The Wandering Monkey

Yesterday we went to a College of the Arts in Shanghai. They were doing a ballroom dancing exhibition. Damn, those guys were good! They were fully dressed in their ballroom gowns, and there were salsa dancers dressed, in... well... very little (and this even coming from me!)

We really enjoyed the performance. Afterwards, they asked us to talk to their dancers. First of all, we said they are better than we are! Then we talked about Lindy Hop and that we want to bring the dance and the community to Shanghai. I'd love to get a couple of those dancers! They are really good! We have been working thus far with people who are just normal folks. They have not necessarily done any dancing before. We are just teaching them beginning steps. But these guys are a different class. I would so like to get to teach them.

As for Kellian and myself, we are hurting for want of an instructor of our own. I am fairly well experienced but not as good as many of the people back in the Bay Area. Kellian has not had as much experience as me, plus out Lindy styles are different (Savoy style vs. Hollywood style). So it has been a struggle to get it going. Back in SF, if we were dancing there we'd pick up a lot more moves and get a lot further. As it is now, there's just a few other Lindy Hoppers we have met to exchange moves. We've got to focus working with them to get our own learning up to speed.

Last night I had a date with a reasonably nice girl. I don't think it's going anywhere but she is very good at teaching Mandarin. I hope she would be interested in a friendship and exchange of languages. Probably I think!