Tango!

Went for dinner with a few people today, Mårten, Emma and Olle. We then went to a tango practica where I tried dancing with the two of them, as well as Igefjord and David Norin. I asked Paul Utter to dance too, he's awesome of course. Pretty cool with loads of swing folks down there in the basement of Tangopalatset.

O and I walked halfway home after, it was pretty cold out.

Amazing! That's all I can say.

Yes, tonight was better than I expected. Once again, I decided not to stand and watch. I danced all night, and was exhausted - completely drained, from dancing so much.

Anton's class was all about becoming more aware of the steps you're actually taking, and to really love each and every one of them. I had the privilege of dancing with Anton many times tonight, and I'm in heaven. He's fantastic to dance with. I think it's because I'm totally in love with the music, and I can feel a special thing happening, a connection that's not just physical, with some people who love the music, the way I do.

I also had really good dances with Olle, Antich, Johan N and Johan Å. I love you all, and oooooooooh boy was it great to be me tonight.

Hallelujah. Amen.

Dance season begins - Go Anton!

Will start the lindy classes today again. I can't wait. This time, the course will be run by Anton and Matilda. I know most of the people in the class. So far, I've done quite a few courses: Beginner's weekend, Level 1,2 and 3, Intermediate in Lund and Malmö last term, and I'm taking the Intermediate again now. In Stockamöllan last year I also did an Intermediate thing, but for the Snowball thing in Stockholm over New Year's I did Int/Adv, which worked well too.

Right now though for me, it's all about dancing ALOT. Because I'm in love with the music, and sometimes, if only for three minutes, with the guy I'm dancing with. :)

Spotify - no limitations

Spotify, the software, allows you to stream any music you can think of, in a matter of seconds. I spend alot of time reading bios, and listening to new music on there. The other day was Fats Waller day. I also checked other stride pianists such as Art Tatum and Erroll Garner. I came to the conclusion that it's better to play with your heart and make the music mean something, than to play a billion notes as fast as you can. (Tatum vs Fats, Robert Wells vs Charlie Norman, for example). Don't get me wrong, some of these are excellent tehnicians, and play very well. The music just doesn't touch me.
Today I've read up on Lester Young and listened to loads of his works. He was apparently nicknamed "Prez" by Billie Holiday who was a close friend of his. He has a soft tone (but in the later recordings it got rougher, perhaps due to his heavy drinking.

Speaking of which, I think I'll have a nightcap.

Now spinning: Body and Soul (Lester Young)

Ain't no mountain high enough

Meet Jonas, my sweet colleague, who is in charge of kitchen duties at work this week. He found himself stuck with more than he expected. This pile of dishes is actually worse than my warzone. I must clear it tonight, however, because tomorrow Anders will come over and help me fix my computer.

Now spinning: Ain't no mountain high enough.

Fats Waller - what a gem!

I have a thing for Fats Waller at the moment. A master of stride piano, Waller died in 1943, then 39 years old. Sometimes, I wish I had been alive back in the 20s and 30s to see what life really was like. I read a cool story about Fats online:

"His impressive and talented playing once put him at risk of injury. Waller was kidnapped in Chicago leaving a performance in 1926. Four men bundled him into a car and took him to the Hawthorne Inn, owned by gangster Al Capone. Fats was ordered inside the building, and found a party in full swing. Gun to his back, he was pushed towards a piano, and told to play. A terrified Waller realized he was the "surprise guest" at Al Capone's birthday party, and took comfort that the gangsters didn't intend to kill him. According to rumor, Waller played for three days. When he left the Hawthorne Inn, he was very drunk, extremely tired, and had earned thousands of dollars in cash from Capone and other party-goers as tips."

Now spinning: "All that meat and no potatoes". (Didn't know they had Atkin's Diet back then?)

Superman and I at Duke's Place in Gothenburg

I went with my tall friend to Duke's Place in Gothenburg. I finally had a really great night dancing. One of the best, in total. It was awesome. I decided not to stand on the side at all, just dance all the songs, so I did, pretty much, and after about forty minutes, something just clicked for me. We'll see if it lasts, but I could really feel a huge difference. Don't ask me what happened, but it seems that something did.

We had a pizza before the dance. Heavy snow, so A. had to change in the car, kinda like Superman. After the dance, we stayed at someone's house, a guy I met in Herräng.

All in all, a wonderful weekend with cooking, lovely company, great dancing and lots of laughter.

Cooking Cajun style

Yesterday Olle, Johan N and Håkan came by to cook with me. I had been food shopping, Olle bought the wine, Johan bought cheese and some port with it. My cat Hugo once again abanonded me for a man. He loves them, and HAS to lie on top of them, at all costs. (Smart cat, I've taught him a few good tricks).

It was all very nice: a sweet potato thing with a dip, and a meat jambalaya.

Only thing is, now I'm kinda broke and my kitchen looks like a Beirut warzone. I'm serious. It's bad. Good thing I'm going to try to head off for Gothenburg in a few hours and (god forbid) LEAVE the war zone for 24 hours. Would you believe it?

Dansens Trappa

Jag skriver på svenska idag. Känner för det. Ungefär så här försökte jag beskriva känslan för en kompis idag, inspirerad av olika samtal med andra som ger tips:

"Jag tror att jag börjar känna mig rätt säker i grunderna, mitt huvud är före vad gäller hur jag vill att det ska se ut och kännas när det blir DANS av det hela, och kroppen hänger inte riktigt med i den utvecklingen. Man stannar på ett trappsteg. Det krockar med vad man faktiskt kan, och just då känns det som man inte kan göra en vanlig swingout ens."

Det är faktiskt ganska nära sanningen tror jag. Ska bli skönt när den känslan försvinner. Go away, go away!

I'm good!

I'm in a weird phase when it comes to my dancing. I feel like I can't do even a triple step properly. Well, I'm going to put those feelings away, right now. I love dancing with my boys at the dance. It's not about how technical you are. I just want to enjoy the ride, as much as possible. But I'm at a phase, where I can't perform with my body what my head is telling me.

I've learned loads in a year.
I love the music and I think it shows.

Anyway, I'm really happy that I'll have a nice dinner with Olle, Johan and Håkan tomorrow, here in my apartment. We'll cook Cajun style food. Very nice. I hate lonely Fridays.

AND, Tom Koerner just gave me one of the nicest compliments I've ever had in my life:

"You are a social butterfly."

When things slow down

When things slow down, the pieces of the puzzle actually start falling into place. I've managed to do tons of stuff this week, when I'm off work. I've written emails to Lennart and Gunnar about working with them in Herräng this year, gone for coffee with friends, danced lots, tidied the apartment, done the washing, gone to the gym 3 times, and going to get a haircut tomorrow, I believe.

Just great to stay home and not go anywhere for the whole week. I'll go to Göteborg on Saturday to dance though with some friends.

On tonight's agenda: strong coffee, dancing my butt off, and perhaps with it - a fine glass of white wine. One must support our dance community the best at one's ability.

However, three glasses would be the end of the world as we know it.

Ooobi doo, I wanna be like youuu

Just look at them. They don't have too many troubles in life to worry about. I, on the other hand, have spent too much energy today worrying about:
1. Money. (Not having enough of it seriously sucks. I will make a budget tonight, and then I will put an ad out on Bröllopstorget for Catbay so I can get some more jobs. I hear it's very lucrative.

2. Dance angst - it happens sometime, and I can't help it. I usually think I'm pretty good, but yesterday a girl at the dance said a few things which made me feel like I'd just come out of the beginner's weekend at Tangopalatset. Seriously, what happened there? "Is it the style you aren't comfortable with, or is it the tempo?" (this was a mid/slow tempo song!) Well, I thought I was doing okay until that made me think the opposite.

I only listen to/seek advice from Tom Koerner and Johan N anyway, so I won't spend any more energy worrying about it.

The martians are coming

This clip made me laugh today, and I almost choked on my coffee.


I think most men I know (dancers) are from Mars, judging from the way they speak (or don't speak), act and re-act. I think it's probably not a concidence that most of them wear UFO dance pants. Having said that, there must be some damn fine dancing on Mars!

Lindy Hop Deluxe

This weekend saw 100 new, eager, happy beginners learn the basics of the dance at Tangopalatset. Emil & Emelie taught most of them upstairs, while Matilda and Anton had a smaller group downstairs. I handed out some tickets for Thursday's dance, but decided to stay in case they needed any extra help. I helped out a bit as a lead today. I went with Anton and them to a café for lunch.

Last night was great. I was judging the Jack n Jill competition with Sten, Love from Gothenburg, Ulrike and Matilda. Anne and Patrik won. Mannesson came third, very good job there!! It must have been the groovy style or just the red tie. I don't know.

I had some fantastic dances with Anton yesterday, including the last song which was a live performance recording of Ella - 10 minutes long! I was in heaven.

Happy Valentine's - to me.

I'm a sucker for nice presents. Giving them, receiving them, it doesn't really matter to me. Both is nice. Today I'd like to send out a shout to myself before I say something nice to everybody else.

Have a great day, enjoy your own company and dance your ass off tonight.
xxx

To everybody else that I know: Bring out the best in yourselves, and make today a special day for YOU. By doing that, you'll do everybody else a favour too by being the best version of yourself that you can be.

Simon and Garfunkel - a love story

The love of my life. I haven't yet had the pleasure of experiencing it, but my love of the music of Paul Simon has come pretty close. The love affair started when I was 12 years old, maybe 10. I listened to the Greatest Hits tape and learned to sing The Boxer, by heart. And "Slip Slidin' Away". When I hear it, I thought about me and my parents' trip to America in 1979. I remember palm trees, I remember cowboy boots. I remember wide pants. I remember Disneyland and me being terrified of Captain Hook. I remember jacuzzis and swimming pools in Palm Springs. I remember the highway and Americana music on the radio. Slip Slidin' away...

In school, I started taking cello lessons. Don't ask me why, I hated it more than anything. Nowadays I find it pretty nice to listen to. In the 8th grade, I fell totally in love with Magnus, the guitar teacher in our school. He was a star! And I was even more in love with Paul Simon, whom I used to worship back home. I could fingerpick many of the songs already. I was a fast and eager learner, and it paid off. Decided to go to New York for a year after 9th grade, beause PAUUUUL lived there. Crazy, yes, but it was the best year of my life.


I remember sitting in the back seat of the car as my host was driving in Manhattan at night...oh what a sight - the skyline was magnificent for a little chick like me! I of course, never met Paul there, but I did go to see his office.

Back home, a year later, I heard that he was to play in Sweden. I was in tears, and in shock at the same time. I couldn't believe it. My hero for years and years. In front of me. For real. Unbelievable.

I'll leave you with a fine song "Soft Parachutes" from the movie One Trick Pony from 1980. I was in America when I heard this for the first time, and it made a big impression on me. I had to learn it. I loved my life and the people in it. A perfect year.

Time marches on.

Anarchy , but not only in the UK

Hmm.
Pens on floor.
Pieces of paper on floor.
Drawings on desks.
Grafitti on brick wall outside.
People teasing each other.
People running around not staying in the classroom.
Water on floor.
Screaming and shouting.
Fighting.
Calls to parents.

What happened to teaching?
I'm exhausted. Who knew I had to act police woman and Kindergarten teacher to 16-year-olds? All at the same time.

Looking forward to big weekend of dancing.

Quick stop drop

Thank you Johan for giving me a well-needed vitamin injection today! I got to try the quick stop drop, as seen in Jean Veloz's Groovie Movie - it was so much fun! I so needed that, for many reasons.


check 1:22. I also LOVE the switches afterwards. All the boys in DC did those in every dance, but only one guy has done it here since I came back. Funny how the dance repertoire of moves varies from city to city, from venue to venue.

To my friends

Thank you for inspiring me. Thank you for enjoying my company. Thank you for giving so much of yourselves to me. I am very fortunate. Sometimes when life leaves a bit too much to wish for, I'm very happy to have you around. I want to dance. Now, and always.


"Your Own Worst Enemy"

You can't sleep at night
You can't dream your dream
Your fingerprints on file
Left clumsily at the scene

Your own worst enemy has come to town
Your own worst enemy has come to town

Yesterday the people were at ease
Baby you slept in peace
You closed your eyes and saw her
You knew who you were

And your own worst enemy has come to town
Your own worst enemy has come
Your world keeps turning round and round
But everything is upside down
Your own worst enemy has come to town

There's a face you know
Staring back from the shop window
The condition you're in
Now you just can't get out of this skin

Ah ah ah
Ah ah ah
Ah ah ah
Hooo...

The times they got too clear
So you removed all the mirrors
Once the family felt secure
Now no one's very sure

Your own worst enemy has come to town
Your own worst enemy's come
Everything is falling down
Your own worst enemy has come to town
Your own worst enemy has come
Everything is falling down
Your own worst enemy has come to town
Your flag it flew so high
It drifted into the sky

I need inspiration.

Anyone got some ideas?