It's Hot!

Welcome to July. One of the hottest months in the calendar year here in Indy, second only to August's stagnant swelter. Not the time when you think about dancing. It's too dang hot! If you're like me you sweat to the point that it's disconcerting and if you don't sweat when you dance you'll spontaneously combust in the middle of the dance floor. Let me tell you, there isn't much more embarrassing than bursting into flames in the middle of a cha cha!

The way things worked out we're not dancing over the July 4th holiday. Last year we went to Riolo to see the fireworks but this year we're going to blow up a chunk of Shelby County instead. It's tradition. We pack up the car, head out to some good friends' house, eat too much, and at dusk the men-folk try to set fire to one another. Quaint. It gives some grounding to my listening to rockabilly.

Speaking of rockabilly I have some pointers to offer (if I haven't already). For the fellow who's interested in learning rockabilly understand that after the basic everything is hard. I've never danced anything where every freaking move was as hard or harder than the one that preceded it. In EC swing you'll run into one or two moves that are tough but they're interspaced with moves that aren't so bad. Rockabilly's like being in a fist fight - ever punch hurts. There are some things that can make it less painful, though.

1. Small steps. And I mean SMALL STEPS. Move your feet just enough to clear whatever obstacles you need to clear. It'll help a hell of a lot when you start dancing up to speed.
2. Bounce. Yeah, it's more effort but rockabilly requires a lot of effort so get used to it. If you bounce you'll be able to move faster and you're going to need to move faster.
   
   

Unfortunately that's all the help I have to offer. I wish I could make the dance simple but if I couldn't I wouldn't whine so much about it being hard. Where would the fun be in that?