St. Louis Shag

I had three workshops again today and then the final social. I left one of my classes early, the St. Louis Shag, because it was just beyond my abilities. A lot of bouncing and one of my knees provided a warning jolt: “Stop NOW or miss the rest of the classes."
I should say the swing dance society hosting the event was the University of Edinburgh society, which has hosted a camp for a decade. The vast majority of the people there were also students from other universities (Bristol, Glasgow, Durham). Belfast Swing is not school based and has a lot of, ahem, mature students. There were three other women from our club who would be around my age. They all complained that they didn’t want to dance with 20-year-olds. That doesn’t bother me. While they sat at the edge of the room during the socials, I asked people to dance. I accept that no one will ask us. Partly because there are always more follows than leads and partly because we are not lithe young things. That really doesn’t bother me. I’m not there to feel young and beautiful. I’m there to dance. I asked 12 people to dance Saturday night and seven Sunday night. It isn’t easy to ask--sometimes someone says no because they are too tired (and then you see them dancing with someone else during the same song). Ageism? Or leads expressing preference for dancers who are just better? Or who they know? Who knows. I don’t care. I just want to get better.

Yesterday I said Nils and Bianca were my favourites, but I equally adore Sonia and Hector from Barcelona. I could have taken a lesson with them when I was in Barcelona, if I had any sense. Anyway, here they are in a competition. I love Sonia because she smiled through the whole lesson. My Belfast teacher is more serious, more introverted and you forget that it’s about fun, not technique.

Photos. This may also be from the Scott Monument--the castle in the evening with the National Gallery in the foreground.

I just love Edinburgh. I think it’s nickname is the Granite City because of the monochrome stone the buildings are made of.

Close up of the wedding gown I was taken with.

Bridesmaid dress?

I thought the wedding dress was vintage until I saw the purple dress--I think both are up-to-date but inspired by traditional Scottish fashion.
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