Wednesday night was full of dancing. After my salsa lessons at Sacuye, I went down to Chicago for the Lindy hop social. Mathias & Beate were there, and showed off some fancy moves.
Then around 23.00, I went to La Isla for a few more dances. Liza was there and favored me with a dance. Pierre took a few photos of us.
Monday was the last of this batch of Lindy hop lessons. I had a great time and actually got two lessons for the price of one because I arrived an hour early by mistake.
I have already signed up for the intermediate course that begins soon. Lindy hop is beginning to grow on me!
Thursday evening, the fine folks at Sacuye arranged another of their excellent salsa socials at Chicago.
It was a blast! I danced with many excellent dancers that night, including the lovely Caroline.
Erlend took the photos that have me in them.
I recently started taking a Lindy hop course at Chicago on Hornsgatan down on Södermalm. It's the same place where Sacuye has its salsa socials every other Thursday evening.
The idea to take Lindy hop lessons began to take shape my head about a year ago, when I was taking a salsa course a Chicago. Chicago is a club and dance studio primarily centered around swing dances; but they also have a few latin dance courses there too. Right after our salsa course was a Lindy hop course. So while I was changing back into my street clothes and getting ready to leave, I would hear the jazz & big band music playing and would watch the folks warm up, dancing all sorts of fun looking moves.
Then a few months later, I saw a documentary film on SVT called Swingen Anfaller (Swing Attacks). The film was about Herräng Dance Camp, probably the world headquarters of swing dance, including Lindy hop. I was reminded of Herräng when I went out for a bit of salsa dancing at Dallas night club in Austin last November. I was dancing and chatting with with a girl there. When she learned I lived in Sweden, she said “Oh, I was there last year to dance Lindy hop at a place called Herräng!” It's a small world.
Well, back in Sweden, I discovered Glenn Miller Café; this rekindled my appreciation of jazz music, and at the same time frustrated me because there's just not enough room to dance there. The place is tiny. Plus, I have not taken a swing lesson in years, and I was never much good at Lindy hop, the swing dance that seems to be in fashion these days.
So I started taking Lindy hop lessons and going to swing dance socials at Chicago. Now I'm most of the way through a series of 5 beginner's lessons in Lindy hop. The last lesson is tomorrow, and I'm sure I'll continue with more lessons after that because it has gotten under my skin!
Naturally, I have many more Lindy hop photos from the lessons and socials.
