....The Lindy Hop!.... A dance that I had heard of.... yet never really appreciated!...Until now!
The best way to describe this dance is to think about an old black and white film where it cuts to an animated jazz band playing to an audience of swinging dancers with huge goofy smiles on their faces!... And there was I... About to give this a go... And yes, I honestly do have two left feet (I trip over my OWN feet on a regular basis!) so this was going to be a challenge!....
In the search for my top ten things to do in Cambridge for March 2011, I stumbled across a group in Cambridge who teach ABSOLUTE BEGINNERS how to do the Lindy Hop!
As soon as I mentioned it to a few people, I got a few laughs and a few recognised nods and even some squeals of joy at the sound of me joining in....I had no idea just how popular it is!...And in my home town too!.... I love retro coming back to roost, so this was just up my street... and after being told by the organiser, the lovely Hannah, that there would be no watching...that I would have to join in if I came along...well....I still went along! Hehe...
Cue to a sunny Monday Evening with Miss Sue Flay and one of her bestest friends stood in The Man on The Moon on Norfolk Street shaking out our legs and arms in the most fun and uncontrollable manner!...Think along the lines of Bez from The Happy Mondays style movements! (Is the best way to describe the warm up!) Laughing and listening to the instructors introducing us to the class, we knew this was going to be far from what we had expected!
Whilst the live band were warming up to turn the pub into a "Speakeasy", we were taught to move from one leg to the other with 100% of our body weight without moving our feet off the floor...almost like hopping, but through our hips and feet routed to the dance floor...... Followed by a cute little move, where we had to draw a "W" with our hips...much harder than they made it look...but we sort of got it in the end!
Stood in a circle, there must have easily been 30 people in the class, all rotating every couple of minutes to dance with a new partner and get a feel for how different everybody can feel linked in a loose arm lock and spinning around whilst wildly shaking our hips and giggling like school kids!
I just can't tell you all how much fun it was...you have to try it for yourself to believe it!
The most comforting element was being told that it doesn't matter if you get a step wrong, or you mis count your steps...It isn't serious stuff.... Just keep moving and you will feel the rhythm soon after you lose it! Just have fun and go with it!
I haven't smiled so much in any form of exercise class or session before, and this is stupidly addictive!....We will be going back again! And very soon!
Take a look for more information on the Cambridge Lindy Hoppers Website!
If you want an evening out alone or with friends... this is the place to go!
Everybody was so welcoming, and I, for one am well and truly hooked!
Miss Sue Flay
xx
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