Lindy Hop Valentines Dance

I am not a dancer, though that's not for a lack of trying or opportunity. I was put in dance classes as a kid. Ballet, tap, jazz, Irish step dancing - I've attempted them all. It was just not something that stuck for me. I'm a bit too clumsy, my balance is a bit too off.

Yet, I love it.

I love moving, following the rhythm of the music and my body. It may not be Prima Ballernia material, but it's fun! I'm in that slow process of learning that it's not having the best technique that matters - it's the amount of enjoyment I'm getting out of what I'm doing.

I've always been afraid to be the fool; to let my silly shine through. It's something I'm working on and that means trying things outside my wheelhouse. Like, perhaps, a girls' night of swing dancing.

A friend of my had gone to this . . . event? Club? Get together? I'm not sure what to call it. She had a great time and invited us to go with her this week. Since it is Valentines Day weekend, there was a theme. We overruled that theme for our own. Galentines Night.

My goal for the night was to have fun, hang with my friends, and dance like no one was watching. I feel like I succeeded! After a brief lesson on the basic right left back steps that make up the style, we b-lined it straight to the center of the dance floor. The night was ours and no one was going to stop us!

Since it was the four of us (a perfect even number for two person dance couples), we traded off after each song, perfecting our moves and only slightly running into each other when we twirled. It was a night of laughs, twists, and a good bit of sweat that I can wait to repeat again.

The moral of this rose-tinted story is that if I let my fear of looking foolish rule me, I would never had agreed to go drancing, or stayed a wallflower all night while my friends had a grand time. This was a sashay forward into a life of less fear.

No regrets, just love (for my own bravery).

P.S. ~ Always bring a water bottle. You never know when a place won't have water bottles or glasses available and if you are going to be dancing about in a hot room full of people, you need to stay hydrated! Thank you to the waitress at the diner we ran to for staying on top of our water refills. We tipped!