First Dance Thoughts of 2006

I danced with a girl last Tuesday who had a wonderfully bright smile. She had her blond hair back in a pony tail, and a long, sky blue summer skirt. She contented herself with looking at the floor behind me while we danced, which was fine; the angle left her looking deep in thought, but not like dancing with me was a challenge that required a lot of thought (though it is, according to some bewildered Oly follows). Her light grin was continuous. That was marvelous to look at, though I fear I stared.

The face is important in partner dancing. If you don't look like you're having a good time, then, well, what's your partner to think? That you're just going through the motions, being "Polite?" I find that insincere. There is at least one girl in Tacoma that I don't dance with because, ever since the first time we danced about six months ago, every time since then she has not smiled once, but she does smile with some other guys (most, but not all, of which do Blues). She even looks bored sometimes. Kind of a confidence-sucker, to think your partner isn't having fun. So I've chosen to not demuse her.

The Balboa class Wednesday was good, though light in subject matter if trying to describe it. Dave and Christine taught the single-step basic. For an hour. I found it a fine hour, however, and didn't want to forget a few things:

• The only time the lead's left foot goes back is at the beginning step of the dance; left goes forward on all other 3's (in single-step) or 4's (in duple-step). I need to remember that because I get the leg-actions backwards.
• When the feet come together (1-2, 5-6), the toes should be lined up. Else, the balance gets muddled, and backwards-forwards motion becomes awkward, and legs get in the way, et cetera.
• Balance: The balls. The frame work is chest-to-chest, slightly off-center. Oh man, an aside that was too darn cute: Christine told us her favorite mnemonic for Bal, but warned Dave so he could cover his ears (which he did, moaning "Oooaaargh, I hate this," la-la-la-ing away): "Tit in the pit." But, the frame: yes, off-center, at least one of the follow's boobs is flush against the lead's chest, so the balance is against one another. The place to have weight on the feet is on the balls — on the heels, you're too far back and can't lift legs easily; on the toes (felt by feeling toes curl up propping you up) is too far forward, and throws the balance off.

When Oly hosted its April day-long swing event a few years back (I forget if the Eagles or the Jitterbug Club hosted this one), there was a pair of Balboa classes. They were damned cool, made everyone feel flashy. Two of the teachers, members of a dance troupe from Seattle (either Zah Zu Zay or the Rain City Rugcutters, depending on the year) really showed off some stuff by going from Bal in a lightning-fast song (probably faster than Seven Come Eleven (recording recommended for sampling, not download, only for the sake of server strain)), and then transitioned to what looked like a Lindy/Charleston hybrid: Charleston kicking, in the Lindy body-path pattern. I'm pretty sure that move is called The Breakaway.

Katie and I figured it out tonight! It's easiest from face-to-face Charleston, and the lead just kicks backwards on one instead of forwards, angling the hips to get a good backwards momentum from the kick. Knowing the pattern of 1-4 is the left leg, 5-8 is the right, is the trick to doing the Breakaway.

It feels good doing that move, because it's so...widespread (bodily), and violent. Good potential damage stock if you aren't checking behind yourself. I haven't kicked anyone in any move so far, though I almost nailed Kevin two summers ago in a back-kicking floor-slap.

It's so satisfying taking up so much floor.