Dancing Report
Mar. 17th, 2026 11:26 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
jajalalaLife's busy etc BUT I've been getting back into various forms of dancing recently. I did a proper East Coast/Lindy Hop swing dance class or two in the last year or so (once as a follow, then as a lead), but I've made a vow this year to actually go out to a social dance at least once a month, and so far these past three months I've been successful!
West Coast Swing Dance
I recently moved to an area where there's an active West Coast place in a VERY convenient location. I decided to go to a "beginner bootcamp", since even though I've done a decent amount of Lindy Hop, I knew very little about West Coast and wanted to "get up to speed" (They're similar in footwork, but different vibes).
Unfortunately, it was a tricky experience. I think it was a combination of the instructional style not lending itself well to actual social dancing, and also me deciding to dive right into the lead part rather than starting out as a follow.
The beginner bootcamp I went to was two hours, and we went over footwork and several moves, but each move was practiced as its own isolated move, and ONLY via counting--no music whatsoever. The lack of music may have been because there was another class/workshop happening in the same room at the same time, so we had to be considerate of that, but it made it very difficult to transition to the social dancing, which involves real music AND stitching together those moves which we'd only learned in isolation.
The typical Lindy Hop event I go to always has a 1-hour beginner's lesson that feels a lot more comprehensive--it teaches a few moves and practices them together so you develop a sort of "default" chain of moves you can use, even if you know nothing else, and practices with some actual music. It felt disappointing to go to a bootcamp that lasted twice that time and feel like I got so little out of it.
Then again, I may be biased because I've taken some actual multi-week classes for Lindy Hop in the past, so to me those 1-hr lessons feel like refreshing reminders or bonus tricks, while I am genuinely new to West Coast and may have been reacting to the overwhelmingness of a different style I don't have as much experience with.
I feel like I should give it another good ol' college try or two--at least to try the follow role, which I've historically found easier. There also seem to be maybe two separate West Coast groups using the same space, so maybe I should try the other one and see if the vibes/teaching work better for me. I'm in no rush to do that, though--the only real reason I have to even WANT to try is just that the location is super convenient for me XD.
TL;DR: I tried some West Coast, it didn't click, but may try again in the future.
Lindy Hop
I'm trying to build a habit of going to the local Lindy Hop dances! This style is one I have a little more experience in (certainly not an expert, but at least have confidence in my basics), so it's easier to dive right in and have fun. I also have connected with a friend-of-a-friend who had been wanting to attend, and we're trying to do an accountability pact where we encourage each other to go. Most of my friends don't wanna go with me, but alone I feel permission to be like "Nahhh I don't HAVE to go I'm only accountable to myself..." but knowing at least one person there helps me be like "Oooh I gotta go I promised to dance with that person!"
I've only gone twice since the new year, and both times I've joined the beginner's lesson before the dance because they're super helpful reviews, give a good structure for me to practice my leading (which I'm weaker at), and are a nice way to meet a bunch of new folks. Now that I've reminded myself how to dance though, I may skip the beginner's lesson next time, because after it I usually don't have enough stamina to social dance for any more than an hour afterwards.
Something gratifying recently is that I feel like I'm properly coming into leading. I followed for a long while because it's easier for me (I'm decent at mirroring if someone else is making the decisions), and I thought of myself as a very clumsy lead, but these past two dances I've been making a more concentrated effort to lead, and I have received an occasional compliment! Extremely gratifying to hear. I'm still basic--I don't have a bag full of tricks or anything--but I feel like I'm at a level now where I can keep my footwork going and do my basic moves naturally enough to genuinely lead someone XD.
My goals: I want to keep practicing lead. I'm intimidated by very experienced follows that might want a more exciting lead experience, so I think I'll keep an eye out during the beginner's lesson to see who's joined in and try to ask those follows for a dance--I think my basic moveset is probably relieving for newbies who don't want to dive into wild tricks too fast. I'd also like to invite some more friends to swing dance so I can practice sillier moves... When leading strangers, I generally stick to what I feel confident with, but sometimes when I follow I discover a fun-feeling move from a lead, and I want to try and recreate it for my own leading... but I don't want to mess up with a stranger! Would much rather mess around with a buddy who I feel comfortable with. The friend-of-a-friend may be a good candidate for this, though I'm still getting to know them, so I still would like to add more people to practice with.
TL;DR: I'm vibing, getting back into it, and trying to get stronger at leading!
Burlesque
I've ALSO recently been attending a burlesque class! It's a long commute, but high-key worth it. I'm a theater kid at heart, and burlesque satisfies that theatrical urge in me while also letting me be a little horny and sexy.
It's a positive space, and I've been loving the instruction. After each class, I come home to my roommates and give them a mini-review of what I've learned, and then they compliment my moves XD. I'm considering doing a mini-routine showcase when I finish the class, for my roommates and maybe a few other people, just in my living room to show off what I've learned. Like a teeny-tiny theater show! I miss doing shows/theater, but doing those is so much commitment... Meanwhile a one-person striptease for the length of a song is much more manageable XD.
I only have one more class for this, but it's been fun enough that I'm considering taking another of the lessons at some point (I'm currently in the beginner's classes, but there's other more "advanced" classes). My schedule has been crowded recently though, and some of those classes require specific equipment, so I'm probably gonna take a break from it and rejoin whenever it suits me.
TL;DR: Wahoo sexy dance! Reconnecting with my inner theater kid.
West Coast Swing Dance
I recently moved to an area where there's an active West Coast place in a VERY convenient location. I decided to go to a "beginner bootcamp", since even though I've done a decent amount of Lindy Hop, I knew very little about West Coast and wanted to "get up to speed" (They're similar in footwork, but different vibes).
Unfortunately, it was a tricky experience. I think it was a combination of the instructional style not lending itself well to actual social dancing, and also me deciding to dive right into the lead part rather than starting out as a follow.
The beginner bootcamp I went to was two hours, and we went over footwork and several moves, but each move was practiced as its own isolated move, and ONLY via counting--no music whatsoever. The lack of music may have been because there was another class/workshop happening in the same room at the same time, so we had to be considerate of that, but it made it very difficult to transition to the social dancing, which involves real music AND stitching together those moves which we'd only learned in isolation.
The typical Lindy Hop event I go to always has a 1-hour beginner's lesson that feels a lot more comprehensive--it teaches a few moves and practices them together so you develop a sort of "default" chain of moves you can use, even if you know nothing else, and practices with some actual music. It felt disappointing to go to a bootcamp that lasted twice that time and feel like I got so little out of it.
Then again, I may be biased because I've taken some actual multi-week classes for Lindy Hop in the past, so to me those 1-hr lessons feel like refreshing reminders or bonus tricks, while I am genuinely new to West Coast and may have been reacting to the overwhelmingness of a different style I don't have as much experience with.
I feel like I should give it another good ol' college try or two--at least to try the follow role, which I've historically found easier. There also seem to be maybe two separate West Coast groups using the same space, so maybe I should try the other one and see if the vibes/teaching work better for me. I'm in no rush to do that, though--the only real reason I have to even WANT to try is just that the location is super convenient for me XD.
TL;DR: I tried some West Coast, it didn't click, but may try again in the future.
Lindy Hop
I'm trying to build a habit of going to the local Lindy Hop dances! This style is one I have a little more experience in (certainly not an expert, but at least have confidence in my basics), so it's easier to dive right in and have fun. I also have connected with a friend-of-a-friend who had been wanting to attend, and we're trying to do an accountability pact where we encourage each other to go. Most of my friends don't wanna go with me, but alone I feel permission to be like "Nahhh I don't HAVE to go I'm only accountable to myself..." but knowing at least one person there helps me be like "Oooh I gotta go I promised to dance with that person!"
I've only gone twice since the new year, and both times I've joined the beginner's lesson before the dance because they're super helpful reviews, give a good structure for me to practice my leading (which I'm weaker at), and are a nice way to meet a bunch of new folks. Now that I've reminded myself how to dance though, I may skip the beginner's lesson next time, because after it I usually don't have enough stamina to social dance for any more than an hour afterwards.
Something gratifying recently is that I feel like I'm properly coming into leading. I followed for a long while because it's easier for me (I'm decent at mirroring if someone else is making the decisions), and I thought of myself as a very clumsy lead, but these past two dances I've been making a more concentrated effort to lead, and I have received an occasional compliment! Extremely gratifying to hear. I'm still basic--I don't have a bag full of tricks or anything--but I feel like I'm at a level now where I can keep my footwork going and do my basic moves naturally enough to genuinely lead someone XD.
My goals: I want to keep practicing lead. I'm intimidated by very experienced follows that might want a more exciting lead experience, so I think I'll keep an eye out during the beginner's lesson to see who's joined in and try to ask those follows for a dance--I think my basic moveset is probably relieving for newbies who don't want to dive into wild tricks too fast. I'd also like to invite some more friends to swing dance so I can practice sillier moves... When leading strangers, I generally stick to what I feel confident with, but sometimes when I follow I discover a fun-feeling move from a lead, and I want to try and recreate it for my own leading... but I don't want to mess up with a stranger! Would much rather mess around with a buddy who I feel comfortable with. The friend-of-a-friend may be a good candidate for this, though I'm still getting to know them, so I still would like to add more people to practice with.
TL;DR: I'm vibing, getting back into it, and trying to get stronger at leading!
Burlesque
I've ALSO recently been attending a burlesque class! It's a long commute, but high-key worth it. I'm a theater kid at heart, and burlesque satisfies that theatrical urge in me while also letting me be a little horny and sexy.
It's a positive space, and I've been loving the instruction. After each class, I come home to my roommates and give them a mini-review of what I've learned, and then they compliment my moves XD. I'm considering doing a mini-routine showcase when I finish the class, for my roommates and maybe a few other people, just in my living room to show off what I've learned. Like a teeny-tiny theater show! I miss doing shows/theater, but doing those is so much commitment... Meanwhile a one-person striptease for the length of a song is much more manageable XD.
I only have one more class for this, but it's been fun enough that I'm considering taking another of the lessons at some point (I'm currently in the beginner's classes, but there's other more "advanced" classes). My schedule has been crowded recently though, and some of those classes require specific equipment, so I'm probably gonna take a break from it and rejoin whenever it suits me.
TL;DR: Wahoo sexy dance! Reconnecting with my inner theater kid.
no subject
Date: 2026-03-18 06:50 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2026-03-18 02:54 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2026-03-18 07:25 am (UTC)Someone in my DW circle is learning shuffle dance and that looks so cool.
no subject
Date: 2026-03-18 02:55 pm (UTC)