Do You Want to Dance?

Mike and I are taking dancing lessons.

They are not the first dance classes we've taken.

We took a handful of ballroom-type classes through Richland and Kennewick's Parks and Recreation.  And we went to a handful of one-night western dancing classes at the Eagle's Club in Pasco.  Well, we pretty well stumbled through them. Sometimes with humor. Sometimes in frustration.   I'm not sure we really learned anything that stuck.

But I have wanted to dance for a loooong time. And by 'dance,' I mean REAL dancing.

I have watched others dancing 'real' dances at parties, at weddings, and at actual dances, and have  longed to be one of them, gliding across the floor with their partner, being turned under the arm so smoothly, and gliding away again.

I love to watch the old musicals. Besides the the corny way people suddenly break out in song (and the person they are singing to joins in because they somehow know all the words...), I love to watch the dancing that is in many of them.

Now, while I can appreciate tap dancing like Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers did, that is not really what I am talking about. I admire the dancing in those old movies that take place in, like, the 1700's, where people are at a 'Ball' and are dancing in a large circle, all moving the same direction and doing the same motions. I also like to watch people doing things like The Charleston. The Jitterbug. Even Square Dancing. And Strip the Willow (that's a dance here in Scotland similar to The Virginia Reel).  What I like is that they all have designated moves. Each person knows what they are supposed to do in the 'dance.' And they are actually doing something.

However, in spite of this longing to dance, I have always been reluctant to dance at these events. That is because  the  only dancing I really knew is what we did in the 80's.
And I despise that kind of dancing.
Yes, there were dances like The Moon Walk and The Electric Slide. Disco Dancing. The Bump (remember that one?? that was actually the 70's).

But what I remember is that there were really just two types of dancing then.

Picture it. 1982.

1. Slow Dancing:  The girl put her arms around the boy's neck and the boy kind of put his arms around the girl's waist. They stood there, shifting their weight from one foot to the other, kind of shuffling in place and never actually going anywhere.

Here is a clip I found that shows it exactly.(click the link called "Slow Dance.")  (I don't recommend you watch any more than about 15 seconds of it, though. It's just more of the same! Which, by the way, is exactly what I hate about it!)

Slow Dance

2. Faster Dancing: There was no touching. Couples stood facing each other, shifted their weight from one foot to the other, leaned their bodies left and right, and at the same time, bent their arms at the elbow and moved each arm from hip to shoulder.  I didn't do such a good job at describing that, but if you were a teenager at that time, you have just had a 'flashback' and know exactly what I tried to describe.

Did you ever see the movie, "Hitch" with Will Smith?  There is a scene where Will Smith is trying to set up Kevin James' character with a beautiful famous woman. Kevin James wants to make an impression on her and will be going to a party where there will be dancing. Will Smith asks him to demonstrate how he dances and Kevin James goes into this funky move with his arms and biting his lip. It's hilarious - and very 80's.  That is not quite what I am describing, though. However, at the end of this clip, Will Smith tells Kevin James 'no.' And then he shows Kevin how he wants him to dance. And it's that shift from side-to-side move with the gentle arms. THAT is the kind of dancing I am talking about.  Just standing and moving side to side.  (So NOT real dancing!!!)

Hopefully, you can watch the clip here. (Click on the link called, "Hitch.")

Hitch

Anyway, this is the only type of dancing I really knew how to do.  And I hate it. And I have refused to do it for many years. And so, as a result, we either try to fake how to waltz or two-step -  or sit and watch everyone else dance.
And that is no fun at all.

(as a side-note, and probably little-known fact,  Mike did do some disco dancing in his day.)
 (BJ.)
(Before Jodi)
Yes, I'm talking dropping to the floor and jumping back up... the whole meal deal.

I know.

But I seriously have long-admired dancing. Real dancing, that is.
So, quite a few years ago, we decided we would take a dance class. It went ok. I guess.  Except neither of us really "got" it. The classes were only 4 or 5 weeks, so how much can you learn in that time?   A few years later, we took another class. Maybe a little better. Maybe.

We also both like country music and I adore country western dancing and WANT to do it!  So, we went to a handful of classes that were a single-night class. The idea was that we were only committed to going the one night. We learned a couple of steps in the hour and then were expected to remember them. The next time.  There were dances every Friday night at the Pasco Eagle's Club, so we did have an opportunity to try to remember over a few days.   But we rarely went. So, while the one night was quite fun, we didn't learn anything we could remember and actually do later.

The Park Hotel

Let's jump ahead to the present.

In early November - the same night as the fireworks on the beach to celebrate Guy Fawke's Day, there was a dance advertised at the Weigh Inn Hotel, with a live band and everything. We thought it might be a fun way to spend the evening, listening to live music and (maybe) dancing. So we went.  The music was quite good and there was a small group of people who danced. The rest of us sat and watched.   But we were intrigued because they were dancing in a way we were not really familiar with (turned out to be Jive). So, before we left, Mike talked to a couple of people and found that there would be classes starting in January.

We were in! Sign us up!

Skip ahead to late November. There was another dance with live band music advertised at the Park Hotel, which is right behind where we live. AND it offered a free Modern Jive dance lesson an hour before it started.   We were in!

Turns out, we were the only ones to show up for that free class, so we basically got a private lesson.

And that's how we got sold on learning Modern Jive.   Now, from what I understand, Modern Jive is the precursor to the American Swing.  So the moves are very similar. And of course, the man who taught the free lesson, offered a class in Modern Jive starting in January.  AND as a bonus, he was actually offering TWO classes. Jive was followed by Smooth Waltz. BINGO!  That's exactly what I wanted to learn. So, for a combined, discounted rate, we took both classes, which are back to back on Monday nights.  And we sure are having fun!

The Caithness Big Band in November

The thing I have learned about dancing is how important the  Lead is. The Lead is the one who has to know what he is doing. Even a non-dancer can dance with a good Lead because a good Lead knows how to signal and how to lead the girl into the move he wants her to make. So, the pressure is really on the Leads.

Now Steve, who is the class instructor, is very good at teaching. He really works hard with the Leads. I think it also helps that he is a man telling other men what is important and why.

The Barracuda Boogie Band last Sunday

In this class, we also change partners continually during the class, so even if single people come, they can still dance with a real person.

And while  it was kind of awkward at first, dancing with other men, it turns out that it is a really good teaching tool. And because Steve also rotates through the ladies, each lady learns what a move is supposed to feel like and then can help the other men she dances with. And the men, in turn, learn from each of the ladies as well. Couples learn that they actually must communicate moves, not just try to send it telepathically.  Imagine that.

Now, when I say 'men' and 'women,' I really should be saying 'Leads' and 'Followers.' As you are well-aware, there always seem to be a LOT more ladies then men dancers. So here, ladies have decided to take the matter into their own hands. Many ladies have learned the 'Lead' parts, so they can dance all the time, just asking different women to dance. And the women don't mind because it means they get to dance!  It's a win-win!

Now, not only are we learning new moves each week, but since this is an on-going class, we will keep learning stuff as long as we keep going, which just keeps it interesting.

AND..... once a month there is an actual dance, where we can actually dance!!! And actually use the moves we've learned in class. And there is an actual live band.
And it is a lot of fun.

There are two dance instructors who each teach classes here in town. Our instructor, Steve, calls his group "Do You Want To Dance?" and the other is called, "Thurso Come Dancing," and is led by Leslie.   People from both classes show up to these monthly dances, so there is a nice mix of people.

One more thing about the monthly dances.  They are charity events. Each month, the dance supports a different charity.  The February dance raised funds for the local Girl Guides. The dance this month supported Caithness Disability Multi-Sports and raised over 500 pounds. The entrance fee is 5 pounds each. There is always a raffle. Sometimes baked goods are sold. And the band plays for free. It was announced at the dance last Sunday that they have raised over 20,000 pounds in support of various charity groups in the last 5 years. That's pretty impressive.

So, we are dancing here in Thurso. We are jiving and we are waltzing.

We hope to start going to the British Legion on the last Friday night of the month, where they have a country western band and dancing. We went to one late last fall. It was fun....and different. I'll have to tell you about it another time.   But that is where we will really get to practice the waltz - if there is room on the dance floor.

And we also heard about Ceilidh (pronounced 'Kaley') dancing. That is Scottish dancing with 21 steps. That is done in a circle, where everyone does the same moves at the same time. I am VERY interested in that. Hopefully, we will get a chance to go to that a couple of times.

I will end this with two video clips from the dance at the Park Hotel this past Sunday afternoon. (I hope)  Someone had posted these on the Facebook dance page and I copied them. If you look closely, they caught us in the background in one of them.   The one where the man is dancing with two women - that is Steve, our instructor.

Do YOU want to dance?

(click on the following "Dancing" links)

Dancing 1

Dancing 2