Wednesday, June 20, 2012

Like feet in the night

I can still remember it as though it were yesterday, wait it was yesterday. I leaned into my right leg and felt it start to quiver. The second time in two dances. My partner's sweet hazel eyes seemed to be questioning what she could feel through our linked hands.  For my part, I slowly drew in a balancing breath and transmitted my own awareness that whatever the cause, the trembling was over. Where my mind stays though is on the wondering, the trembling what did it mean? What does it mean?

In the room's corner, up above ballroom eye level, the Face smirks and throws a leer at my partner's smooth and rounded rear. If its wigging me, I am going to have at its eyes. 'Course, I say it but IT thinks its a tri-sexual. Able to assume any sex, or both, in an instant's blink. Stay away from her I beam back as I turn into a deep dip designed to keep her close and focused on me, us.

These human's sure do like their dances. Personally, ha ha, we find it funny, Face and I. We needed a way to study them and any dance floor on the planet will let us study them to our two hearts content.

As I leaned close, I could feel the warmth of her breath against my neck and again the tremble, this time in my chest.  Too close came Face's beam, and I suddenly knew what the trembling was all about.  Humans have emotions, form emotional attachments, feelings.  Crap, how could I analyze them if this body I'd borrowed was going to do that?


Sunday, June 17, 2012

Clarion West Write-a-thon

So heres the deal.  I have several goals for this thing and several blogs to express them in.  It's a fantasy of mine that, well you know, this might lead to some form of beyond a blog publishing.  So welcome Clarionadoes, read on.

I can still remember it as though it were yesterday, wait it was yesterday.  I leaned into my right leg and felt it start to quiver.  The second time in two dances. 

My partner has sweet hazel eyes and they seemed to be questioning what she could feel through  linked hands.

For my part, I slowly drew in a balancing breath and transmitted by own awareness that whatever the cause, the trembling is over.  Where my mind stays though is on the wondering, what did it mean?   What does it mean? 

In the corner, up above ballroom eye level, the Face smirks and throws a leer at my partner's smooth and rounded rear.  If its wigging me I am going to have at its eyes.  Course, I say it but It thinks its a tri-sexual.  Able to assume any sex, or both, in an instant's blink.  Stay away from her I beam back as turn us into a closed basic whip a move designed to keep her close and focused on me, us.

These human's sure do like their dances.  Personally, ha ha, we find it funny, Face and I.  We needed a way to study them and any dance floor will let us study to our two hearts content.

Monday, May 14, 2012

Dance as a Duet . . .

or the Art of Mapping. I first heard Robert Royston proffer this idea of hearing and using what he called the map of a song at a workshop in Albuquerque and have since seen a video that helps explain the idea, West Coast Advanced, Volume One, Mapping the music.  That was in 2003.   Since then, I've kind of dropped out of the competitive dance culture.  This last weekend was SwingDiego, however, and as a part of our new re-committment to physical well being, T and I put on our dancing shoes and headed out.  No that's not us by the way, since I was taking the shot and T was saying hello to some fellow San Diegans.

But that was the scene at the beginning with warm colors at the fore and swing sounds beckoning towards the floor.

So, there we were ready and willing, toned and tuned as they say and yet within a few songs or so we are lost.  You know the kind of loss Mike and Patti called, The "She can't follow and he can't lead" step.  The kind you can't not ignore and yet you can't not let it get you down.  I know, too many Knots, eh?  That was Day One.  Day Two was better but it was probably because we distracted ourselves with workshops.  By night fall, dancing with others was definitely in.  Then came Day Three, we drive down separately.  I stay home so I can teach a two hour private and she goes so she can enter a Jack'n'Jill.  We meet at eight and by then we both admit to a tendency to be hummimg songs that our imaginations are dancing even as we stand in line to get back in.  As far as the actual dancing, it feels like our bodies have found their own GPS's as we link and  hit and connect to the song and each other like it is supposed to be.  Immersion has given us the mapping tool and for awhile we wear ourselves out trying it out.

Still, things were felt, and things even said that keep what happened from us until we, we always seem to do, talk it out.  Our first attempts spark with tempered energy.  The next morning we try again with different examples and for a while there's still some sense that we are getting nowhere.  Then Monday and guess what, we are intently listening to the car radio while discussing the map we hear in the song.

So, Robert, thanks for the idea.  I'll let you know how it works out.

Wednesday, May 09, 2012

SwingDiego

This time of the year swing dancers could that their season is in.  As in San Diego and this week.  Things already started with the Tuesday night get ready to swing party at Tango Del Mundo in PB.  And tonight, Patti Well's Dance Center hosts its own pre-party with a BBQ dinner and dance.  But I just know that there are many people who still don't get the fun of this dance.  So take a look at this and tell me you don't know what I mean.  Meanwhile, I am heading out and about to get my dancing on.

Sunday, April 15, 2012

Hibernation, anyone?

Yeah, I know, long time no see, eh?  Well, duh.  What with the state of the nation, do you really think we should be out there dancing?  Well, double duh.  Hell, yes we should be dancing but first we need to resusictate those Marathon dances of "They Shoot Horse's" fame, don't we?   Put some life back in the old show.