's a demo of Couple Charleston.. :)

& Another.. 30's Charleston



The Physical environment:
The Room is small, with  smoothed polished wooden floors, Irish shoes (normally this dance studio is for the Irish Dance Beat group) and has adequate lightening with a CD player/stereo  that provides music.. The walls have posters of Irish dancers.

Triple Step trip ups..

Yep.. tonight.. Ugh..!! Tonight my focus, just wasn't off to a good start (Yes, one needs a certain level of cognitive function to participate in Swing Dancing) & as there was some lack  of clarity in my mind, what Triple steps &  what the beats were.. and the rhythm to feet connection was malfunctioning... this all meant that I was dancing in a semi-lost and bewilder state.. & thus confused every partner I danced with! Oops!


So the other participants are definitely not here to dance with me.. (that much is certain!) but why do they come..? Do they seek Occupational Satisfaction..?   This is the ability to engage in meaningful and purposeful activity or as defined by Christiansen and Townsend, (2010) as “contentment with occupations” (p. 421). Many have Girlfriends who have brought them along (in need of a partner)  who if not dragged here, had decided that it would be a fun thing to do together. Others just wanted to learn some form of dance not necessarily any particular one & swing worked out for them. Multiple reasons!! Hopefully dancing will provide occupational satisfaction, however I can't but think that dancing with me,especially tonight, is probably causing occupational frustration more than anything else!! Anyways, I cant get over how majority of the couples look like each other.. like they are so similar! There's the Hippy styled couple, the two short brunettes,  the short and tall blonde pairs, the curly red- haired both sporting glasses pair... Okay just got a little bit side tracked there...

Anyways back on to the swing of things (yes cheesy, I know!). For some, swing definitely provides occupational satisfaction, I mean just take my flatmate S for an instance.. she totally loves it!! You should have seen how excited she was, when I said I'd give Swing a try!! She regularly goes out on social nights, to get some dancing in regularly, finds bands that are playing, goes along to workshops, and has many friends in the dance scene.. the list goes on & on!!

I have to admit that it is quite handy having a flatmate that does do swing, cos this means that once home I can get her to go over (and over, and over, and over..  etc) the moves we learnt during our weekly lessons. So thus at home in the lounge or kitchen floor (smoother surface) we practice the basics of the promenade.. since I seemed to have lost this first & basic step and as a subsequence.. all other steps and moves, falter and fail..

Well I guess there's always next week eh..? 





 Occupational Satisfaction Picture: http://www.learn2dance4fun.com/default.aspx
One day.. I may just look like this.. one day.. :)




References:

Christensen, C., & Townsend, E. (Eds.), (2010). An introduction to occupation: The art and science of living. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall.

 

Take two..

So we pretty much got straight into things.. our warm up was the Charleston steps. I was glad I had mastered those.. However the triple step has still proven to be elusive to me. Sconpated counting.. 3 steps to two beats, first step L.o.n.g (er) than the others. I got an additional lesson, otherwise as we swap partners I confuse each one of them.. Oops!

Otherwise additional move to what we had learnt on the previous occasion.. was bust out A or B.. This meant when you started in open (side by side move) & ended in a closed position (face on). Bust out A the guy or lead moves in front of you in a triple step, bust out B the girl or follow is lead by the guy to go in front. The importance of  a good lead is vital.. & contact is made in 3pts-shoulder, elbow or...?

So why do people attend.. So far, two friends are attending, as they wanted to go & Dance.. Just not sure what dance..  &they decided to do Swing, even when they had no idea exactly what it was. However most others seem to be in couples.. so perhaps it was a couple outing..?

First Lesson.. Gulp! :S

So I headed along to my first lesson at Clubs & Socs down in Albany Street, Dunedin, with my flatmate S, who has decided to support me on this endeavour.. I think  she's more excited about me learning than I am..



First lesson: about 16 people, mostly all in partners.. Slightly more females than men. This means that rotation will occur so that to mix us up abit.. learn from multiple people instead of just one.. So I guess it will become social, depending on my ability to dance & chat at the same.. although my multitasking skills are strained at the best of times! 

 





Check out the History of the Charleston Here: http://swinginsandiego.com/#/charleston/4549253630

  What I've Learnt.. Charleston move.. this took all my concentration to remember the sequencing.. Crikey! I now realise how long it's been since I've had to learn something new, something that is a physical motor skill (not just another new piece of Knowledge)  &  doing this is a reminder how difficult it can be to learn (probably why I've still yet to master snow boarding..! ;) ).
There was mentions of hand placement: guys (Leads) are always to the left & ladies to the right (follows) with the follow placing her hand on his right shoulder, both elbows touching & the guy places his hand on her lower back. Then there is pulse.. pretty much bobbing up & down, I've seen my flatmate do this before & it now makes sense way she does so!  & Triple step.. 3 steps to two beats-my head & definitely my feet didn't grasp this aspect.. so once class was over.. i'll  have to investigate it further and practice. Class did go so quickly though, that before I knew it it was 10mins till the finish & that was that! Charleston steps & sequence sorted.. pulse & triple steps yet to be sorted..


Swing is generally 6 or 8 counts..  often with triple beats.. meaning 3 steps for 2 beats (Ugh!). So for an 8 count song it's generally.. beat beat trip-le beat, beat beat trip-le beat..  Confused??! Well so was I! 

Maybe this guy here can explain it better-than I can: 

I meanwhile while I try & dance I'll be whispering to myself: step, step tri-ple step, step step Tri-ple step.. ;)

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!!).