Friday, May 19, 2006

The Freestyle Charleston Fiasco

This morning as I was persuing the paper at work to gather my Friday Night Options, I saw there would be a Big Band playing as a charity function. Sweet! Giving money to a worthy cause and listening to amazing jazz/swing? What more could a girl ask for? So I called up my dance instructor, Janie, from last year and invited her too. Ellyn and I met up with her and sat in amazing second row seats (this is at the Episcopalian Cathedral, if I forgot to mention it).

The band was way fun. They had great energy and were just GOOD. About four songs into the first half, Janie leans over and grabs my hand, "Wanna Lindy?" Here's my Lindyhop info link (the mac is acting up): http://www.savoystyle.com/history.html.

I don't know how many of you know me well enough to know that I never (ever) turn down dance invitations. So, we shimmied on over to a corner and started dancing. It was a little embarrassing - I think like 50 people could see us.

Then a couple songs later, I found myself lindyhopping in the corner again and grinning like an idiot. I really like to lindy. It's like joy personified in dance. The singer/MC then called us out in front. Yeah. Let that sink in a moment. Luckily, I only messed up HUGELY near the end of the song.

Dancing is maybe the only thing I can do without thinking of anything else. My mind blanks out and I just DANCE. Not particularly well, mind you. I just go. This turned out to be an unfortunate trait later in the evening, when Janie grabbed me, shouted "FREESTYLE CHARLESTON!", and pulled me up in front of the Whole Room. I just went. I'm pretty bad at estimating numbers, but the room was definitely full. Hundreds of people, mostly over the age of 65, watched me trip all over Janie's feet, double over in laughing embarrassment, and generally Not Know What I Was Doing.

Overall, a moderately successful evening if I think in terms of Level of Entertainment for the Viewers. If I can make people laugh, I'm doing ok. But it was cute how many little old ladies came up afterward to talk to me. They were pretty sweet.

And Ellyn dances an amazing Rumba.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

It's all in the hips baby! If everyone is looking at my hips swaying seductively, they won't be able to notice that my feet are tripping all over themselves.
ln

Miranda said...

Yeah lindy! That's what I did last night. Of course it was at a club where everybody was dancing, and few people were watching me because my talent was far outweighed by others, such as Claire and Dave, but it was great fun. I'll freestyle charleston with you any time.