04 Feb Swing it
So, tonight I began my dance odyssey across Toronto. I am in search of introductory free classes for a variety of dances all over the city, then I will decide which one I want to pursue.
Tonight was swing, the Charleston to be precise; it’s an earlier version of swing that began around the 20s. I found Bee’s Knees Dance on Yonge and Bloor: www.beeskneesdance.com
I love the speed, flow and energy of swing, but most of all, I love that it’s a happy dance. It’s not sexy like salsa. Less sass more athletic.
I’m glad I brought my cousin because it was mostly couples, but you could have easily gone solo. In a circle we rotated partners all night: this is my favourite part. Dancing with strangers; in the first few minutes you can tell so much about a person: how he holds your hand (is it firm, flimsy?); is he confident in his steps?; does he hold you close?
And there are tons of places to practice and tap into the swing community; I plan to attend a Saturday night social dance at Dovercourt House. From 7 until 9 red jacket wearing ambassadors go around helping newbies and then you can swing until 1pm. www.torontoswingdancesociety.ca.
Next stop: salsaholics! Bring on the sass.
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