How do you express your passion for the music through the dance?

Expressing the love and the passion for the music through dance is the most amazing feeling I've ever experienced. However, having danced for 10 months, I can now see my eagerness to move is exaggerated when I dance. It's improved so much, by keeping everything smaller - but I can now see and understand what I want to do, more than before. I want to keep myself together, but at the same time keep the fire burning. Does that make sense? I want to express what I feel in the music, in a more controlled manner, but I want it to be infectious.

I had a class here at Snowball with Frida Segerdahl and Skye Humphries today, where they did a slower, shorter version of Big Apple jazz routine. She looks amazing, and to be honest, I just wanted to be her, right there. Perfect. Technically brilliant, having a ball - like the kids in Hellzapoppin'.

What a day!

Today I woke up early, went outside and recorded a little song. I finally started living the life I want to live this year.

Midvinterblot

Went to Anton's yesterday, and as I arrived a bit early Johan Norin and I went food shopping for the lamb BBQ. A few of us stood around outdoors in the drizzle trying to get the barbecue going. A few lamumbas, whiskeys and glasses of gluewines later, we managed quite well. In the picture you see (left to right): Anders Malmberg, Johanna Tagesson, Johan Åkers and Olle Lybegård. The movie is a wonderful moment where Micke Antich sings a dansband song that he thought didn't suck too badly. Indoors, we ate the lovely lamb with some great gravy (3 liters of cream, was it?), played a drinking game and talked alot. We stayed until 2.30 am when Olle and I shared a cab home.

Lovely Saturday

First week of Winter Holidays. I should pack for parents' and Snowball. Leaving on Monday. Today should be a relaxing day, just sleeping or sitting around. Tomorrow, I'll have coffee with Sara, one of my non-dancing friends (yes, I do have a few of those), before I go to a social thing at Anton's which I will tell you more about later on.

Save the last dance for me!

Yesterday I came home at four in the morning. I had such a blast! I had some great dances, despite the fact that they only played Christmas songs. My best dances tonight were with Olle - although they were 2 slow songs. Made a nice change from the rest of the set. I was also surprised that someone announced a birthday jam for me yesterday. It sure was fun! It's not my birthday until the 26th but still. I hope to celebrate my birthday with some dancing friends next year. Hopefully I'll do New Year's with them too. I now will go to Stockholm for the Snowball dance camp.

Today was my last day at work. Yay! Tom and I spoke on Skype this morning and we sang a bunch of disco tunes - it was really awesome.

Dance crazy

Ali and I both wore Santa hats yesterday for the dance. I had a great time, and Micke Antich showed me some really good stuff to work on. As you can see from the image, it's sometimes a sweaty job being a dancer. I, of course, NEVER sweat.

Ali was asked to dance by tons of girls, due to the fact that someone had passed around "all-you-can-dance" vouchers with Ali's picture on it.

Christmas party at Johanna's

Johanna and Linus had a Christmas party. They had prepared lots of yummy food. During the day, Robert came by, to have some lunch and go and meet Joe Labero in the local cigar store 5 mins away from where I live. He's in charge of buying the cigars for our evenings, and it turns out Joe Labero has his own brand cigar, and was going to show up yesterday, so we went there and acted like we were huge fans, asking for autographs and everything. It was so funny.

Lucia & losing my hair (as a result?)

Lucia went great with the kids. We went on the bus to MKBs head quarters in Rosengård and they loved it. We also did the same show downstairs in the school. In the afternoon I went to have my hair done. I always feel a few kilos lighter afterwards.

Mind you, that was BEFORE that pizza I just had.

Ding Fries are Done!

I'm exhausted. My brain has gone on holiday. I've eaten too much junk food in the past two weeks. Had too much work to do. Today I can't do anything but sit here staring into the wall. It's great. I so wish I'd had a salad instead though. Getting sick of Burger King. The song reminds me that I ate too many burgers recently and how dead my brain cells are right now.

Bed, bed, bed, where art thou? I've also cancelled some of my social gatherings for the upcoming week. However, there's not a chance in hell that I'm going to miss the dance tomorrow. Xmas break coming up next Friday. Halelujah!

Would you like an apple pie with that?

I hate to be repetitive but....

Dancing was great :)- very energetic. There was a jam which I gladly participated in, as well as Big Apple. I don't know it well enough, but it's a good opportunity to try it a bit and to practise. I really enjoyed it!!

I don't know who is initiating the jam circle, but it's awesome. I love love love it. MORE OF THE SAME, please!!

Today's great blunder happened in a dance with Micke Antich. He initiated a jump and I jumped but did some sort of split instead of what he had planned (I still don't know what??) and landed with legs spread open straight on his thigh. Could have hurt if I were a guy, but now it was just funny!

We went to the pub afterwards, and since Olle was the designated driver, I could have my first beer in that pub. Very nice indeed. Had good talks on the way home.

Last Lindy course

Yesterday I had my last dance class. We did some air steps and I remember thinking it was very scary but really fun too. We did "flygirl", "frog jump", a mini dip, "cradle" and some others. Afterwards, Johan and I went to the Indian restaurant near the station. Excellent food and great conversation! I'm very much looking forward to him helping me setting up some personal dance goals for next year.

Kids will be graded today. Mission accomplished.

Sunday Morning and the last Lindy lesson

Yesterday I went to a Xmas bash thing in Lund. Some of us had a great dinner there and some drinks, then danced to some rockabilly bands. Had a great time. There was also some blues dancing in the backstage area. I danced with Olle, Micke A, Johan N, Finn, Ali and Ted. I enjoy the dance, but I find it kinda difficult. It's easier with some booze. :)

I can't wait for my last Lindy course for the term - it's again about jam circles and it will be very very exciting. I'm exhausted though, and ought to do the washing, but ... alas! No energy. NO energy.

Thank God it's Friday!

So, weekend once again. Great. Dancing was interesting yesterday. I added another dimension to it by wearing a new outfit - Debras pants and my pink/white shirt. People seemed to like it and it was nice to hear some kind words. I am of the opinion that people should dress up more for the dances in general, because we need people from the public to show up - a) to buy alcohol in the bar and b) watch us dance AND buy alcohol in the bar. Who is going to want to watch a bunch of people dressed as if they were in a homeless shelter? I reckon putting on a jam often would make draw more attention to the place even on nights when there is no band playing. Dressing up a bit more, respecting the 3 hours of fun as well as each other and people from the outside, I think we'd have an even better time there. Weekly jams would be inspiring for everyone, plus there would be a place for the more experienced dancers to show off a little bit. But it's such a Swedish thing - Who do you think you are? Everybody who is better must keep it to themselves. It works the same in the Swedish school system. We push the kids who barely make it, so that they do, but in the meantime, we forget about the people who are doing great, and who have talent. Who will put the effort into stimulating them?

I really think the jam on Monday was excellent, and everyone was happy and smiling afterwards. More of the same, goddammit. I know I'm not the best dancer in the world, but I do my best, and I'm not afraid to make a fool of myself, because I know that's not what people look at. It's the attitude. I.LOVE.TO.DANCE.PERIOD.

Hectic, hectic

Monday's dance was really great. I was there for the last part of the Big Apple routine, and I kinda sucked at it. It's one of the few things that pushes my button actually - when I temporarily totally suck at something I wish to be good at. Afterwards, though, something made me change my attitude, and I had a superb time. Johan really is one of the best guys in the world. He made me do the jam with him and that of course was really exciting. I thought he would do something freaky, but I think he decided to be gentle and nice to me. Really a cool moment.

Inspired by my trip to the US I've been talking to everybody about doing more jams here in general - it gets the energy level up in the room, and it's very freeing and inspiring to watch and participate in - even for people like me who haven't been dancing that long. In class we did jams last week, and will continue on Sunday. I talked about it also in our board meeting and everyone is all go! MORE JAMS IN MALMÖ & LUND, I say.

Speaking of the US, I miss talking to Tom. He's very busy and so am I. It's hard to time it. Other than that, today is work work work and decided what grades to give to my students.

Ruminate.

What a sexy word. Ruminate.