Basic Challenge, Whatever That Is

Sorry guys, it's been a while since I've written in here. I just wanted to comment on the latest Challenge dancing. It's a challenge! I danced at the C1 workshop on Wednesday night, and the dancing was mentally taxing. I sat out one tip, and that was a relief. To be constantly thinking about square dance calls really gums up my neurons.

Keeping the calls separate in my head challenges me, too. I've come up with some strange mnemonics that seem to be helping, for example, Tally-half, Hingyear Action, and Per · Co · Late, all of which give me clues about how to start the associated call.

When we were at Rehoboth, Mein and I took in the Intro to C2 workshop. One of the concepts that Ben Rubright taught is "Once Removed." Ben wasn't doing any real "mean" stuff with the concept, but it's really an interesting way to dance. In any box or line formation, centers play with the furthest ends, so it's a couples, mini-wave or box of four set up. It seemed similar to interconnected blocks, except all the dancers are squished into lines or boxes. Even if I don't dance C2, it's fun to damage the brain a bit with new concepts.

Last night was Plus/Advanced Club Night at DC Lambda Squares. I danced a couple of Plus tips, and a couple of Advanced tips. I really enjoy just being on the floor and moving around. Sometimes, I think this seems a little silly - you always start and end in the same place, and if you're out for a date with your partner, it isn't as if you're going to be dancing that much with your partner, anyway. I've tried picking up guys at square dances, and it's difficult. This is not a form of dancing that has a huge amount of sexual energy, which is probably a relief to many of the other dancers.