Tuesday Blues... In a Good Way!

The DJ started by impressing me with his set between the beginners and intermediate class by playing a set consisting mostly of blues. His set didn't quite maintain that for the rest of the evening but was really good never-the-less. Anyway the music and my partners so picked up the night to be a wonderful evening. I had a lot of enjoyable dances where we played with the music a lot. Did a spot of double trouble and swapped leads with a lovely partner which was great fun.

I've got a good hold of double spins now and can generally do them every time I feel inclined (and sometimes when I'm not really initially wanting to). However I am beginning to worry that I'm often not there to take my partner's hand when she comes around and I think that might be effecting the quality of our dance.

Moves:

• Arm Wrap into Neck Break. Start with both hands held; take your right and wrap it so that the woman's arm is under yours and her arm is between your arm and your body. Place her hand on your (right) shoulder and take her to your right facing in the same direction as you as you take her right hand in your right at her right shoulder. Wrap her into you and then double turn her (in one count) around to face.


• First Move Underarm Mambo Walk. First move, as you push her out turn to face (left foot forward) and keep a high frame with the right and the left hand low. Lift your right to take her under your arms and guide with the left. As she is going under your arms step back with the left (where back is in relation to her so 90° to your original position). Then step back right, then left and move into a mambo step for four beats (your right arm is crossed with hers, kinda like what you might have on Sunday stroll, apparently). Bring her in-front of you with the right for a spin. As she spins take her right arm with your left (for a Ceroc Spin) and spin her the other way. Catch, return and go into a double handed hold.


• Slow Walk Push Spin. Double handed. Pull down towards your right hip with both hands taking the woman past you, raise your hands to turn her behind you so that your hands are crossed. Slow walk her forward past you (for 4 counts) as she comes past take your left hand up her left to her left shoulder as you turn her around. Take her right hand into a push spin and push return her (taking the left hand up to put her into a turn). I've done the latter half of this move before.

Tags: Ceroc

Edinburgh Party 7

Arrived just in time for the fun class at the Edinburgh party night. I wasn't going to do the class but the teacher pointed out there was only one woman extra so I thought I'd balance the numbers. As they were on the second move I played a quick catch-up. There were a few women in the class where the party night was their first night. I can't imagine the evening being easy for them (and I had a dance later with a few of them) as it seems they really were starting at the deep end.

I never really enjoyed the music for much of the night. There was a lot of fast stuff (especially earlier on) without any slow, or even average, tempo stuff. There also was a lot of tracks where there wasn't really a chance to play with the music much. I found it, as a result, difficult to really get into it during the earlier part of the evening (that's not to say it was just the music but it was a factor) and I only had a few good dances during the first half of the night. Later on the evening picked up a lot though and I had a lot of really good dances; only wish I could have been in that zone earlier.

During the evening I had a double trouble dance that went well (ish). Another double trouble dance (to Now That I Can Dance) which didn't go smoothly but I found hilarious and made me almost enjoy dancing to that song. I also followed (and led for a short while) Ducasi; he led really well and found it much easier to follow him that most of the people I've had lead me.

It wasn't my best party night ever but it was good fun.

Tags: Ceroc

Thursday Night Going Well

Tonight went well. You always worry after a couple of not great nights that
it might not be but it went well. I had a lot of good dances and part of that
was just feeling like I had a good connection. My balance was good and enjoyed
doing a few double spins. There were a lot of fast tracks which I'm not a huge
fan of but were fun to dance to all the same. There was also no Now That
I Can Dance, seriously it wasn't there. I'm so happy. Anyway a few
of the regulars that I love dancing with weren't there but there were plenty
of women who were there that I enjoyed dancing with (I had a lovely dance
with the taxi dancer who took me through my first lesson). Aleks took me through
how to practice body rolls.

• Armjive Swizzle Into Underarm Pass. I'm to lazy at the moment to look
  this up but I've done it before. Armjive, pass under the arm on the Swizzle
  then push the woman to your left keeping both hands into a half nelson; then
  slide under your right arm to get in-front of the woman and turn her. I notice
  I've gotten lazy in freestyle and kept the right hand at shoulder level and
  pass underneath it there.


• Basket Into Turnaround Spin with Lady Spin. Liked this one. Basket
  but rather than exit turn the lady 180° clockwise as you turn yourself and take your left hand up so it is at the lady's shoulder. Then use that to turn her around 1½ times in one count. Take her hand out to your right and both of you spin (I took this chance to do double spins as everyone was doing a spin).


• Catapult into Sway Accordion Dip. Catapult offering left hand up
  at shoulder level, on the right side, when the lady is behind you. Lead her
  to take it and return her in-front until she is facing away putting your right
  on her waist at the right and putting her left on the left hand side of your
  waist. Push her across with the right taking your left high into an Accordion
  position. Return her wrapping her right into a half nelson keeping the left
  high. When she is facing towards your right side take your left over her head
  (with your arm across her back) and put her into a dip. Exit letting go
  of left and unwrapping with the right swapping to your left hand.

Tags: Ceroc

West Coast Swing

Well I thought I'd give West Coast Swing a go tonight. Much like my first night at Salsa I found the footwork difficult and it feeling a little bit of a step back (no pun). However unlike Salsa I really enjoyed the music and the people were much nicer which makes a big difference. Anyway rather than write out lots about WCS I'll just link to the Wikipedia entry. The basic step works on a step on left (normally back) then on right then a triple step ; followed by a second triple step so your weight is on your right foot (allowing your left to move again). Most followers gave the right tension and were very good at following which was delightful (and I needed the help).

I did find that the footwork and a much more strict requirement on the count took up a lot of my brain activity leaving me with very little to actually focus on having fun with my partner. A few times I got into the zone and found the footwork became automatic. At other times I found myself getting so much into moving to the music I just led my partner into a First Move... oops.

The slotted dancing is nice and neat. I like it :).

Anyway the moves, quite quickly: The Sugar Push (including one where on the push you transferred to the right hand allowing for a right handed step across with you moving to the left and letting go with your hand wait for the woman to turn and take left to right). Underarm Pass (lift hand step to your left, with right foot forward, then cross step so left foot is behind as you turn for you and your partner to do a ronde). A starting move where you have a closed First Move like position and do a double triple step to get on the same timing and do some compression and such then lead the woman out into an open triple step before cross stepping to the left (as another triple step count). The Whip; which:

Whip: This 8 count basic resembles Lindy Hop. The follower starts at one end of the slot and is led around the lead, to the same end of the slot she started. However there is one fundamental difference from the Lindy Hop Swing Out. The follower stays in her slot, pivoting, then coming back to where she started. The leader steps in and out of the slot, creating a less circular, and more elastic move.

Wikipedia Entry

We also did a whip where we stayed in the pivot repeating it over and over.

Tags: West Coast Swing

Tuesday Blues Part 2

I went in dancing tonight with high hopes but again something about the evening just made it a bit of a poor one. I think it was a factor of my own dancing, the music, how warm I was and other dances that didn't go so well. I wasn't really on form and at times I just felt I was going through the motions or that my dance was a bit uninspired. I think that can have a knock on effect to other things; I'm sure I'd enjoy the musical set (well excluding Now That I Can Dance), for example, if I was in the zone. I also found it really warm which I've been finding a lot of venues too warm for a while so it suggests it's something about me. Anyway all said I did have a handful of very good dances. One of which was probably one of the best dances I had with a lady who is very close to me.

That same lovely lady that gave me a fab dance also wrote up some moves for me; I'll quote her write-ups:

• First Move Behind Wrap Spin. Start a First Move but as you push the woman out let go with your left hand and keep your right hand on the left hand side of her waist. Using that hand turn her clockwise 180° keeping your hand on her hip (which is now at the far side) as she is slightly behind you facing away to your right. Nudge her with your right hand and keep your left hand behind you to allow her to loop her arm around it. You then bring her around with that loop and spin her in front catching right. Return.


• Man Wrap.
  

  Starts like a catapult - when the lady is behind you, bend your right arm and turn anti-clockwise to face the lady. Hover your left arm over
  the lady's right arm. P}lace your hand on her arm to bring her in to
  your side. Walk around for two beats, unwrap yourself by lowering your
  right arm and stepping in front of you, finish with a return.



• Secret Walk Turnaround Into Double Handed Ladyspin with a Comb Lean.

  Holding right to right, signal to the lady by placing your left arm
  overyour right arm above the elbow. Step in side to side with the lady
  - she takes spare hand, extend right arm so that lady pivots to be at
  your side. Bring both hands together and turn the lady anti-clockwise
  until she comes round to face you. Twist slightly out so that you end
  up stood side by side, bringing your left arm over your shoulder and
  your right arm in front of the lady at her left hip. Then raise your
  left arm, lower your right as you step across moving the lady to your
  other side, lower both arms so that they are in front of you at hip
  level. Pivot clockwise bringing the lady round to face, taking both
  hands out to the right in preparation for a flick spin. Spin the lady
  catching right to right, Turn the woman for a comb, turning yourself as
  well so you end up side by side,take the woman's arm over your head and
  lunge to the right.

Tags: Ceroc

New Teacher On a Monday

I cancelled a regular event so I could meet someone this week. As she had to pull out then I had nothing to do with my evening. Thankfully dancing was on tonight so I headed up there...

We had a returning teacher tonight. I've never been taught by her before and it was her first night back. I found she instructed well though the intermediate class was relatively simple and I was unsure about the ending on the third move. I'll get to that in a bit though. I haven't been to a Monday in quite a while. There were quite a few new dancers there. Whether that is because of the new year or the Monday caters to a slightly less advanced audience than, say, Thursday I'm unsure. Anyway after playing quite a bit at Route 66 tonight a few women looked a bit confused when I opened a lead for them. I did have some good dances tonight; I am worried that I'm not expanding my move repertoire as much as I could be. Though I think I'm much better at doing many of the moves I lead now I worry that I've got to focus on improving and incorporating moves that I'm weaker at. I've been working on my footwork moves though I'm still a pretty weak lead with them.

I got to do some double trouble with two lovely ladies who I don't think had done it much before. It was good fun though and it has been a while so it was good that I still remembered my limited array of moves.

Now That I Can Dance was on again tonight. I did bring it up at the end because I really don't want to hear it 4 times this week but I suspect I will. Otherwise there were some good tracks on tonight and some less good ones. I thought the set was alright.

Moves:

• First Move Walk. As you enter the First Move keep your left hand on your shoulder (I changed it to a butterfly grip to try and stop the woman anticipating and to make it easier to lead). Walk around for a couple of counts then continue as a regular First Move.


• Basket Cross Step into Left Handed Comb. Basket; as you bring the woman forward though extend her further forward so she takes her right foot very much in front of you. Lead her forward so she takes her left over her right (generally in a cross step but you can't guarantee this; you can cross step as well); she is now doing that directly in-front of you. As you guide her to face left, at some stage, let go with your right hand and return her under your left then take it straight into a Left Handed Comb.


• Double Handed Yo-Yo into Lunge Step. Start a Yo-Yo but offer your left hand in-front of you at waist level. As you execute the push-turn on the Yo-Yo take your left hand up as well (still holding on) and around the woman's head. When she comes to face keep turning her another 90° and turn as well so you are both facing the same way with your left hand at the left side of your waist and your right by the woman's right (ish). Lunge left leading the woman to do the same; as you do take your hand over your left shoulder. As you come back up you take your right hand over the woman's shoulder. At this stage we just sort of broke the flow of the move, rather than side your hand to the woman's hand on your shoulder instead, we just took our hands away and turned to face taking left to right. It was a fairly disappointing ending; it just stopped the flow. I've done this move before sans the weird ending; just to lazy to look it up.

Tags: Ceroc

Route 66

I'll try and keep this quite short since it is late. I doubt it will happen though. Anyway I had a quite good time tonight. I think I was a bit tired and drained of energy. Tiredness generally effects my concentration and therefore has an impact on my musicality; move repertoire and general connection. Lack of energy seems to effect my balance (and therefore my ability to do spins) more than anything else. I think the amount of caffeine I drank to remain awake also kept me very warm. My level of skill fluctuated through the night. There was one fast song, that went on for ages, that started of well but went downhill after it continued on. I coped alright with the bluesy stuff at the end. I had quite a few enjoyable "fun" dances and quite a few good technique dances as well. I did take quite a few breaks and before I knew it the night was over. I had the last three dances with the same girl (because the first track we danced to was naff; the second was better and then we just figured we'd stick with each other for the last track). They were enjoyable; she is a good dancer with a lot of style. We also had a few dances earlier where she lead and we stole the lead from each other which was fun. Had good dances with others too; some regular partners and others much more infrequent (or the first time tonight). I didn't get a dance with every woman in the hall; which was a shame as I certainly think it would have been possible.

I practiced the Argentinean First Move a bit with mixed results but, occasionally, it worked really well and I was over the moon. I also put one follower into a Lambda Drop and she took me bringing her back up as a sign I was going to drop her rather than me just feeling we had held the position long enough. She sort of yelped :o.

I felt the music was a bit of a mix at times. There were certainly a few tracks I didn't like but also some really good ones.

Tags: Ceroc

Thursday Night Fun

After having a fairly poor night on Tuesday it was good to see that tonight was very different :D. Had a great time tonight. A lot of really working dances. Had a couple that went a bit wrong; think I tried playing to much with less experienced dancers. There were a few new people tonight. I managed to get a dance with a few of them; which is good. I got a lot of attention for my "Cunningly Disguised As An Adult" T-shirt as well :). The moves tonight were really good. My teacher for Tuesdays was also there and kindly took the time to work on the move from Tuesday that I really liked. It was of great help and I really appreciated her going out of her way to go over it. Don't think I have it mastered but think I have it more sorted. I'll just update that move. Back to tonight's moves (oh we did a Push Spin on its own in the beginners class; very strange):

• Sway Walkaround Sway. Sway but walk back for a count then pivot yourself and your partner on the spot so you are facing the other way with your left hand at her left hip and right in front of you with her to your left. Then push on her left hip (and draw in with the right) so she moves across in front of you and goes into a Sway. Back and forwards then return (in this case one handed swapping to left.


• Thing With Arms And Stuff. Double handed. Start with a Left Handed Comb but turn your back to your partner so your left arm rests on your right shoulder. Then lift your right up behind you to turn your partner 90° clockwise as you turn the same as well (so you are side to side facing the opposite sides to each other). Turn her back to face you (continuing the turn) as you, umm, turn to face her back. As with the Grande Mangle your right hand is outstretched and your left is on the lady's neck. Take your right to her left waist then right to left. Wiggle (ok I added this in) before taking your right up to turn her twice (anti-clockwise) bringing the left up to meet as she comes to face the first time. You end this part with your hands crossed. Take her past your right side with your hands at your waist. Slide your left up towards her left shoulder as you turn her in front. As she is turned lock your left on her left shoulder (with her right hand in yours) and your right outstretched into a push spin position (though she is 90&#B0; facing your right) to turn her nearly twice. Return.


• First Move Push. First Move but throw out with left and step back with right to face your partner with your right on her back to guide her forward. Lead her forward while lunging and indicate to a clockwise turn and catch right.

The DJ, at a few peoples request, played some new music (new to him playing it) for half an hour. He had a few complaints so he aborted it. I really enjoyed experimenting with the new tracks and though I liked familiar territory as well I'm hoping we can move more to playing more untested tracks.

Tags: Ceroc

Tuesday Night Blues

Well everyone has bad nights and this was one of mine. I couldn't get on form and had difficulty concentrating for the whole evening. My dancing felt a bit flat and I didn't seem to have any musicality or rhythm sense at all. It's not that I didn't have good dances but I felt my own form was a bit off for all of them. My partners certainly weren't to blame and in a few cases we made the most of it. This also was true in the intermediate class as well where I had a lot of difficulty with the moves. I did like the First Move though and the footwork First Moves are certain something I'll be working on. Hope the women I dance with don't get bored of it. Quick move list. I'll try and write some more details later.

• Basket into Double Handed Lady Spin. Start a Basket. As you wrap her in don't lower the left hand. Instead turn her behind you with both hands. Turn anti-clockwise and take her hands out to your left for a double handed lady spin.


• Argentinean First Move. Oh this move was sexy. I shall work on getting it right but I had a lot of issues with the timing. Start a First Move, when you move to pivot the woman out turn 180° to face but offset to her left with your left foot forward along side her back foot (which will be her right) with a hand on her hip with your right and a butterfly or normal grip with the left. Take a whole count pause on this then move your left foot and guide her right foot parallel so you are facing each other then push her left foot back stepping forward with your right in front of the left (a sort of cross-step); this action should take one count. Then draw parallel by moving the left before stepping backwards with your right cross stepping your left. We changed direction at this stage. I got some hints that you should take a full count on this so do a weight shift for a beat (which should lead the woman to a weight shift as well) then reverse direction and draw parallel by using your right. Then step backward with the left; parallel and end with a push out like the middle of a First Move (so you step back with left facing the same way as the women) and end as normal.


• Armjive Step into Slow Comb Walk. Move into the woman's left side taking hands to waists then push out. Repeat on the right hand side. Put hands over both your heads (so you are facing the opposite way with a hand resting on your and your partner's far shoulders) slide out right to right and move into a comb. Travel with the comb for a bit then break contact.

A smart lady pointed out the main difference between the Argentinean moves and the Colombian moves is that in the case of the latter the follow mirrors the action of the lead.

Tags: Ceroc

Red Hot and Blue Number 2

Just come back from Red Hot and Blue. It was a lovely night. Like last time I felt it was a little warm and the floor was tricky to spin on. Someone talc'd the floor and that gave us a brief super spin time (it's like a power-up) where we could spin like crazy. But that quite quickly left the floor on people's feet. The music was the slow stuff that I'd expect allowing you a lot more freedom to play around with the music though sometimes that makes me feel a little lost. Still learning a lot about blues dancing and have some way to go. While I'm on music I found the beat in Santana's Maria Maria very tricky to dance to. I found I could some times get some footwork going for the beat but I found leading my follower to the beat a lot more tricky (or even thinking of moves that might work in this regard). I think it was a track Franck and Tiggerbabe used in the How To Slow Jive class at Southport so I should have had a few moves that could have played to it but I found it a little tricky to execute those moves to it. Anyway as I really enjoyed the beat I'd love to practice dancing to that style of music.

I did have a few dances where I found it tricky to make a connection or that I was too low on energy to concentrate on. However most dances were really excellent and I had such a good time. I found playing great fun and was complimented on my ability to react to a lady steal. Lots of luscious dances with some of my favourite dancers. Aleks (I hope she doesn't mind me using her name; I'll check) said she noticed that I was flirting a bit in the dance and we had a really good time just having some fun. I felt that it worked really well; I've got to remind her to show me how to practice body rolls :). Also my lovely dancing spy mentioned that some people were talking about me and established that I'm a passionate dancer. That wasn't unfortunately said directly to me but I loved that as a complement. I suppose it makes me feel my enjoyment of the dance shows through.

I had a couple of dances where I followed for half the time. One was with a man, though not the man I had arranged to have a man-dance with, we both found it difficult given the bluesy nature of the track. It was also difficult for me to improvise as a follower. I had a second track straight afterwards with a woman who was leading; I found I needed a stronger lead (and I don't even mean that it the clearer way; I actually mean a physically stronger lead) and found it tricky to dance as a follower. Willing to give it more goes though :D. It was fun stealing the lead from her and her asking how that happened.

I really music thank all the women I got a dance with tonight for making the evening so good. Without you I'd just be wiggling my butt on the dance floor.

Tags: Ceroc

Thursday Night Goodness

It was a really, really good night tonight. There were a lot of people there including a big bunch of new faces. It did result in it being very warm for much of the evening. A got in a few dances with women I haven't danced with in a while and really enjoyed them all. They've improved and my lead might well have improved as well and I hope I make a better attempt at dancing with them in the future. Though there were a lot of beginners I hardly seemed to be able to get a hold of any of them leaving me a bit shameful at my lack of dancing with any of them. I managed to get a few dances with my favourite dancers tonight. I find I've been playing more and I certainly really had enjoyable dances with them; a few of them mentioned that they had a good dance with me. Hoping that's also the case with those that didn't mention. I've realised I'm much more a fan of fun dances than technically excellent dances though I'd like a better grasp of the latter. I think my ability to lead footwork moves has actually gone down hill.

I think I managed to annoy someone dancing Now That I Can Dance with them. I did warn her I hated the track but maybe I would have been better turning her down. I don't think I put in that much effort and towards the end of the track I realised how silly I was being but I think she had entirely lost interest by that stage.

I'm currently trying to follow once a lesson. A friend who I really enjoy leading (she does a lot of exciting footwork that I enjoy) lead for a bit of a track. I'm still pretty back at following though. It's this whole taking instruction thing.

I found my double spin confidence has increased as well and I can casually go into a double spin from a Comb. I hope the women I dance with aren't getting aggravated by having to wait for my spin though.

Done the first two intermediate moves before. I'd look them up but I'm changing the way I list moves any day now anyway. There was one woman that I didn't have any desire to do the dip with as it was her first week. I'm not sure why she was in the intermediate class. I don't think she was a bad beginner but I would hardly say she was the exceptional that I think you should be to attempt an Intermediate class on your first week. I tried it on my fifth though so I can hardly talk.

• Accordion Sit Down. Variant involving taking the woman's left hand in right and moving her out for a lady spin.


• False Pretzel Sway.


• Neck Break Weird Lean. Start a Neck Break but put your right hand over the woman's shoulder so your thumb is facing down. Transfer her right hand into your right; turning her so she is on your right side facing the same way as you with your and her right hand on her right shoulder and she offers her left at your waist level which you take with your left. You then turn her into face you though I'm a bit uncertain if there is another step here. Switch her over to your left side mirroring the previous position then raise the right to turn her moving your arms so your right is locked behind your head and your left is at her left waist. Wrap this arm to her waist for support while taking your left leg behind her for support. Twist anticlockwise to put her into a lean. I could do with confirming this move. Move out double handed into an Accordion.

Tags: Ceroc

Triple Spin! Triple Spin?

At the joining together bit of the beginner's class I might have done a triple spin (it might have only been a double; but what a double if so) during a Catapult. Either way I was intending a double but it was the lack of force put into it that (I felt) made it feel graceful and I came to a rest just as I turned to face my partner on the last spin. It was fab; of course I couldn't, as much as I tried, replicate it for the rest of the night. Anyway that made me feel confident for the rest of the evening and I enjoyed a big bunch of my dances. A few times I got some great complements from my partner as well which probably only helped inflate my ego but did help, I think, the confidence I put into the dance. Had a really exhausting dance to Zoot Suit Riot on the "last" dance and finished with a twilight dance with a really lovely dancer. I felt in the zone tonight and more so towards the end which was a shame as I would have happily danced longer (though my legs were beginning to tire).

It was too hot tonight and my first T-shirt change in a regular class since... I can't remember when. There were also far to many extra women leading to me not getting to choose my partner as much as I'd like and not getting to dance with a lot of people that I wanted to dance with.

Moves were:

• Basket Back Turn. Start Basket but keep left hand high and pull with right to put the woman into a clockwise turn. Let go with right as she is behind you but continue to turn her so she is at your left side (though you turn to face). Travel return her back to where she started.


• First Move Barrier Walk Thing. First Move Barrier. Draw your left hand to your right (in a lady spin sort of position) and cross step. Cross step taking your right hand over the left as you take your left hand to the left and turn to follow it. The back right. Spin both of you. Catch right.


• Chop, Lock and Flop. Right hand start. Place left high up right arm and draw the woman in to take it. Extend her out to your right side then turn her in towards you taking your left to her left shoulder and turning her back to you as you move around taking your right to a really uncomfortable position before letting go and pushing her out with the left then turn her using that hand. Accordion. I might get around to writing this up properly; or not.

Tags: Ceroc

Welcome Back To Ceroc!

Well I was suffering some withdrawal symptoms since Saturday so it was good to be back. I think after the amount of concentrated parties I was at tonight was a little flat (the weekender blues). However I did have some really good dances with a few people. Did a Catapult Lambda in a way that worked so well it surprised me and I think my partner liked it too :D (used the second hand on her back as support rather than kept it on her thigh). Had some good dances with a mixed range of other people though a couple of times I found myself going on autopilot rather than really thinking about anything. I was a bit off balance for a lot of the evening; I'm not sure why that happened. I double troubled to Now That I Can Dance. One of the women had already heard my singing and obviously came back because she liked it so much. I still hate the track but I'm determined not to let it beat me!

A few other venues weren't open causing the evening to be quite packed including a couple of surprise attendees. I think a salsa lesson was cancelled and we had a few of the salsa people there as well and they were very interesting to dance with. I enjoy new styles and that was certainly the case.

Had covered two of the moves and most of the other one already but a brief summary (and I'll be changing the way I list these some time soon; seriously).

• Wurlitzer Basket Caress into Mambo Step. Like the other time though most of the time it still seemed that either me or the woman ended up on the wrong footing.


• Catapult Swizzle Comb into Lady Comb. Catapult. Take your right hand to the right then over your head on the way out of it. Then turn the woman into a swizzle position to a comb. Then lady comb (with your thumb downwards to assist with the turn) then do a quick double turn.


• Catapult Into Dip

With the first move I started of getting it right with a lovely partner from Glasgow but it went wrong most times there on in. She asked how our dancing was this evening. I was a bit neutral maybe but I did enjoy the dances and I think the connection was stronger than it has been which makes a difference. She commented on that but I'd be inclined to agree; I find the people I enjoy dancing the most with are those that I feel the best connection with.

Anyway another few days 'til my next fix. How will I cope?

Tags: Ceroc

New Year Ball 2005

I was at the 2005 New Year Ball tonight (well last night and this morning really). The hall was really nice with a good layout for the dance floor and a well sized dance floor. I was warm but that's probably, in part, due to me being ill and wasn't really much to do with the hall. I was also probably quite warm because I started out wearing a dinner shirt, waistcoat and jacket. I changed to progressively cooler and more casual things as the night moved on.

Anyway on to the music which was outright stunning with the exception of Now That I Can Dance (where a woman especially came to find me know I hate that track; feel the love) and there were a few other tracks I couldn't quite get into. I found out a track I was hunting down was called Last Night by DJ Robbie (it isn't on iTunes though :( ).

Dancing was fantastic and I really hope this is an example of how 2006 will pan out. Though I felt I was being a little cheeky at times I had so many really good dances with so many different women. One woman commented very favourably on my wiggle so I'll keep it up until women are sick of it. I had a lot of dances with people I know (and really enjoy dancing with) and a good range of dances with people I didn't know. I didn't managed to get a dance with everyone I wanted to nor did I get a dance with all the new faces. I got the final couple of dances with a lovely dancer who seems to be under the crazy impression that she isn't one of my top dancers.

The was a cabaret performance from Dance Demon (who I didn't realise could sing); someone doing some Irish Soft Shoe dancing and Dancing for (with) Dummies. The last one way very funny. We also did some Ceilidh just after the bell which was good fun though threw many of us out of our element.

I felt I was chaining moves together better as well tonight and I think that's something I need to work on more in future (along with a lot of other things). Said my goodbyes and new year wishes (and kisses :D). Anyway in 2006 I hope I can take my dancing to new levels; given the line-up of weekenders; workshops and parties I fail to see how it won't be a good year.

Happy New Year.

Tags: Ceroc