Fab
Fab night at JJ’s 
Had some great dances with some of favourite dancers, and found a couple of new favourites…
For the first time in ages I was there before the start of the beginners’ class. I think I need to dance with beginners more… With not being around for this class for the past wee while I’ve not known who were beginners, but let’s be honest, it would be a cool thing for me to go and ask some of the unfamiliar faces now and then, even if I don’t know how good they are or not. Must try harder.
We’ll skip the beginners’ class and the first freestyle for now and get onto the meat – the moves…
- Basket walk-around into Teapot. Basket position, walk around CW… Then turn the girl (we were taught on the spot, but I prefer while still walking… ) one and half times around keeping RH low and LH high to bring her into a teapot position. Usual teapot exit.
- Left-handed comb push spin. Standard left-handed comb, then push spin the girl with your RH on her forearm. For the routine we went straight into the comb from the teapot exit, but don’t ask me how as I think I only got it right once!
- Hatchback. Classic move. Note choice of CW or ACW turn for the guys to face. I usually turn CW, so the ACW turn felt weird.
- Shoulder pull push-spin. On the RH return from the hatchback stop the girl with your LH on her shoulder as she comes round and bring your RH to behind your head as you turn a quarter CW to allow you to lead her (from the shoulder mainly, but with both hands) behind you back-to-back. She should come through and at this point our other teach would go “boing” as there’s a step apart with tension to bring her back into a yo-yo-style push spin. Return and get ready for the basket again…
As I said I just couldn’t get the teapot into comb working. Everything else worked a treat… Well, I’m not a fan of push spins of the girl’s arm when there’s no tension already there. Maybe the main problem there though is the lack of tension from the girl… Don’t know.
In freestyle I already do loads of hatchbacks. I lead them as clearly as possible different from yo-yos. I will turn my hand and arm around to allow a clear lead on the push out with the hell of my hand usually around the girl’s wrist. I think I got this from what you have to do when you’re doing a left-handed hatchback when the girl’s hand is busy so the right hand has to push against the upper arm.
I quite often do basket walk-arounds, and I saw this move into a a teapot a couple of weeks ago and have done it a few times since. Nice to be taught it though. I think it’s a fairly natural exit from the walk-around, and I’ll probably do them more now.
The other two moves, because they involve remembering to do something during a return which I use for thinking time, they’re difficult for me. I did manage to do a normal slow comb in the middle of the freestyle which my partner seemed to like…
The one time I tried the shoulder pull I didn’t get my hand there in time and had to pull out before I missed the shoulder and impressed the girl in another way… 
As I said, I had some great dances. I danced twice with four ladies I’d have been happy enough dancing with all night – or even really happy to dance with all night.
Early on in the night I didn’t think I was dancing well - well enough, but I thought my dancing lacked the passion and variety that I’d like. I got better as the night went on, and had some really special dance in the last half hour or so, but I know I could have done better.
I’m not sure if it depends on your partner, or the song, but sometimes I find myself dancing much more with the music… I guess it needs both things. Some dancers don’t seem so confidant interpreting the music with you, taking the breaks and exploring them, and so in order to give them a pleasant dance, rather that a difficult and confusing one, you have to tone down the interpretation.
I had lots of fun spinning my partners – when they can manage it I will do double or triple assisted spins quite often to work with the music and let me lead a break, or start the next move on the bar. (At least, I think that’s what I’m doing – it just feels natural.)
One willing victim got 8 continuous spins – she asked for it, so she got it! I’ve been told I’m a good spinner, so I’ve got to practice my art to perfect it!
I did dance with a couple of beginners, though one already had loads of experience of partner dancing, and quite a bit of Ceroc from a year or so ago. The other had only been coming for five weeks. I though both danced brilliantly. Obviously the experienced dancer was better, but I’m sure the other one will be a fab dancer in no time.
Looking forward to next week, but there’s my return to the GUU tomorrow… Haven’t been there in a while, but it’s the last night there before the new year, so I can’t miss it.
Maybe see you there… 