last night mykell and i went swing dancing with our friend nick and a couple of his friends. it was at the russian community center on capital hill. i realize that taking swing dancing lessons is on my list, but i didn't have an official lesson so i won't check it off yet, but i thought i would share about the evening regardless. it was open dance night, and there were probably 30-40 people there of all ages. i don't know what it was, but random men kept coming up and asking me to dance. what were they like? well let me tell you all about them. here goes...
the all-knowing one: the teacher. he was dressed in brown shoes, brown pants, and a brown shirt. a vision in brown. i had a bad first impression of him because he shushed mykell, nick, and i while we were laughing (he was finishing teaching the class before us). looking at him, you would never think that he was a swing dance teacher. he was like a giant computer nerd, and the way he described the moves was the way a giant computer nerd would describe the moves. he didn't even let his co-teacher say a word. he kept interrupting her. he taught me some good things though, so overall i decided he was okay.
the guy in the mustard shirt: he was the first dance of the night, so i remember him the best. he was a bit taller than me, had a buzz cut, was probably in his 50s, and wore a mustard colored shirt. he was pretty good, and a good teacher. i told him i had never done swing dancing before, so he taught me some basic things about the hold (don't hold on too tight), how you spin, and some key moves. a good person to start the night off with, and gave me a basic knowledge that i kept in my pocket the next few hours.
rob (a.k.a. - the one with his own moves): probably in his 30s, rob wore light jeans, and a royal blue 'dunder mifflin' t-shirt tucked in. rob had the most unique moves of anyone there. he definitely did a knee-knock at one point. i asked him if that was a real swing move, and he said that it was just for fun. i like that about him. when things get awkward or boring, he pops in a move like that and it's back to fun again.
the turtle man: an older man, probably also in his forties. he was bald and had glasses, and well, kind of looked like a turtle (hence his nickname). he was probably my favorite new friend of the night. he took the time to teach me the moves, and made sure i understood, and had a nice smile to boot. he wasn't loud or flashy or obnoxious, just a kind old man.
the elderly man: to be honest, i really don't remember this one at all, but mykell does so i guess that counts. she remembered because she said he looked like her grandpa, and she was jealous she didn't get to dance with him.
the guy in the black sweater vest: the worst dancer there in my opinion. mykell says the asian guy that she danced with was horrible too, but since i didn't get that fabulous opportunity, this one hails as the worst. he had no idea what he was doing, and was nowhere close to being on beat. on top of that, he said he would teach me some things, because of course he was such a pro. what was i thinking. all i can say is that i'm glad that song ended when it did.
the cool one: around our age, he was probably the most normal one there. i didn't officially dance with just him, but he taught nick and i some sweet dance that i can't remember the name of. he was good at it though.
yo-yo man (a.k.a. - the guy in the black striped shirt): close to our edge, he wore a black shirt with white stripes and black pants. very classy. he spun you around and around and then flung you out just like a yo-yo. he taught me a move where we walked side by side, gradually getting lower and lower to the ground (kind of like that trick where you look like you're walking down the stairs but the ground is really flat). he was good. confident. the only negative thing that i have to say about him was that he was a break dance hater. when i told him i took break dancing lessons, all he said was "i'll forgive you".
the one with the legit dance shoes: i don't really remember this guy either, but mykell said that we danced really good together. she said he had real legit dance shoes, and was really good. enough said.
the guy that looks off into the distance (a.k.a - the non-conversant one): the odd one. i danced with him twice, and both times were just as weird. he hardly spoke. all he said to me was his name, and 'sorry' when he accidentally stepped on my foot. that wouldn't have even been that weird, but the whole time he just looked off into the distance with a total straight face. no emotion whatsoever. even when i laughed at something he just kept a straight face, looking off to whatever he was looking at. mykell danced with him too, and agrees that he was the most awkward one in the room. i'm still not really sure what his deal was. decent dancer though.
overall it was one of the most memorable nights that i have had in awhile, and i can't wait to go back. next time i'll take a real lesson so i can officially check it off the list, but as you can see i did get many mini-lessons, and also a lesson in life. it confirmed the fact that when you step out of your box, and out of your comfort zone, you will always be surprised, and many times in a good way. i had no idea what to expect when i walked into that room last night, and i was unsure about the prospect of dancing with people that i didn't know, but once i got over my initial uncomfortableness it was awesome! not to lie, a little odd at times, but that's what makes life exciting. if i just came home after work and went to bed like i was tempted to do, i wouldn't of been able to write about any of this. so get out there. live life. you won't regret it. i promise.
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