January 19, 2005
things that've happened lately:
- i have caught two mice in my room in traps. i totally killed them.
- two bunnies came to stay with us while their owner is off at a dance camp. out with the old rodents, in with the new.*
- i got a new gym instructor. the lovely robert, who is - he informed me with justifiable smugness - a level two instructor. we speak only of centers, while i admire his marvelous moustache and struggle through core-endurance-inducing exercises involving swiss balls.
- i took The Squeeze to a tango lesson with jarny and he surprised me by thoroughly enjoying it. i forebore** saying i told you so.
- i became queen lead of the universe and in so doing made a Serious Point: men are not necessary for dancing pleasure.
- The Squeeze became tango following king of the universe, and heterocentric order was restored to the universe.
- i bought a big ham cheap and planned to bake it and feed it to people. the plan does not eventuate.
- the washing machine died (after surviving a house fire, years in a sharehouse and several moves) and i decide to buy a new one.
*yeah, yeah, photos will follow. i promise.
**is that, like, actually a word? did i say that right. no, don't tell me. i don't care.
"it also reminds me of the 'dance-offs' in michael jackson videos..."
totally, man. there's a bit of a 'battle' trend in afro-american dance culture. i've been watching some films that get into this: http://www.drumlinemovie.com/ the film 'drumline' is all about marching bands in the USA, and has a strong 'battle' component.
same with 'you got served' http://www.sonypictures.com/homevideo/yougotserved/index.html which was all about hip hop dancing stuff. lame film, but tops dancing.
lindy hop had a bit of a battle history, and some american dancers have tried to get it started post-revival. peter loggins has this site: http://www.lindybattle.com/ which hasn't gone anywhere, but is a good idea.
i'd like to see it happening in melbourne a bit.
it is very jazz. but lindy hop is really swinging jazz made visible, right?
my nerdy lindy battle story:
in herrang last year our class (advanced3 -the lowest adv class) were doing our last class with peter loggins (who's white, covered in tats, talks like he's on speed and is hardcore vintage in fashion and dancing) and sugar sullivan (whose in her 60s, afro-american and an 'original' lindy hopper). we were all a bit tired, but we were also really keyed up because we'd finally nailed our routine adn were dancing it really fast. so peter and sugar ask us if we want to go challenge adv1. 'ask' - more like they got us really excited then declared it.
so we all march out of the space we were dancing in, down the road, up the hill, across to the adv1 class, chanting marching drill songs (which, incidentally, were introduced by af-am seargeants in the states). we had to stop a few times so sugar could rest. we attracted people all along the way. very herrang: people love to play.
so we march right into the adv1 class, interrupting their serious adv1 technique, and we declare a challenge. we're all totally pumped. so we get our music on and we do our routine really excitedly and we were SO excellent. they were far better dancers, but we were so excited and high-energy we just whupped em. and it was the best moment of the whole camp for me. sugar got all teary and emotional. we got all excited. it was great.
we were totally serious about whupping them - really excited - but it was good natured excitement. and we rawked.
no comments on the 'smiting' entry - so you get my commment here...
won't comment on the point of the text but loved the language and tone - particularly the threats at the end...reminds me of jazz musicians. "if you want a fight i'll take you...and if it's not enough for me to destroy you with words, let's take it to the bandstand and watch me cut you there...that's where it'll really hurt"
i love it...it's the sort of threat you can make when you know your shit is superior to their shit...sometimes people need to shown a better way to 'be' and act within a community...and it's very much part of the history of the music...
all of that...and it also reminds me of the 'dance-offs' in michael jackson videos...
Posted by: bw at January 23, 2005 10:56 AM