Hi; I'm Gary and I've Been A Dance Addict For Three Months

Ceroc's slogan is Pure Dance Addiction which I feel holds a certain truth for me. I'll be expecting that intervention any day now. I probably could have tried harder to arrange things with my friends tonight but I craved a dance and therefore don't think I pushed the organization overly. For that I apologize to my friends for abandoning them to go dancing. It won't happen again.

Anyway saying that I did have a good time tonight and it is interesting seeing the different people and styles that are on a Monday evening rather than other days at Edinburgh. I also had a really fantastic dance with one of the experienced dancers that really made the evening for me. She complemented me on the dance as well which made me just glow but she is a very talented dancer so most of it was her doing really. Had lots of other good dances with a variety of skill levels and got a couple of hints.

Armjive Swizzle, Step Across, First Move Push Spin and Catapult. The teacher mentioned that the stretch out part should be done at waist level which I've never done. Now I'm wondering if I've totally incorrectly learnt that basic move. Still the woman I was dancing with preferred it at shoulder height so for now I'm keeping it up there :p

• Catapult into Swizzle Thang. Start with a Catapult; while having arms under tension bring the woman into your left while pulling your right arm out to the right and then behind your head. Bring her to the front with a similar action to a Catapult except keep the her right arm up and twirl her around it while moving her left into a half nelson behind her back. Turn her to face you again and move left hip to her left hip having your and her right arm raised over your head while having your left holding on to her half nelson hand behind her back. Walk around for a beat or whatever before unwrapping with the left hand. While her back is to you bring the right arm down into a half nelson and the left arm up. Move to her right hip so you have the opposite to the previous position and walk around in the other direction. Then unravel her using the right. Your arms will be crossed; return with both arms where they will still be crossed and then do a Hallelujah (basically both of you raise your hands and let them sweep to both sides). This move is performed very fluidly and looks really good.


• Basket Thang. Start both handed and bring hands out to the left and sweep them up while turning back-to-back and start brining your left arm down turn to face your partner (as she'll do the same) and wrap her into your left side. Pace clockwise and then unwrap her and, without letting go, wrap her into the right in a Basket. We did the steps and then unwrapped using the right hand into a spin and catching left.


• First Move Thang. My naming is getting less creative. Maybe one day I'll just find out what the real names are. First move up to placing the arm back on the shoulder bring her out as it to twirl (clockwise) her but keep the right hand at waist locking into the hip. Then move into a double twirl (counter-clockwise) with the left while keeping the right at waist level then use the arm loop method to move into a comb then slide her hand down and catch with the left. My mind has gone a bit blank so I can't remember if there is a good way to lead this.

So a really good set of moves that I think look graceful and are, though a bit tricky in places, quite easy to lead. One woman I was dancing with (while I was doing the Catapult variant) said That goes really well with the music. I'm not sure if she noticed I was intentionally walking for three counts (or 6 beats) each time to fit with the very simple progression in the music but it was nice that she realised in one way or another (honestly the work of the leader is never recognized ;-)).

Tags: Ceroc