 |
A few years ago, I wrote two blog posts about how I learned to swing dance and how it changed my life. More recently, when I was assigned an exemplification essay for my college English composition class, I knew that I had to write about my experiences and thoughts about social swing dancing in Denver, specifically at the Mercury Cafe (pictured above).
I thought I would post my essay in this blog, for those who are interested in reading it, whether it be for entertainment or for educational purposes.
Before you read the essay, I recommend that you read my previous blogs about dancing first, in order to get more of the back story to this essay. You can read my first post here, and my second post here.
Now, without further ado, here is my swing dancing essay. I hope you enjoy it!
Dancing Through Life
Swing dancing has been a big part of my life for about eight years, but I recently started going social swing dancing every week at the Mercury Café in Denver. Each time I go, I learn something new. The things I learn help me become a better dancer and a better person. Social swing dancing benefits my life in a variety of ways.
Every week, the instructors at the Mercury Café give a Jitterbug lesson, teaching different steps and dance moves for East Coast Swing, which is danced in pairs to Swing Jazz music, mostly from the 1930’s to the 1950’s. They teach the basics at the beginning of every lesson, but they always teach some new moves that are at a more intermediate or advanced level. During the lesson, everyone starts out practicing the steps by themselves, but are quickly paired with a partner and formed into a circle, with the followers inside of the circle and the leaders on the outside. Throughout the lesson, the leaders are told to rotate to the next girl in the circle to their right. This way, everyone is always dancing with someone new and learning how to do the same move with different people. Near the end of the lesson, the instructors often teach what they call a “trick”, which is usually a more advanced move, such as a dip or an aerial move. It’s challenging, but exciting to learn new moves and new variations of moves I have previously learned. Because I have attended this dance lesson every week for about a month, I am now more motivated at home to practice the dance steps and moves I have learned. It’s a great way to get exercise throughout the week, retain the new information and tips I learned during the dance lesson, and better develop my skill and technique.
After the lesson, the live band starts to play and the social dance begins. At that point, any man can ask any woman to dance, whether it be someone they know or someone they don’t know. By going dancing consistently at the Mercury Café or as the regulars call it, “the Merc”, I have gotten to know several young men who will ask me to dance every week during the social dance portion of the night. Although there are a considerable amount of guys who attend the Merc regularly, there are also guys who only come every now and then or are new to the club. Since there are usually new people there every week, I am asked to dance by men I have never met before. Some may feel a bit uneasy about dancing with strangers, but I find it exciting. Social swing dancing is a great way to meet new people; people from different places, with different backgrounds and dance styles. I have met and danced with people from other states, such as Texas and Washington, and from other countries, such as Brazil and Vietnam, to name a few. In Denver, the social swing dancing scene is so diverse, you never really know who you might meet there or what kind of dance moves they will know how to do. I really enjoy being able to learn a little bit about different people, places, and cultures without leaving my state.
I have also made some new friends through swing dancing. Recently, I was carpooling to the Merc with my friend, Bethany. She had invited her friend, Tiffanie, to come along, whom I had never met before. She and I clicked almost instantly. Since then, she and I have been going dancing every week together, which has helped us become good friends. I am so glad to have met Tiffanie, and to have the shared interest of swing dancing to bring us together.
Before I started regularly going swing dancing socially, I was very shy and reserved. Now, because I have had so much practice meeting new people and engaging in conversation with them, I am much more outgoing and talkative. When talking to others at the club, we have the common interest of dance, which helps get conversations going. I often ask my dance partners about their dance experience or how often they come to the Merc, as well as other questions, such as what they do for a living or whether or not they’re attending school. Practicing being social and making small talk in this setting has helped me become more confident and fully engaged when interacting with others in different social situations.
The thing I find the most thrilling and rewarding about swing dancing is learning how to work as a team and be in sync with someone else. With swing, there are two roles to be played, the leader and the follower. As the follower, I must always be open and flexible to be led and carried along by my partner in whatever direction or move he wants, while making sure not to take charge or anticipate his actions too quickly. Naturally, the leader should lead me clearly and firmly, while also being considerate of me and making sure not to attempt any advanced trick without asking for my permission first. As a couple, we must keep ourselves aware of and connected to each other mentally and physically. If we both play our part to the dance and keep in tune with the other, we can have a fun, enjoyable dance. I often find myself naturally matching the leader’s dance style to make the dance look and feel smooth and harmonious. Once, I danced with a guy named Chris who had a unique style of dancing; he rotated his hips back and forth in a swaying motion, similar to the style of Latin ballroom dances. Although that style is generally not done in swing dancing, it seemed to work well for him, and it was fun to try to match his style.
Along with being aware of my partner’s style, I also have to pay attention and react to several other things when I’m dancing. Leaders let me know what moves they want to do with physical and visual cues, such as turning my back or arms in the direction they want me to go. Most leaders have quite a repertoire of moves, which keeps me on my toes, metaphorically and literally. I never fully know what they’ll do or where they will lead me. As the follower, I have to mentally and physically be ready to do any move at any time, while also maintaining the proper footwork and keeping with the rhythm. Being required to keep track of several things at once has considerably improved my multi-tasking skills and brain function.
Because I am better able to stay alert and process all these things faster and better, I have gained confidence in my ability to follow. Good followers are well appreciated by leaders, and I often get compliments from my partners about my following skills. Whether or not I receive recognition for it, I have naturally become more confident in myself and how I dance because of the improvement and development of my technique and style. It feels great to see how my practice and experience has paid off.
Although it can be easy to become too confident, I am often reminded to be humble and recognize that there is always more I can learn from others. I find myself learning new moves and techniques every time I go swing dancing, from both instructors and dance partners. When I make mistakes or have no idea what I’m doing, I sometimes get constructive criticism and instruction, which I have learned to take well and apply to my dancing. Now, I am better able to appreciate and be inspired by those who are more experienced and skilled than I am.
Not only has swing dancing strengthened my sense of self-confidence, it has also strengthened my body. Any form of dancing is a great way to exercise, but swing dancing is one of the most vigorous dances. Every time I’m asked to dance, I dance constantly for an entire song. During each song, the constant movement and energy gets my heart pumping and blood flowing, working me into a sweat. That level of exertion has helped me become much stronger and healthier, not just when I’m dancing, but in my everyday life.
A very common dance move in swing is the “banana split”, where my partner and I swing our arms wide, while bringing them up and over each other’s heads, which uses different arm muscles that are not often used in the same way in daily life. Similarly, kicks, turns, and spins work a lot of muscles in my legs that I don’t use in the same way outside of dance. Because of this, I have naturally developed the habit of taking time to do stretches before social dancing or dancing at home to avoid pulling or straining muscles.
On a deeper level, going social swing dancing helps me put my anxieties aside, express myself openly, and enjoy life and the people around me. Because of the fun and carefree nature of swing dancing, many dancers at the Mercury Café are often laughing, joking around, and having a good time. Several guys really have fun with their dancing by dressing up in vintage and fancy clothing, like fedoras, “newsie” caps, suspenders, vests, and bowties. One of these guys, Andrew, often shows his carefree side by dancing across the room in a funny way instead of simply walking from one side of the room to the other. Because of this positive, uplifting environment, I feel free to be my quirky self without fear of judgment, and not take life too seriously. When dancing and in other situations, I have learned to laugh off my mistakes and embarrassing moments, and continue having a good time, instead of dwelling on them negatively and letting them ruin my day. Smiling and showing the fun side of myself around others in any situation is the greatest way to put my best foot forward and present myself in the best light.
The life lessons I have learned through dancing have tremendously changed me for the better, as a dancer and as a person. Going out to dance with others on a regular basis has strengthened my body and mind, boosted my confidence and well-being, and developed my social skills. Social swing dancing has benefited my life, on and off the dance floor.
If you're interested, click here to watch a video of me dancing (I'm the one wearing the peach dress).
Image by Tiffanie D./ t_the_bees_knees on Instagram
