Swing Workshop

The Swing Workshop, organized by Grasp on the May 7^th 2008, definitely materialized and fulfilled what had been promised in the announcement!

Dancing to the quite fast rhythm of swing music did better to our lazy bodies then hours spent in the fitness club. While the fun we had with it did better than any doctor’s prescribed laughter-therapy!

All this thanks to Thecla Brakel, Herman Bron, Paulien, Yana and Jiry, who gave us a great performance at the beginning of the class, showing us the whole masterpiece of this dance, and what we, amateurs, were going to learn just within one hour. Big thanks to Herman, for his enormous patience in teaching us how to follow the music, how to make our feet do the right steps, and how to turn our bodies in all possible directions! It was not an easy task, as some of us were too stubborn to quit their old way of dancing, some were overenthusiastic, and some a little shy and scared. Especially when learning the “Glissade Simple” – the most impressive figure (as promised), when a girl is dragged between the legs of her partner, and thrown in the air!

I guess that all participants enjoyed the workshop very much, and maybe will become a little bit more interested in gaining a closer insight into this kind of dance. Especially girls, who are allowed to wear this distinctive, vintage 50s-styl red dotted dresses, presented by Thecla and Paulien!

We also got an invitation for a swing party in the village Midsland on the island Terschelling, annually always in the first weekend of September. It’s a journey back to the 50s – Cadillacs on the streets, girls wearing dresses with petticoats, boys with greased hair, bands playing swing and rock’n’roll on the streets.