Went swing dancing on wednesday, to help out a friend of mine (he runs the dance company). I've never really swing-danced in my life, bar a two-hour intro dance when I was around seventeen or so (and everyone was listening to that Brian Setzer stuff). I only dimly recall the experience. I remember taking a one hour intro class, with the Shlesbian, and then the "real" dancing began.
All of my swing dance friends were busy throwing each other around in the air, and tapping their feet like they were spelling out morse code signals to the O.S.S. about secret nazi plans. And the Shlesbian and I, being the only neophytes in the room, kept repeating those same few steps. Until I decided to "spin" her. And, um, somehow, I did it wrong. Her arm locked, and I didn't realize until she was on her knees, going "ow ow ow".
"Um. Sorry," I stammered.
"Ow, my arm," she replied.
"Yeah, um, I guess I don't know what I'm doing."
"I think it's broken."
There was a pause. "I don't think we're swing dancers," I said.
"Me neither."
"Wanna just sit down and drink ginger ale?"
"Yeah."
And, until last wednesday, that was the extent of my swing dancery. So, when I showed up at the dance hall, I was understandably nervous. Especially because I had missed the first class, and everyone was doing all those fun steps and awkwardly spinning one another.
When we started going over reviews, I began to wonder if I could sneak out the back door. While there were plenty of cute girls (and, being the single guy that I am, cute girls are the means for my existence, apparently), I felt like a total tool. Especially because I kept messing up the most basic step, screwing up the rhythm. It took me a while to realize that swing dancing is apparently based around dancing six beats to a music that counts eight beats. Or, for drumming speak, swing dance is in 3/4 timing to music that's in 4/4 timing.
Once I got that, I was caught up to the class. And screwing up with the best of them. And, best of all, I've yet to break anybody's arm.
Things are looking up.
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For what it's worth, it's actually more like a 6/4 basic. You've already picked up an 8/4 move, and there will be tons more of those as you go. Later on we get into some fun stuff that is 10/4 or more.
ReplyDeleteBut yeah, swing dancing shares some big commonalities with drumming, not least of which is they're both highly rhythmic!
-sav