Saturday started with a nice basic beginners swing class - good fun. Then we had a fantastic jumps and tricks class which was open to both beginners and intermediate. It was here that i danced with 'bit of a guy' girl - named so because these were the first words that she said to me (she was dancing as a male lead - but i danced with her anyway) the first time i had met her. On first meeting Bitofaguy i had assumed that she was your typical very good looking girl - with a very 'i'm a good looking girl' attitude. But i managed to break that down - after her initial comment 'I'm actually a bit of a guy' i said 'wow, love the honesty - and we've only just met!' to which i gained a wry smile, but got an audible laugh to my comment after i had finished dancing with her 'you make an alright girl too'. Anyway, so in this jumps and tricks class we learned some cool stuff, then we had another beginners lesson, then a break before our big night out at 'The Wardrobe'. As soon as Ben and I walked into the club we were very intimidated - these people knew how to dance, and looked very smooth on the floor, so we sat down and watched. Bitofaguy (who is an intermediate) came over and said 'hey' to both of us with her mate Amoeba (it was loud and it sounded like that - it could be Anita or Anilla though), possibly wanting a dance - but no such offer would come from these two gents, being more scardy cats than swing cats! But after getting an offer from another girl (Diana) in our beginners class i went out to the floor and Ben went too with another beginner. Once on the floor all i could remember was the last routine that we did that day which included moves such as 'spank the baby' and 'getting jiggy' both moves - especially the former, look quite ridiculous, and in all honesty i couldn't even remember the whole routine, so there were several moments of just standing around feeling very ill at ease and hoping never to be in a situation like this ever again. And i was meant to be leading so i've got no idea how Diana felt. So after the second song i swiftly left the floor apologising to my partner and swearing never to do it again. However, it wasn't long before i got back on the horse (nb. in this metaphor the horse is the dancefloor not Diana) as another lady from our classes asked me to dance. By this time after watching more attentively the other dancers i had remembered the basic step and was able to make my way through the song staying relatively in time and not feeling too bad. Ben and i then made our way casually over to the bar, got some water on the rocks and stood close to Bitofaguy and Amoeba, with our backs turned so that eye contact wouldn't be made and we wouldn't be obliged to ask for a dance. Bitofaguy then approached us and asked us (i like to think it was me though) whether we would like to dance with them. And here is where Ben gets his big coup because Bitofaguy danced with him and myself with Amoeba, although i maintain that this was solely because he was who she happened to be closest too and it would have been too obvious otherwise. Amoeba was a fine dancer nevertheless - i had a real blast with her and she taught me some smoking moves. Later i danced with Bitofaguy and found that my first impressions could well be quite off as she was just really positive and great fun. She left early, i did a bit more dancing - a good night all round.
The next day we started it off with another beginners class and then in the break Ben and I went for a quick tipple at the refectory (water - still). On the way we walked passed the the Swing help desk which was manned by non other then Bitofaguy. We had a conversation of a jocular nature (thankyou Peter Garret)and i questioned why she left so early the previous night - giving the impression that i stayed really late and am a party animal, where as in reality i left before twelve - before the actual band played. She said that she had to attend a friends 21st birthday, where i rather excitedly dropped in that it was actually Ben's 21st birthday today - because it was so, and she gave Ben a birthday hug. If only I had been born one month and eleven days earlier! I'm blaming you Mother! After another beginners swing class with an Australian and Dutch couple we headed to the sports centre to do a 20's Charlston class with the same instructors with the intermediates. This was a real hoot - big, camp moves, slo-mo running, a bit of breakdancing six step, scarecrows, lift your braces and kick out your feet - all round good fun. We then got the opportunity to bust out some of those moves with the ladies and for once i felt like i was really being communicative, telling my woman where to go by my movements and not through my voice as i was the previous night. I danced briefly with the Dutch teacher and she said i had 'a good body for it - good posture', nice one Justo! Bitofaguy was in this class too, but i didn't really talk to her as she had a sore knee and sat out for most of it. When Ben's side of the room was dancing and we were watching i yelled out 'yeah Ben, it's your birthday' just as a joke. But the instructors picked up on this and got everyone to make a circle and all the girls in the room had to dance with him - ahh what a laugh! It was fantastic. After the class we reluctantly went to a bar on campus to hang out with the swing crew. I say reluctantly as i was not keen for another round of awkwardness on the floor. But once there i was put back on the floor because a girl asked me to dance, of which i can't say no to. And it was pretty average, i'd forgotten most of the moves and it was a bit ungainly. But i got along well with the girl so it was at least good fun - it was this dance that Ben videotaped me. From there more and more girls asked me for a dance and i gained a bit of confidence and a few moves (like the chill out foot shuffle from the Dutch instructor) and i was starting to feel good. So i asked Diana for a dance and said 'alrighty, you just see the improvement' and with this confident statement i danced confidently, flinging her out, doing several passovers, foot shuffles, Charlston hitches, Texas tommy passes, badooms, slides, you name it - it felt awesome!
I think i might even pursue Swing when i get back home and perhaps head down to Melbourne which according to Matt and Loti the instructors is meant to have one of the best scenes in the world. (Note to self: Lindy exchange in November swingtalk.com.au) And from Swing i headed back to Ben's place for some waffles, and then had a slightly damper jog back then usual thanks to the light rain that had set in and would follow through into the next day. All in all it was a pretty super weekend. But i can't dwell on the past - best get stuck back into these essays - or go to sleep more likely, tomorrows a new day!
Also, an article i wrote on Bahai's not being allowed to attend University in Iran got published in the LeedsStudent newspaper on Friday.
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