Hyperreal

Just back from an excellent night at the monthly Glasgow party. The place was buzzing. I had so many brilliant dances, and had so many nice things said to me, I’m dead chuffed.

Let’s take it from the top…

I arrived in time for the class, but unfortunately the class didn’t happen – no teacher. Bit of a mystery there…

Instead I was individually, and as a group, collectively, told off from bringing our own drinks into the venue.

Hmm… I only started doing this for two reasons… First, the bar has a habit of running out of water way too early in the night. And, second, when they do have it, it isn’t always very chilled. Plus in the past the bar staff have been strangely deaf when asked for water. :?

Oh well… Not going to let that bother me.

On with the dancing!!!

I danced loads. Had lots of truly wonderful dances. OK, maybe there were a few not-so-great one, but they challenge me to find ways to make them great. And just so long as they’re in the minority, I’m very happy.

Nice things said to me:

• nice shirt (from a few people – this was the stripey green-ish one I didn’t wear last time)
• nice shoes! (from a few people more)
• I can really see the improvement in your dancing (one or two people)
• my friend says you’re really getting good (or something like that)
• you’re really cool (unfortunately meant only temperature-wise)
• thanks for a really lovely dance (said twice in a I really mean this manner)
• would you like to dance (every time someone asks me to dance, it’s a compliment)

Thanks to everyone who said such lovely things! Just as well the Henry Wood Hall has big doors!

(Aside…

It’s a really fantastic venue, with only a few wee problems that come to mind…

• no cooling of any kind
• no, not even a window that can be opened
• a slight slope to the floor (which is really just a quirk)
• a “hole” in the floor, right bang in the middle of the place (I think it’s actually a power socket)

We shall not have its use after the end of the year though. Not sure why, and also curious where we’ll end up… Hopefully somewhere equally local for me!

There’s a “Farewell to the Henry Wood Hall” party at the end of the year (the day before my birthday, if anyone is interested ) which should be really good.

End of aside.)

As ever, it takes a while for me to warm up, and so the first few dances always tend to be a bit rubbish. But as the night went on I got more into it, remembered some cool moves and started impressing people. Enjoyed doing some of the moves I learnt in the past week or so, which is beginning to give me greater confidence in my ability to actually retain some more some days after they have been taught to me. I kept messing up the (lady) comb and mambo steps on one of them. Of course the comb was fairly easy, but I maybe only once or twice got into the mambo footwork properly. Once, because I was looking down at my feet to figure out was going on, I ended up getting a wee bash on the head from my partner. You really shouldn’t look down when you’re standing so close to girl for at least two good reasons, and both of them can lead to injury in some way or other.

Because of fluffing the mambo steps, I’m usually a bit flustered on my exit of that move and I haven’t got my exit sorted out at all. Another exit I need to work on is from a basket flip-flop. Never quite sure what to do once I get bored of flip-flopping. Hmm…

As I said earlier, I had lots of wonderful dances – but some were just awesome. I don’t mean this in a bad way, but I find many of the girls I dance with quite similar – good, but nothing that marks them out as special. (They probably, maybe even hopefully, think the same about me.) Then there’s a few that just blow your mind. Dancing with them makes everything go better. You remember more moves, they work, and you do things you just never knew you could do. Things flow and it’s like magic. You just don’t want the music to stop!

I have to force myself to ration my dancing with these ladies – don’t want to spoil myself!

One has just the best eye-contact ever. Another one or two are expert hijackers. They all make leading them such a wonderful experience.

Should mention the music… I commented to one partner, “if I heard this music on the radio I’d turn it off.” This was probably true for a lot of the tracks. However, I also said about the same track that it was great to dance to. So, music that I don’t want to listen to, but do want to dance to – I don’t know how to resolve this… just as well I was dancing most of the time.

In fact, the dance floor was pretty packed all night, so the DJ was doing his job, keeping the punters happy. So thanks for a great night.

Big thanks to everyone else there – all the people I danced with especially. I had a fabulous time.

There were a few people I missed tonight for expected or unexpected reasons – I’m sorry that you couldn’t make it.

Hope to see you all next time!

Cheers!