mlx5

what a crazy crazy time!!

it's definately still one of the most exciting times of the year. every year is different and special in it's own way and this one is no exception. for a while there each one was getting bigger and bolder and almost resembling epic proportions but as a nice change this one was brought back down to size with a decidedly 'social' focus.

for a more detailed idea check out the website here: http://www.mlx2005.com/home.html (and yes that is me in the promo pics)

it really did have an amazing vibe this year, the atmosphere was 100% social. sometimes melbourne can have such a focus on workshops or competitions that they forget to embrace social dancing. and this was one of those fine, fine moments with so many different people brought together in their love for da lindy hop! it was all quite competitively priced as well allowing alot more people than normal to come along and party. my favourite part was seeing all the melbourne people going nuts. like crazy spastic nuts - the way that samlet, lotte and i might go towards the later hours of an evening. infact at both of the friday nite and sat nite after parties the WHOLE room was pumped up into this wild salivating dancing frenzy. it sent chills up my spine.

something that i thought i would really miss about this years mlx would be the lack of visitors (international or teacher-like) but it was juust right. we got treats from all over australia and elsewhere as well. keeping us all teetering on the edge of delirium. including: korea, san fransico, japan, canada, sweden, new zealand and other non-specified areas of the US.

i might just be inlove with the perth boys all over again. i thought i'd gotten it out of my system when i went to visit in april, but apparantly not. they challenge, inspire and move me. it might be the relaxed playfulness of their leading, or the to-die-for weight commitment, or a few simple jazz steps/rhythmical variations ..or the bounce. who knows, but i'm always left begging for more. (one lead was about to demonstrate some balboa for me and said to himself "i want you on that foot" as he clearly switched my weight for me - i almost peeed my pants.)

my attention wasnt always focused on dancing tho, i was on a mad rush to make as many new friends as possible - how could you not when surrounded with so many friendly faces? i was also spending a bit of time taking footage in preparation of a dodgy/ameteur mlx video which after watching what i have is clearly not enough and i just dont seem to have to attention span for filming the entire weekend.

actually if i'm entirely honest i was having a few doubts about my dancing on the whole. not feeling the music necessarily, not feeling like i was giving the leads what they wanted etc etc. feeling generally not all there. i did manage to get my groove back quite distinctly at the after parties - in particular the blues dancing tends to reinvigorate my body.

blues is really where it's at. i'm sorry for all those people who it makes their stomachs turn but i cannot express how good it is. on so many levels too. on sunday nite at one of the late late after parties i found myself having this discussion with people about the relationship of balboa to blues. they are sooo simular it's not funny. the precision and amazing connection that you experience with balboa is exactly what happens in blues but just at a different speed ..and instead of being limited to footwork is spread to your entire body. it's about listening really really carefully. and keeping your body in neutral unless otherwise requested.

after about 4 or 5 blues dances i found myself all loosened up and my spine doing crazy stuff. infact i think i forgot what my posture was meant to be for a fair amount of the weekend after that (i went back to my sway- think ")" ).

i lurve blues dancing! it's more relaxing than yoga. it's better than a massage. it spins squillion of endorphines up as your spinal chord is stimulated. it is ALL about the music. ..and dare i make comparisons to sex. ..but i think you get the idea. and it what most people mistake is that it doesnt actually have to be sexual. sure it happens, this i cannot deny, but it's not actually as common as people think. usually when it does turn sexual is when i want tto walk right away from the dance - ewww, can you say creepy?

so where was i? blah blah blah lack of confidence blah blah blah searching for mojo blah blah blah questioning how to take my dancing to the next level and please these more "advanced" leads. ..so the weekend comes to a close and i'm saying my goodbyes to these excellent leads whom are just laying the compliments* on quite thick. and i think "heck, if this is true, why the hell dont i know this already? and why the hell couldnt it have been said much earlier?"

one of my absolute favourite parts of the weekend was spending time with some fun-filled chicks like chez, kara and dp (and of course the cheese). it was almost like the ladies again with oestrogen floating around everywhere. the naughtiness was most satisfying.

while my actual interests were placed elsewhere over the weekend i also wanted to fall in love with a local melbourne lead whom spontaneously dragged me into a jam circle when i was obviously desperate to get in there. he then proceeded to jam with several other chicks from both melbourne and elsewhere that were not his usual dance partner. ahh, just the way jam circles were meant to be** -social all the way!

anyway it's starting to feel quite distant now and i'm remembering less and less interesting anecdotes for you lucky readers so i may have to draw this post to a close.



*for those who care one highly favoured lead claimed "when i think of melbourne i think of you."
**given such sentiments -please ignore my other jam appearance over the weekend. very far from social.