Tag Archives: swing dance

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More dance

Now, here is some tricky twirling. The photograph was taken by Terry, in April 2023 at the Bishop Hotel. Tom had an injured ankle but we danced anyhow! I was very careful twirling because his balance was tricky, his foot was sticking out and I did not want to knock him over! I didn’t, and we both had a good time anyhow.

This is from March 31, 2023, right before the Swinging on the Sound dance weekend. Live band and lots of dancers warming up for the dance weekend.

My daughter called home from college at one point and said, “Mom! I love to TWIRL!” She was contra dancing and soon started swing dance and shag and other styles. I bought her dance shoes for her next back to school supplies. We bring shoes that we don’t wear outside, to protect the floors of old 1930s dance halls. We need leather or suede soles often so that we can twirl and slide!

Here is the band that Tom and I were dancing with: Jonathan Doyle and friend.

For the Ragtag Daily Prompt: twirl.

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Dance the night away

I chose the word hospice for the Ragtag Daily Prompt today. Last weekend I traveled back to Port Townsend to see my friend who is in hospice. She is doing well, but I wish she had more visitors. She has a brother in Alaska, but has always been a fairly solitary person. Maybe I mind more than she does. She said that I was too far away, but no other complaints.

Last night I went to a dance and danced my socks off. This was a fundraiser for the plane in the photograph and the Commemorative Air Force that flies it and takes care of it. And I can’t credit the photographer, one of the gentlemen of the Commemorative Air Force, many thanks!

Isn’t it a fabulous poster? And a live band in a hanger at the airport, two food trucks, classic car and the plane and dancing.

It is nice to be alive.

For the Ragtag Daily Prompt: hospice.

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Don’t shilly-shally! DANCE!

Ooooooo! Listening to Mitch Ryder and the Wheels Sock it to me baby, one of the songs here.

My muscles are BACK. Sometime in the last two weeks, while I was helping a friend in Michigan, my muscles came back. Three days ago I felt better than I have since before March of 2021. My normal energy level was back.

So what did I do? Overdid, of course. I did a beach walk on Thursday and then a local walk with a friend on Friday and then went to hear Johnathan Doyle on Saturday, fabulous! I had to dance!

Paid for it yesterday. The fast twitch muscles are back but it doesn’t mean they are strong. They are NOT strong. I have to be patient (I am not patient!). Yesterday I spent most of the day lying on the couch. Everything hurt and cramped. Ow.

BUT I can build those muscles up!

Here are some of my ex’es and my favorite bands and songs from jitterbug and lindyhop dance back in Washington, DC. I was delighted to see that Little Red and the Renegades is still playing. They played at the Kennedy Center early on New Year’s Eve. My spirit wanted to go but the body did not.

That is not a song they played back in the 1980s. We all get older!

And Doc Scantlin and his Imperial Palms Orchestra! We danced to them and I know the gentleman lindy hopping at the start. Probably others there too. We loved the Spanish Ballroom at Glen Echo.

And this was one of my ex’s and my favorite recorded songs to dance to… gosh, how naughty but true right?

I am so happy to have my fast twitch muscles BACK. Now I just need to build them up!

The photograph is from 1989, at our wedding. We are doing a move that was called “New York Kicks”. I think the photographer is my ex’s uncle. The band was Darryl Davis who is also still playing and is a friend and have you seen any of his Ted Talks?

Don’t Shilly-Shally! Get your dance shoes on now!

For the Ragtag Daily Prompt: shilly-shally.

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Playlist: Bands I have danced to

I have done two grief playlists. I will do more, but it got me thinking about other playlists. And we need distraction from grief too.

I am a swing dancer and jitterbug dancer. I lived in the Washington, DC area from 1985 to 1989 and then left for medical school. I spent a year being depressed about a breakup. The only time the depression lifted was when I went dancing. I started with contra dancing and then took a swing dance class. In the 1980s, we would have 400-600 people show up at the Spanish Ballroom in Glen Echo Park in Cabin John, MD, for a live band and a lesson, in a no alcohol venue. We would dance our socks off for three hours. We barely clapped for the bands, but they didn’t seem to care, because they liked watching us throw each other up in the air!

Marcia Ball

Daryl Davis

(You could watch his ted talk, too.)

Maria Muldaur

Maria Muldaur’s joyful album for the beginning of the end of the pandemic

Uppity Blues Women

Little Red and the Renagades

Doc Scantlin and his Imperial Palms Orchestra – at the Kennedy Warren Ballroom in Washington, DC.

I took the photograph of the poster this morning. It is from the 1980s.