Category: dancing
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Misery, snarkiness, and an unexpected apology
A few weeks ago, I posted a note on a prominent swing board urging dancers to “Just Say No” when they really don’t feel like dancing with someone. The gist of my note was as follows: […] I’d like to go against conventional wisdom and practice and urge people to say NO when asked to…
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On dancing and cybersex
I once had a Lindy Hop-related yahoo ID (note: NEVER put “swing-” or especially “swinger-” anything in IM or e-mail names!) and I got some, ahem, interesting messages. I remember one yahoo asking me if I wanted to “roll play.” I replied, “Sure! You be the Rye and I’ll be the Kaiser!” Flew right past…
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Now I swing both ways, and I love it!
I don’t know exactly when the thought first occurred to me. But eventually I felt that it was something I really wanted, something I had to try. Actually, it kind of started about two months ago, with the realization that sometimes there just weren’t enough women around, and, well… I had needs. With so many…
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What I have learned (and re-learned) from PiYo
I recently attended my second class in PiYo — a strange but wonderful mixture of Pilates and Yoga. Here is what I have learned and what I have been reminded of via my new PiYo journeys: Stretching is not easy.This is true in the literal and figurative sense. From a physical standpoint, stretching is exhausting…
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Swing dance, go to jail
Water-swilling swing dancers… threat to a moral and orderly society. They Must Be Stopped! Or so goes the thinking of some pretty aggressive Salt Lake City law enforcement officials, as noticed by this (verified) forward: In Salt Lake City, during the 2003 Utah Lindy Exchange, the organizer Nate Landon was “Arrested” at 3 am for…
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Happy feet
This past Thursday was the beginning of my birthday weekend, or more specifically, the celebration time of my Bodaciously Binary Birthday (#100000). It began with a birthday jam for me (and other b-day boys and girls) at the 9:20 Special, a very popular weekly local swing dance event. In this fun photo — taken by…
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Lindy Hop Heaven
Take a moment to destress and check out this contagiously happy and definitely talented jazz quintet: Peter Davis and Lindy Hop Heaven. One of my friends introduced me to this group and loaned me their CD, and I haven’t stopped smiling since. You can hear a few clips on their Web page, and I’ve also…
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Dancing to hateful lyrics?
I was chatting with a former swing dancer yesterday, and I was a bit shocked when she explained one of the main reasons she quit dancing. “I couldn’t believe people were dancing to songs like ‘Violent Love’ and ‘Christopher Columbus’ without thinking!” she commented disdainfully. In a way, I could see her point. Especially in…
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I have Al Gore disease, and I want to find a cure
On the piano, I can play a song such as Mary Had a Little Lamb:– in any key– at any tempo– in almost any style (waltz, tango, jazz, whatever)– combined with anything else– even blindfolded. I have been known to beautifully blitz through Chopin’s quite challenging Black Key Etude. I can play Mendelsohn and Muppets…
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My allegorical speed date with a supermodel
ME: Hi there, would you like to go out on a date with me? SM: Sure! [Date begins] ME: So, uh, how are you doing? SM: Great! Just jetted in from Paris, learned some more French, bought this great new dress, had some drinks with Chirac, you know, same ol’ same ol’. How about you?…