Seattle Lindy Exchange pics + thoughts on "ignorance is bliss"
So, here are some pictures from the 6th annual "Seattle Lindy Exchange." For those of you who don't know, "lindy" refers to the "lindy hop," a form of swing dance that I've been doing a lot lately (you would have to be pretty oblivious to have missed this!). "Lindy exchanges" occur when a particular city decides to sponsor a weekend's worth of dances and social events to allow dancers from all over the country to meet each other, share some awesome dances, and just have fun!
Anna and I hosted 6 people from Oregon, Canada and Utah in our freshly painted apartment, and it really felt like a big sleepover! We ate cocoa crispies, marshmallow munchies, and cap'n crunch in the kitchen while talking about our lives and bonding over pop culture references...it actually felt a lot like the first weekend of college again! I love the part of my personality that comes out when i'm meeting new people...i get this natural high, this giddiness, and find myself generally enamored of whomever I meet. I think these kinds of events really bring out the best in people, as we search for common ground and connection.A quick word on the images: I really like this picture (on the left) of Justin dancing with a popsicle in his mouth! I took it on Sunday afternoon when we danced outside at the Seattle Center...it was really hot, but the organizers provided yummy snacks (in the form of popsicles and ice cream sandwiches) so we survived...
Here's a picture of a new friend I made, named Matt, who lives in LA! We had lots of goofy dances...it's so cool how, after dancing for a while, you can appreciate the most subtle, funny thing someone does. Matt would do some really "micro" movements, then throw in something a little crazy or jerky, and we'd both just laugh. I think creativity is one of the things i enjoy most in a dancer, plus a proclivity to laugh! It's fascinating to me how big of an effect personality can have on a dance, at least for me...I enjoy dances where you can detect a twinkle in your partner's eye, a playfulness or willingness to just have fun.Well, at least, that's how i've been approaching dancing for a while...as a sort of lark, something I
do for fun, as a stress relief and way to meet people and rediscover a love for jazz music. Yet, as I've started dance more often, it's become something I'd like to study and "work on," and i'm not sure how I feel about that...I HATE the feeling of stagnation (that i'm not improving), but I also don't want to lose the effortless fun I have on the dance floor.
Last night, I invited over a dancer whose style and opinions I really admire and trust (Matt M) to look at dancing video clips and practice the fundamentals. Our friend Joe stopped by and gave his feedback as well, and it was just so fascinating to get down to the most rudimentary basics and see how the smallest change in posture could make an enormous difference in how I felt as a follow.
Yet...Joe was a bit cautionary when he heard I was going to start really practicing and trying to become more comfortable with the dance. He brought up the question of whether i really wanted to get into these specifics and warned me that "ignorance is bliss." He predicted that as I discover more of the nitty gritties of the dance, my estimation of what is "good" both in my own dancing and in the dancing of others will change and "social dancing will never be the same" (ie I will not be able to enjoy dancing with "bad" dancers anymore because i'll be aware of all the little things they are doing "wrong").
Yet, call me naive or wildly optimistic, but i just don't see that happening with myself. Firstly, because he predicted it, I now want to prove him wrong! I always want to be the exception to these sorts of social rules...if most dancers become more "snobby" or exclusive as they improve, i want to be that one that continues to be friendly towards everyone. Plus, that's just always been my personality, and I can't see that changing as my dancing improves, yet...
And yet, I am a bit worried about delving deeper into "the scene," because I want to continue to be a well-rounded person (not that I think there is anything wrong with being deep rather than wide - I just have always had so many interests that I can't bear to give up some, like soccer, for others). I have already noticed that my interest in dancing has left me less available to see my many nondancing friends and family, and I also want to remain available for interesting volunteer opportunities that may come up (I have been chatting with a woman who works at a correctional facility in the women and family unit, which sounds really fascinating).
I suppose, like most things, there will be no one right answer...i just have to remember to keep my life in balance!Oh, and i couldn't resist putting this last picture in...it's of Anna and her friend's baby...how cute is Anna, and the baby? Anna got those amazing sunglasses at Fred Meyer on our way to the Golden Gardens park on Saturday...pics from that to come soon!!! | posted by Cheryl, 8/08/2006 09:56:00 AM
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