Yesterday,
while enjoying my hamburger and fries at the Kirkwood Station Brewing Co, an
unassuming flyer for Swing Dancing caught my eye. “Make New Friends”, it promised. “Beginners Welcome!”
Now, I
have done a lot of Tap, and a bit of Ballroom, but since I graduated from high school,
the only boogieing that I have done has been in the privacy of my own
home. This has probably saved us all
from a great deal of arhythmic embarrassment.
But, I’m still trying to find my niche, and if I have one fear for
myself, it is that I will settle into a routine of going to work, coming home,
watching reruns, and doing nothing else.
So, I
shoved my introverted self in a closet (well, I tried to but it came along for
the ride anyway) and went dancing this evening.
The
evening was delightful. Yes, I still
have two left feet, and I can’t keep a beat if I tried. But, the company more than made up for
it.
The
evening began with a class. I was the
only beginner in the group, so I had an excellent student teacher ratio. My teacher was Rich, a very nice guy who has
more patience in his pinky than I have found in my lifetime. We went through the basic steps for Imperial
Swing, and, without music, I could keep up just fine.
Afterward,
a gal name Sue claimed me as an orphaned puppy and spent the rest of the
evening scoping out dance partners for me.
I danced maybe a half dozen songs, but more than that, actually got to
meet some friendly people. Okay, so on
the dance floor, I probably looked like the Stork from Robin Hood, but all of
my partners were very understanding that it was my first night.
The best dance was with a guy named
Ron, who for the most part kept me in a frame rather than trying to twirl me
around (well, what fun is Swing without twirling). With that frame, it was easy for me to keep
track of the beat, even if we did spend the whole dance talking. There was also a lot less pressure because I
didn’t have to figure out which direction he was trying to go; we were just
walking (admittedly at an odd rhythm for walking) and talking.
In the end, the flyer hit it on the
nose. The South Side Imperial Dance Club
is delighted to have a new face, no matter how little you know about Swing, and
they were definitely willing to welcome a new friend into their circle.
Their
next dance is May 20; I already have my calendar marked.
South Side Imperial Dance Club: http://www.southsidedance.org/
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