Peter's Dancing Blog

Su Ap 12 Spring Thaw Contra
Sa Ap 11 Spring Thaw Contra
Th Ap  9 Old Mill Alex
We Ap  8 UTSwing Alex
Tu Ap  7 Grossman's Blues

Mo Ap  6 Balfolk ... time to take a break from Balfolk
On one hand, there are too few couple dances (presumably low demand?)
OTOH, people are very aggressive in partnering (because of the low supply?)
Twice as many (half as long) couple dances it would be so much better.
I danced neither a Mazurka nor a Schottisch.
There was an 8-count "waltz" that happened without prior warning.
There was a partner rotation after 10 seconds, and then no more partner change.
This was absurd.  It went on forever!  The music was insipid, too fast, and too long.
The problem with the "teaching", is that there is no teaching!  No fundamentals of
hold, connection, posture, steps, turns, rhythm elements, floorcraft, or etiquette.
So, they spring an impossibly difficult dance on people who can't even do a one-step
together.  With music played too fast, and unarticulated, by musicians who are
themselves struggling, and in no conditon to play music in a way that is suitable
for dancing.  Last week there was a "Schottisch".  It sounded like a wasp's nest.
Two good dancers were completely off the rhythm for most of the dance.  It was so
horrible that I filmed part of it at the very end, by which time the music had
come together more.  I had filmed some of the dancing a year ago, and the contrast
is profound.

Su Ap  5 1900 Cameron House Double Cuts ... 2100 Imperial Blues
Sa Ap  4 Dovercourt Swing ... Many lovely dances.  Jaymz was there, and Annie.
Fr Ap  3 2230 Grossman's Blues/Jazz ... fabulous dances with Zoe and Maria
Th Ap  2 Res: Alex with A, then Touche: Forro -- A was such a delightful partner!

We Ap  1 UTSwing ... S came -- Two days before she was going to take up Salsa. Now
she's learning Lindy Hop and liking it.

Tu Mr 31 Grossman's Django Djypsy Djazz Djam ... No one to dance with at first.  Had
a fine conversation with J.  Perfect rapport.  Later, I had enchanted dances with E.

Mo Mr 30 Balfolk -- I love Balfolk.  In principle.  I love the idea of young people
dancing old dances simply and joyfully.  In practice, when the music is too fast
and furious, or mechanistic, or harsh, or frenetic, the dancing becomes a struggle.
And when instruction is exceedingly detailed, the new dancers are conditioned to
*think* that dancing is a matter of the brain controlling the feet.  And worst of
all: that dancing is hard!  Not too fast, not too long, not too fidgety, not too harsh,
these are qualities of good dancing music.  Solid, with clear phrasing, with lilt,
with flavour, with room to breathe, to play, to relax, to feel.  Both variety and
familiar, structured comfort.  But these are, of course, my own observations, and
organizers and musicians have their own style, just as I dance in my style. :-)

Su Mr 29 Cameron Double Cuts -- having danced the music of other bands on Th Fr and Sa,
I appreciate this band beyond words! ... It was packed.  Lots of Lindy Hoppers.
I had lovely dances with A.  We even danced to the next band, which, this time,
was very danceable.  We even danced a Waltz.

Sa Mr 28 Contra
... I like Martha Cooper and I like the band.  BUT!!!! The music was frenetic and fidgety.
Especially the Waltzes.  What a shame that these dancers are so oblivious of the local
tradition that has a solid rhythm, with a human-friendly cadence, dancing-supportive
phrasing, and not at all fidgety!  It's not a race, guys!  Musicians who play excessively
impossible "dance" music should be tortured by being forced to dance to their music!

Fr Mr 27 2000 Hogtown Hoedown Square P -- also: Firefighters Ball Big Band at Sheraton $20 P?
... Went to the Fire Ball.  How can this be a charity fundraiser if so few people show up?
Here's how:  The Fire Fighters go to the retail stores on Bloor Street and Yonge Street, etc.
and sell tickets.  The women who work there buy the tickets.  For the vast majority, that is
the end of the story.  A few do show up at the dance.  And very, very few buy a ticket at the
dance.  It could be so much better.  I had lovely dances with random strangers, and with some
Lindy Hoppers.  The band is a big band, not a swing band, and certainly not a jazz band.
Bands should never _say_ "dance!".  Instead, they should play music in such a way that the music
inspires people to dance, makes people want to dance, simply makes people dance.
The most people were on the dance floor for solo dances, like the funky donkey.  What I like about
these events is their potential to make good music and dancing accessible to the general community.
One can dream about having a dance like this with an excellent band, such as Martin Loomer, and this
might bring out some Lindy Hoppers, but it might intimidate other dancers and new dancers more.
Some Lindy Hoppers can make dancing seem rough and reckless, forceful, big, and mechanical.

Th Mr 26 1930 Old Mill SarahVaughanTribute $20.  This place has a rough stone floor, with no
dance space.  At the Old Mill, I am told the Dining Room is good for dancing.  E.G: April 9th,
with Alex for Jaymz Bee.

Tu Mr 24 2100 Grossman's -- this one definitely needs a partner.  
... K was too tired and missed out.  A was too tired and missed out too.
I danced with S and J who were both lovely.
Band had 12 musicians at the start.  Played until 0200.  Good music!

Mo Mr 23 2000 Balfolk
Su Mr 22 1900 Cameron Double Cuts -- I'll be there and on time.  Danced with IM and MC.
Su Mr 22 1400-1800 Balboa Workshop

Sa Mr 21 1300-1700 Balboa Workshop 2130 Balboa dance, Lindy Hop dance
... Workshop was good.  Teacher made an excellend observation about how to imagine
turning.  (Most SCD and Contra dance instructers get this very wrong, when they say
"pull your right shoulder back".) 
... Dance was very nice.

Fr Mr 20 2100 Blues lesson (bal-friendly), then blues dance and balboa dance
... Blues lesson was ok, but not exactly bal-friendly. :-)  One of 4 or 5 "rules"
was "you can't make it too big", which I interpret to mean "or else someone gets
hurt", in contravention of another rule. :-) Brooke talked about people looking down.
 I can see two explanations for that.  One is that Brook's partner was much taller,
and thus be would be looking down to look at her.  The other is that about a dozen
of the small but superbright and hot track lights were aimed *high*, right into
people's eyes.  I am amazed that none of the organizers became aware of this and
fixed it.  Will bring sunglasses next time.  Met IM from NL.  I sometimes forget
to include blues among the dance forms that I like.  Balboa dance was fine.  Band
was in their element.

Th Mr 19 2100 Forro -- a joyful genuine dance culture ... yes indeed.

Tu Mr 17 2100 Grossman's A?
... For the first two sets there were very few people in the somber room.
I spent some time in the front room, which was lit and comfortable, talking
with my friend Ja.  The band didn't seem to be expecting dancers, because
there were two music stands and one mike stand on the dance floor.  I had
cleared a little dance space off to the side, in anticipation of A.
Around 11, C appeared briefly, and we had a lovely dance.
A arrived later.  I danced with A and had a very nice dance with J.
The band stopped playing suddenly, after a frenetic song, around midnight.
Some band members packed up and left, as did some of the guests.  It can
be hard to know what to expect with a jam band.  The music started again
later, and I danced with B for about half a song, until she was needed by her
friend H.  I decided to leave before the bitter end.  Some more people arrived
and danced, as I was leaving.

Mo Mr 16 2000 Balfolk ... O fantastic; and S really dancing now.

Su Mr 15 1900 Cameron -- Change of plan: The Barberettes from Korea. Then Cameron.
... So, on Saturday I listened to dozens of videos of this band.  They swung very
nicely, and I really liked them a lot.  Then I went to Lee's Palace.  Some songs
were really nice.  One was a beautiful 6/8 Blues Waltz which I danced with the
lovely LinLyn, and the band liked our dancing.  But I overall I got the feeling
that perhaps someone had told the band that Toronto audiences like Rock more than
Roll, and Beat more than Swing.  Many songs had a strong beat.  I made it to the
Cameron House in time for the last couple of songs.  There was a large swarm of
Lindy Hoppers.  I stayed for the next band, but they were mostly loud and hard,
not swinging and flowing.  Bands without women can be ... hard and loud.  Sigh.
I did have some lovely dances.

Sa Mr 14 1930 maybe Hwy401X299 Square[R] P or probably Dover Swing
... Delicious dances with the lovely Annie, from Jaymz Bee's Jazz Safari.
And the divine Angelica from Sweden.

Fr Mr 13 7,8,9 Dovercourt Waltz [R] 
... nice dances with Jane, Laura, and Bonnie, including a couple of Mazurkas.

   So, I can now create an 8'x10' dance space in 5 minutes!
   And I've updated my private dance lesson rate schedule.

We Mr 11 1900 UofT Swing: I DJ 9-10. ... AM is a star!  Joel DJ'd the first set.
My DJ-ing was suboptimal.  I realized too late that my playlist was on "shuffle",
and then I decided to leave it on shuffle.  But then it kept repeating songs,
including "Over the Waves" and "Mack the Knife", Jazz classics that contains a
Waltz, which I had to skip over.

My DJ Checklist:
1. The sound system is under-powered (amp and single speaker).
2. The concrete walls distort.
3. Beware that when amps and speaker are maxed out, distortion is greatest.
4. Can try iTunes' Equalizer to compensate for room acoustics.
5. Pre-bias all songs in the playlist at the same (high!) volume.
6. Choose songs with a narrow dynamic range (same volume throughout).
7. Careful with remastered versions -- they can sound much worse with bad acoustics.
8. You may want to eliminate songs with (female) vocals.
9. Choose fast songs that have slow songs inside.
10. Vary tempo (S M! F), vocal/instr, male/female vocals, phrase structure (4/5/6/8).
11. Avoid lengthy intros and endless endings.  And very long songs (too bad no mixers).
12. Don't choose songs because you like the lyrics.


At one point Bill Elliott's Shim Sham song played.  Some started doing the Shim Sham Shimmy,
but we didn't catch the beginning.  (My bad for not pre-announcing it. :-)
When I realized where we were in the phrase, I danced the music.  But someone else decided
to call out the moves loudly, but off the phrase.  It was interesting that everyone followed
the leader, rather than the music.  Many dancers are unaware of the musical phrase.  They
learn a sequence and then go through the motions, regardless of the music.  Ironically,
when a leader shouts over the music it is harder to hear the music. ;-)
I'm sure that some thought I must be crazy:

"Die Tanzenden wurden fuer verrueckt gehalten von denjenigen, die die Musik nicht hoeren
konnten." -- Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche

Tu Mr 10 2100 Grossman's Gypsy Jazz P? ... I went without a partner, and didn't dance the
first set.  There was strange energy in the room.  Eventually the problem was removed and
serenity restored.  Had lovely dances with Maria and someone else.  Was keenly reminded
how music and dancing amplifies people's traits.  And how fast music can make people want
to dance who are incapable of dancing fast, which can be hazardous.  Unfortunately, bad
dancers rarely understand that they should not try to dance fast or forcefully anywhere
near someone else.  I still regard this band to be a real pleasure to dance with,
especially when I bring my own partner.  The music has a rich variety, and a spontaneity,
that only a jam band can have. :-)

Mo Mr  9 1930 Loomer (one set), then Balfolk. ... I was late.  Skipped Loomer.

Su Mr  8 1900 Cameron Double Cuts P ...
So, I went without a partner, but there was Melanie who came to dance with me.  Melanie
was a lovely partner from down east.  There were also some of my favourite swing dance
partners: Anne, Laura, Kris, Anastasija, and Joanna.  As well as lovely occasional
dancers.  And, of course, my favourite: AH.  I love this band, and the people who come
out so much!

Sa Mr  7 2000 Tranzac Swamperella Cajun Zydeco Samedi Gras. YT
... Many obstacular stationary flailing  dancers, on the track.
Traditional Cajun style impossible.  Some nice dances later in the evening.
Especially Anne and Alex.

... Maybe I should add partnering information (again) to the dance event calendars.
P+ = must bring partner (e.g. dinner dance); no sharing;
P  = advisable to bring a partner whom you like; little sharing; (most bars)
   = may bring partner, but need not; much sharing; (most dances)
P- = don't bring partner! continuous sharing;

Fr Mr  6 1930 Danish Folkdancing + Grossman's? RJ
... Dancing with RJ was very nice, although we had to practice much defensive dancing.
Fridays at Grossman's can be a little different.  The musicians were standing.  Many
people were dancing.  No concept of dance floor sharing, keeping partner safe, or moving
with a connectable cadence.  But many lessoned dancers do the same moves at the same
time, individually, while touching.  This seems not so different from doing different
moves individually, while touching. ;-)  At some point someone crashed his partner into a
music stand on the stage.  Perhaps now I understand why the musicians were standing. ;-(

Th Mr  5 1900 Alex at Res.  Partner? ... didn't go
We Mr  4 1900 UofT Swing ... didn't go
Tu Mr  3 2115 Grossman's Blues ... didn't go
Mo Mr  2 2000 Balfolk ... nice mazurka with NM

Su Mr  1 1900 -2200 Cameron House Double Cuts Western Swing -- Dance with who brung you ...
... I brought no one.  So I didn't get to dance much.  Had some nice dances.

Sa Fe 28 1400 -2230 Contra Dance -- (another laboratory for cis/trans-cen-dance ;-)
... This one (two, actually) will be excellent
I only made it to the evening dance.  It was pretty good.  Carrie and Nickie were fine dancers.
I was shocked to hear the words "pull your right shoulder back" about the Petronella turn.

Fr Fe 27 1930 St Vlad's 620 Spadina Balfolk Fest Noz -- this will be fantatstic!
... it was fantastic
   

Th Fe 26 1900 UTSwing workshop -- missed it all.  (helping V with tech prob)
   ... Perhaps the plan was not to enable take first-timers through 6 hours of learning,
but rather to take those who have been coming often further than they might in a crowded
hall with newcomers, in one hour?

We Fe 25 1900 UTSwing lesson + dance -- missed most of it.

Tu Fe 24 2100 Grossman's French Gypsy Jazz (NM) -- very nice.  NM is a natural dancer.
... One of the musicians wrote:
Peter. It was such a pleasure watching you and your friend dancing at Grossman's on Tuesday.
I believe there is a symbiotic relationship between the musicians and dancers. We seem to
play a little tighter and with more sensitivity when we are "accompanying" guest soloists
or dancers.

Mo Fe 23 2000 Balfolk (get there at 7 to help plan) -- nice dancing later
Sa Fe 21 2130 May Cafe Mardi Gras -- BebopRockFunk band

Fr Fe 20 1930 (2030?) Danish Folkdancing teach Mazurka + more Russeren (RJ demo partner)
   I hope there will be some of the old couple dances -- Schottisch, Mazurka, Waltz, Hambo,
   as well as mixers, like Stockholms Schottis, and the Rose-Waltz.  Of course it's all easy
   with music of the right kind and tempo, with a cadence that pleases the dancers.
   ... It was pretty good.  Especially with RJ. 

Th Fe 19 2145 Reservoir Lounge (RJ)
   Got there around 2015 before cover charge.  Left around 2315 just as 2nd set started.
   Fabulous swing / blues dancing.  Also did Schottisch, Mazurka, Russeren, and Hambo.

Tu Fe 17 1930 Grossman's Mardi Gras
   Arrived late because dinner.  Missed Jumbalaya because late.  Ironic.

Mo Fe 16 2000 Balfolk
   Tried to dance (the one) Mazurka with someone who could not simply follow a pattern of
   2 steps and 1 touch in 3 beats, without a detailed explanation.  Some can, some can't.
   So, each week there is one opportunity to dance 1 Mazurka with 1 partner.  Imagine 5
   2-minute Mazurkas spread throughout the evening.  With a musician announcing "the next
   dance is a Mazurka".  Those who want to learn can dance with those who can dance well,
   leisurely, without struggling or obsessing about details.  Similarly for all the couple
   dances.
   ... Later, someone instructed a minimum-contact, maximum complexity hand-arm "led"
   partner dance, which requires the women to move extensively ("ochos"), while the men
   hardly move.  Someone made everyone put the women on the inside.  Interesting. ;-)
   What this illustrates is that people do not realize that there are principles and patterns.
   It is easy and painless to just dance, abiding by these principles.  There is no need
   to "decide", arbitrarily, on a re-invented wheel-shape.  Round is good enough.

Sa Fe 14 1800 Danube German Princess Ball dinner+dance (SJ RJ HJ JY WG EM)
   It was fantastic.  Waltzes, Polkas, Tangoes, Rumbas, and even some Swing.
   HJ JY SJ and RJ who had never danced these dances before were amazing.

Fr Fe 13 1730 Danish Folk Dance.  (EM WG)  It's Lis' birthday.  I've been asked to teach Russeren.
   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-dUEBaD85AY 158 bpm
   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hEvOqe9K7PA 172 bpm
   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F1QbZDb6u2o 192 bpm
   The 1st video is very nice: 1. It's short, 2. It's well-lit, 3. It actually shows dancers
   dancing, 4. The dancers look like they are having a good time, 5. It shows a harmonious variety
   of dress, 6. The music is not crazy fast (160bpm), 7. The dancing has a good cadence, not frenetic.
   8. The music is pleasant, not ugly.
   #2 is also nice, albeit faster.
   #3 uses recorded music, it's much too fast for pleasure, and the dancing looks uninspred.
   Since the phrasing of the dance is perfectly square, there is no reason why it cannot be
   danced to any music at 100 bpm, such as Java Jive, or The Mooch.  This is a very useful learning
   dance, as it contains Mazurka, Polka, and To-Trit, i.e. One-step, Two-step, and 3-beat-two-step,
   which is the basis of all the beautiful dances that are related to the Hambo.
   In German: Dreher, Wechselschritt, Dreischritt-Dreher (AKA Deutscher Tanz).
   ==> I've just invented a 3/4 time version of this dance, making it the most universal dance ever:
   ==> 2/4: Mazurka-Mazurka Turn, Polka Turn, Turn, Turn
   ==> 3/4: Mazurka-Mazurka Turn, Turn, Waltz-Waltz, Turn, Turn

We Fe 11 1900 UTSwing lesson + dance 

Tu Fe 10 2100 Grossman's Gypsy Jazz
   Amazingly good music.  But no one to dance with.  More musicians than audience. .. more to come 

Mo Fe  9 1930 Loomer + Balfolk
   Saori and I went to the Monarch Tavern for one set, and we left around 2045 for Balfolk.
   I danced the Mazurka with RJ.  What an amazing follower.

Sa Fe  7 2000 Irish Set dance Ceili

Fr Fe  6 1900-2100 Double Cuts at Dakota -- This will be their last gig until March 1st.
   RJ and KD will be coming albeit a little late.  Possibly Grossman's afterwards.
   ... RJ had to work. :-(  But K came and brought her friend L.  Dancing was beautiful.
   More dancing at Grossman's.  Made new friends and renewed an old friendship.
   It is so delightful to show people that they are wonderful dancers, and that they don't
   need to buy into the instruction industry, or become lessoned, before they can dance.
   (I left my beautiful bolo tie at Grossman's.  So sad.  :-()

We Fe  4 1900 UTSwing
   I liked the lesson!  Liz and Brian were the instructors.  They shared equally.
   They said addressed fundamentals.  What they taught was sensible, and they did it successfuly.
   They encouraged people to stay for the dance, and they stayed and danced with the newcomers!

Mo Fe  2 Balfolk -- I'm going for the one Mazurka, the one Schottisch, and the one frenetic Waltz.
   And, of course, for the lovely dancers.  And the fantastic venue, its staff, its atmosphere, and
   its food and drink.  But I'm not a fan of regimented brain-foot-dancing.  My kind of dancing is
   simple, joyful, playful, easy, relaxed, flowing, connected, free, light, and happy.  It puts a
   smile on everyone's face.  Some others crave challenge, complexity, sophistication, tension,
   struggle, detail, and micromanaged control.  The first kind considers goodness to be dancing the
   essence beautifully.  The second considers goodness to be struggling with complicated sequences.  
   Balfolk dances in the past included some line dances from Brittany, some turning couple dances,
   such as Waltz, Schottisch, and Mazurka, and some mixers, such as Circassian Circle, and Gigue
   Chappeloise.  The Rose Waltz and the Canadian Barn dance Schottisch are very sociable mixers
   that require no instruction, and that help new dancers learn the Waltz and the Schottisch
   easily.  There should be at least 2 waltzes, 2 schottisch, and 2 mazurkas in an evening.  These
   should be neither too long nor too fast.  It is much better to have 2 short dances than one long
   dance.  And if the music is too fast for comfort, it is a disaster, especially for new dancers.
   The good dancers will merely deplore the frenetic musicians.  But the new
   dancers will feel inadequate, blame themselves, and their love for dancing is harmed.
   There are two very beautiful dances that are a little more complex, but well worth learning.
   They are the Hambo, and the Stockholms Schottis.  In the early summer, in the Park, I was teaching
   these sorts of dances *before* the social dancing, to those who were interested.  That worked out
   well, because it built a core group who could inspire the rest to learn later.  The traditional
   way of integrating one or two new people each time is much easier than trying to instruct
   everyone all at the same time.
   ... Another classy Balfolk.  I got there an hour late. Didn't dance much.  Didn't even dance the
   one Mazurka, and missed the one Schottisch because I had arrived late.  Did dance the one frenetic
   Waltz with S, and we mostly danced a one-step.  I stayed to share a beer with AL afterward.  We
   agreed that Balfolk had become uninspired and "classy", and the challenge is to inspire the good
   ones to return.  Let's see what we can do, once Tangi and Emilyn return. The big dances always
   attract many wonderful people. Hopefully this will be so for the next big dance February 27th.
   There are several choices for the organizers: Is the event a dance or is it a class?  Should there
   be teaching or instruction?  Should the dances be strictly from Bretagne or not?  Should teachers
   teach dancing, or instruct complicated step and move sequences?  Should the music be at maximum tempo,
   and sophisticated, and from a narrow genre, to please the experts, or simple, slow, and accessible,
   over a wide range of genres, to support the dancers, most of whom are new?  Should the event be
   welcoming to newcomers, or intimidatingly complicated?  Perhaps an essential question is:
   Do we want to make newcomers to struggle and to think: This is so complicated, and requires
   so many steps to be memorized, I could never do this.  Or do we want to inspire them to think:
   This looks like so much fun, and it looks pretty easy, I want to do this too.

Su Fe  1 2200 The Double Cuts -- It don't mean a thing if it ain't Western Swing!  2 sets.  Then JS.
   This will be the last time for the Double Cuts at the Cameron for 3 weeks  (assuming they start
   again on March 1st).  My friend RJ whom I brought last week and whom I also took to the Forro dance
   can't come this time.  But we're going to the Irish Ceili.  Looks like SY, and perhaps Y and HJ will
   be coming to the snowy Double Cuts.  Perhaps it's time to say a few things about the Cameron House.
   Traditional Swing Jazz dancing re-started in Toronto about 20 years ago.  I had two weekly events at
   Trinity St Paul's Centre (Church) starting in 1994.  But the first public dancing, to live music in
   a bar was at the Cameron House.  Every Sunday night, I took the dancers there to dance the music of
   Jake's Gentlemen Players: BR Jake (bandleader, vocals, guitar), Hal Greer (double bass), Michael
   Johnson (trumpet).  At that time, most people sat in sofas and easy chairs, and set their drinks
   on the floor.  This was a hazard for the dancers -- no one expects glasses on the floor.  So the
   dancers had to be mindful of this and be considerate of the paying customers.  Andrew, the waiter,
   hated the dancers.  Until I realized the reason why, and the next dance was a Polka, which I danced
   with Chachi.  Then Andrew loved the dancers.  Just as many recent "lindy hoppers" are unaware how
   it came to be that they are able to dance in this city, some don't realize how it came to be that
   they discovered the Cowboy Jazz of the Double Cuts.  And I like it like that. :-)
   (When all is finished, the people say "We did it ourselves." Dao De Jing, #17)
   ... The Double Cuts were fabulous.  At one point, with two guest musicians, there were 12 on stage.
   Of my six lovely dancing friends, five were unable to come this time, so it was only SY and me.
   We had much fun.  SY is a very fine dancer.  I had two nice dances with Celeste, an excellent
   unlessoned, dancer, who may be coming to the Dakota on Friday.  I had a lovely dance with AH. :-)
   (Oh, BTW, it seems that JO has given up smoking (on stage) this year. :-)

Sa Ja 31 2000 Dovercourt Swing Jazz -- Bertie.  Yes!
   AH came out, for a while.  The lesson was interesting.  Packed.  Leader surplus.
   At the end of the lesson, the instructors showed that women can invite men to dance, and also
   mentioned that one does not have to accept an invitation.  IMHO, no reasons need to be given
   (or expected).  I prefer a simple "No thank you" to a "yes" that means "I wish you hadn't asked me
   because I don't like you and the next 3 minutes are going to be miserable for both of us, and I
   hope that you remember never to ask me again".  :-) Of course, if one makes eye contact before
   asking, and only asks if the eye contact is returned with a smile, all is easier.  Women who
   are established dancers know that they can invite partners, or, at least, encourage those with
   whom they wish to dance, with eye contact.

Fr Ja 30 2130 Palais Royale Pangman $25 at the door.  What a treat!  The Palais Royale Ballroom is
   such a treasure.  If there was a dance like this once a month, it would be amazing.
   The format of fancy dinner, followed by affordable classy dancing for all is pretty smart.
   Just as Jitney dancing was smart.  It made it affordable to listen to the greatest music, and to
   dance a few dances.  There really hasn't been much classy (outreach) dancing since the weekly
   Gypsy Coop dances, and the weekly Palais Royale dances, in the 1990s.
   Pronunciation tip: Palais Royale is _not_ a French word.  If it were a French word, it would be
   Palais Royal, since palais is masculine.  It should be pronounced the way it has always been, by
   those who've danced there since 1922: "PAL-lay ROY-al". Not "pa-LAY roy-AL".  Palais
   Just as the Savoy Ballroom in Harlem was pronounced to rhyme with "sad BOY", rather than Savoie.
   ... The band was marvelous!  I took SY. She appreciated how special this place is.
   2 lovely "regular lindy hoppers" asked me to dance.  Most dances I danced with new dancers.
   Every one of them said "you have to teach me!", as we entered the dance floor.
   Every one was delighted to dance with me.  I'm shy about asking "regular lindy hoppers" to dance.
   I will try to establish eye contact, and if she looks away, I will not ask her.  This is the Cabeceo
   method of partnering.  I wish there were more dances like this one.  These are genuine community
   dances, i.e. dances that are welcoming to the community, not just the "community" of lesson-takers.
   
Th Ja 29 2130 Forro
   Forro is beautiful.  Joyful music.  Uncomplicated dancing.  Genuine people.
   ... The band started playing at 2230.  The music was wonderful.  And so were all the dancers.
   R loved it.  She really is a natural dancer.  I also danced with J, RJ.

We Ja 28 2200 Cameron Rucksack Willies
   There were 3 waltzes.  I danced one with AH and the others with BA.  I also danced with AD, who is
   going to the Contra dance this Saturday.  Chris and Amber were there.  Chris said he wants to learn
   to lead.

We Ja 28 1900 UTSwing
   This is so very interesting.  So much social engineering.
   A laboratory of instruction, learning, and methods.
   There are two dangers -- 
   1. trying too hard to instruct correctly, by emulating orthodox methods,
   which runs the risk of perpetuating all the old entrenched and conventional errors,
   as well as manufacturing new ones, by misapplication of the misunderstood ways of others.
   2. authentically (albeit haphazardly) re-inventing everything from scratch.
   The 2nd way at least has the potential of discovering better methods. :-)
   Of course, self-regulation is the key.  Some instructors invite feedback on their instructing.
   Openly talking about the principles and policies that underlie the methods could be interesting.
   A university setting may engender a lecture-like, reductionist approach to dance teaching. :-)
   A good measure of success is the proportion of lesson-takers who remain until the end of the dance.
   This week:
   I missed most of the lesson, but I got there in time to see that the rotation was:
   Leaders move counter-clockwise.  Random or rational?
   Hannah and Anita were the instructors.  The dancing was nice.  SY was there, and brought SD.
   JJ was there.  Very nice dancer.
   Last week:
   The leader instructor (Alex) wore a very short skirt.
   The follower instructor (Khaya) wore jeans.
   They did get the partner rotation right.
   Some instructors need to haphazardly re-invent it differently.

Mo Ja 26 2000 Balfolk
   This was a pretty regimented Balfolk!  It used to be a playful party.  Now it's turning into
   a class.  Will Balfolk end up like IFDC?
   Instead of playful, joyful, easy, free couple dances, there is interminable reductionist
   instruction of steps, moves, and sequences.
   Dancing can be learned without struggling, and without falling into
   the trap that dancing is about the brain controlling the feet.
   I will not feel so bad now about not coming out every week.
   Among the new dancers there, one was exceedingly outgoing, scattered, and constantly talking.
   Another was struggling to concentrate and maintain brain-foot control.  I did a Schottisch with
   one, and a Mazurka with the other.  When they relaxed momentarily, and gave full attention to
   dancing, and just playing, they did perfectly well.  Sometimes even a few words can shift
   people's dancing into their brains, where it gets stuck.  If one wants to learn connected
   dancing, a closed mouth, and perhaps closed eyes, may be best.

Su Ja 25 2000 Cameron Double Cuts -- fantastic Western Swing band!
   I brung a friend, who _was_ a brand new dancer, to this, my all-time favourite band.
   I guided her without being teacherly, by simply dancing with her progressively.
   And she responded perfectly, by simply following.  What a joy!
   Learning can be immediate, joyful and painless.  Please read this: Dancing Is ... a Poem
   Oh, and this video of a Double Cuts song, by another band, seems noteworthy:
   AATW: Dance With Who Brung You -- Band
   AATW: Dance With Who Brung You -- Images

Sa Ja 24 2000 Dovercourt Swing -- Martin Loomer Big Band -- amazing!
   The beginner lesson was packed.  That was surprising, since an "exchange" tends to be
   a cognoscente affair -- not at all a community outreach.  The band was superb.

Fr Ja 23 1930 Danish Folk Dancing
   The dancers are wonderful.  Most of the dances were set dances rather than the simply wonderful
   old turning couple dances.  Two dances I loved were the Gie Gordons, and, of course, my favourite
   dance -- the Swedish Lullaby (AKA Stockholms Schottis).

People are disastrously addicted to wanting to be teachers.  (Mengzi 372-289 BCE)
Or as someone translated: "No disaster is bigger than the disaster of wanting to be a teacher." 
For those who want to see the original: Ren zhi huan zai hao wei ren shi.

Su Ja 18 2000 Cameron Double Cuts
Sa Ja 17 2000-0000 Dovercourt Swing, then Touche Forro
Fr Ja 16 2000 Dovercourt Waltz / Round Blues
Th Ja 15 2130 Touche Forro.  Also: 2130 Grossman's Blues
We Ja 14 1900 UTSwing and then Rucksack Willies at Cameron
Tu Ja 13 2000 Grossman's Django Swing (after dinner)

Su Ja 18 2000 Cameron Double Cuts
Sa Ja 17 2000 Dovercourt Swing
Fr Ja 16 2000 Dovercourt Waltz / Round Blues
Th Ja 15 2130 Grossman's Blues
We Ja 14 1900 UTSwing
Tu Ja 13 2000 Grossman's Django Swing
Mo Ja 12 2000 Balfolk / 1930 Martin Loomer Swing
Su Ja 11 2000 Cameron Double Cuts
Sa Ja 10 2000 Dovercourt Swing Jazz 
Fr Ja 09 2000 Dovercourt Square Dance (also Tyler Yarema Swing Jazz)

Su Ja 11 2000 Cameron Double Cuts
Sa Ja 10 2200 Dakota Double Cuts
We Ja 07 2000 Cairngorm Robbie Burns Dance -- be there or no haggis!
Tu Ja 06 2115 Grossman's Blues
Mo Ja 05 2000 May 876 Dundas W Balfolk
Su Ja 04 2100 Imperial Blues
Su Ja 04 1900-2130 Agricola Finnish Folk Dancing
Su Ja 04 1630-2000 Grossman's NOLA Jazz
Sa Ja 03 2000 Dovercourt Swing Jazz
Fr Ja 02 2215 Grossman's NOLA Jazz