Nawwww!

Still relaxing in the archipelago. Off home on Friday. I have a break from everything. In the meantime, I found this adorable photo.

Still thinking of H.

Gaaaahhhhhhh!!! I want to go back again!
I think it's inevitable for every dancer returning from Herräng to want to go back. Yes, you may be physically and mentally exhausted, but knowing it's not over up there, makes you want to be part of the whole thing. The picture is of me, Johan, Olle and Maria doing the tap shim sham - first time I ever tried :)

However, I'm sitting here, by the sea, enjoying the sun, trying to recover from the Herräng Flu (or the HDC09 virus). Almost two weeks now. Gah.

I've compiled the info I got from my private lessons, so it looks nice and tidy. I need a lot of social dancing to make all that work, I tell you.

Herräng Post Depression

Came to my parents' house in the archipelago to recover yesterday. So much for rehab - I stayed up until five a.m. watching Herräng / dance stuff on Youtube, chatting to people in Herräng on Facebook, posting pictures, emailed people, and ... had chocolate (I had no brownie, so plain chocolate had to do). Today I'll try some tap stuff on the deck outside, accompanied by birds, the sea and wind. That's music too, don't you know?

13 hours of madness

Folkets Hus. Theme Party. Think cartoons. Think superheroes. Imagine this small village in Sweden, which not even Swedes themselves have heard of, full of people from all over the world. Most of these people were wearing costumes of some kind. Some came as Superman, some came as the Joker. There was a Spiderman up on the roof. There was also a light reflection of the Batman sign up on the wall of Folkets Hus. Dancing was magnificent. So magnificent indeed, that I stayed up until 9.30 in the morning dancing. Gah. Many new doors opened for me tonight. I finally seemed to grasp the idea of matching your lead's tension, at all times. I hope I can maintain that sensation tonight and, more importantly, later on when I return back home. I feel completely drained today, after not having gone to bed at all. I will now, however, before I need to work with round 4 of Lennart's evening meetings. Last one for me this year. Over and out.

Oh, and what the hell happened there?

I'm just wondering what's going on. Today I had the private with Peter. It was really really nice. I feel like I'm thinking too much right now but that's natural. Like letting go of the crutches after surgery, or something. But then, dig this: During the meeting today, some dancers jumped down from the stage (I was watching for a change) and Peter Loggins asked me to dance. Oh yeah baby! I stayed on, and felt pretty tired, but asked some people to dance. Had decent dances. After dancing with Mannesson, Dax came up to me and asked me to dance. Let me repeat that: D A X A S K E D M E T O D A N C E !!

Pretty awesome day folks!!

Swingout!!!!!!!!!!!!

This routine has really made me love this dance even more. I've learned it in class this year, and I'm totally in love with it. Peter Strom and Ramona are both teaching here this week. Made sure I got a private with Peter today. He was absolutely awesome. Will try to apply some of the stuff we talked about to my dancing. It's of course really basic stuff, but it felt really good and different when I got it, with him. Standing in front of the Frankie memorial in Herräng doing swingouts with this guy was pretty hot. Marry me! Was funny when it made him smile when I had a "weeeee-moment". I love those.

Now, Savoy bacon, Savoy - where your feet start jumpin'...

SWINGOUT!!!!

The Dax

"You have to match the Dax!", he exclaimed, as I tried my best to relax. I had a private today, despite a very bad case of the Herräng Flu, (also known as the HDC09 Virus) with Dax Hock. He looks great when he dances. I have sat in on 3 or 4 classes and watched him and partner Alice Mei teach. Their teaching style is different and is all about body awareness when you lead and follow. I find it hard to get the hang of it, and to feel it. During the private we did some excercises together, did some walking and even some dancing. I was told I was too tense in my body all the time and that I should try to match the person I'm dancing with more, or else the dance and connection will cease to exist. I feel confused as ever afterwards, but I've taken notes and I will try to apply some of it when I dance without overdoing it and thinking too much.

Herräng week 1 day 5-6

Somehow, entering Folkets Hus on Wednesday was more exciting. I think it was the music. Something made me want to stay until the doors closed. I had a really good night dancing, so I stayed up all night, took a shower with warmish water by myself in the wee hours of the morning before taking a quick nap on the lawn. Yesterday was Cabaret night so I did the curtains for that, working with the acts and Shane McCarthy - who appeared in Lennart's orange seventies outfit. Lennart threw a fit before last night's meeting. He gets upset when things aren't working as planned. He wants flow and perfection.

My body was too tired yesterday for dancing. But tonight - tonight will be a different story.

Herräng 2009 - week 1

Ali and I departed on Friday, spending the night in Uppsala at his friend Sus's house. Well-rested, we headed off for Herräng in the morning. Being 3,5 hours early, we thought we'd be able to snatch good beds, but no! We were among the first in the line to take photos for passes (new for this year) though, and got good beds. Again, my roommates are Charlie and Jessica from Stockholm. We've had drinks before the dance every night so far - best thing in the world is when they open a few bottles of beer from their own brewery, Monk's, in Stockholm.

This week I'm taking classes. I had to audition and got into IA3 and it was a bit of a blow to the ego that everyone else from Lund that started dancing after me got into the middle level. I must say though, that I was unlucky to dance with two guys who couldn't do a swingout. One of them started the rockstep on the two. But yeah, it's probably my dancing too.

I've worked with Lennart doing the meetings this week. Fun as usual. Some social dancing too. Yesterday was bluesnight so I didn't dance much then. More dancing tonight,