It Don't Mean a Thing If It Ain't Got That Swing

Though I had known of my local scene for a few years prior, it took me until mid-October 2018 to actually start going regularly. Before that, I had done one short crash-course-style beginner intro lesson and had immediately fallen in love, even though I had no idea what I was doing. I spent a lot of time watching YouTube videos of Lindy Hop finalists and champions showing off all the amazing things they could do. I fell more in love. And, more than that, I wanted to try twirling and spinning and flying across the dance floor like that.

I was...not an athletic child and sports didn't interest me much; reading was far more my style. And honestly, still is. But seasonal depression is the worst and since I have to trick myself into exercising, it's gonna be with something fun!

So, east coast swing (or Lindy Hop, which is the more advanced version with 8-counts instead of 6-counts) is a partnered dance with a lead and a follow. Though these used to be pretty traditionally-gendered roles, they're moving away from that kind of rigidity and honestly, it's 2019 so just do whatever you want. But as is implied, the lead leads the dance and the follow, well, follows. The leads are the ones deciding which moves to do, where to move on the floor, and indicating to their follows what is going to happen next. Follows are responsible for doing their best to go along with what the lead is suggesting while adding their own flair to the steps. Many dancers learn both roles. Personally, though this may change in the future, I love following. I'm not a decisive person and following saves me from having to plan a lot in advance or even worry about it -- I'm just trying to do what I'm told! It's always a surprise and is a great way for me to de-stress, get out of my head, concentrate on not falling over, and just go with the flow.

As I said, I started dancing regularly mid-October and instead of taking any kind of proper beginner lessons, I just showed up to the weekly social dance (non-choreographed, mix-and-mingle style dance where the goal is to dance with lots of different partners and if you mess up, no one cares -- the focus is on socializing and having fun rather than perfect steps) and just...started doing it. I don't think I stepped on too many people though I know my footwork was probably a mess! But I learned so, so much on the fly (literally, I was learning steps as I was doing them for the first time during a song) and it was honestly addictive. The more I went, the more fun I had, the better my footwork got, the more I loved it.