Last night

It was the Seconds Saturday contra dance in Wyoming, OH (an older suburb of Cincinnati). I danced for about an hour and some change, but my heart wasn't into it for some reason.

I decided to go outside and sit on the porch. The sky was clear, but the wind was high- moving the trees around. The old victorian style houses that populate the neighborhood of that part of Cincinnati looked spooky, bathed in the street light. The porch was dark. I sat on the cement steps and watched the trees move around for about an hour. Inside the ballroom, I could hear the muffled sounds of the band and the echos of the caller, calling out moves. I wondered how many nights like these had these old steps seen.

I don't know much about The Wyoming Arts Center's history. It is an older building, built in the 30's. Its an odd building with several floors of large meeting spaces, so I am pretty sure it wasn't a private home. What it is today, is a place for children and adults to learn how to play music, dance and create art. It is always busy, with people walking in and out of it with musical intruments tucked under their arms. It makes me happy that places like this still exist. Places with connections to the past. There are too few of them. Here is a link to their site:

http://www.thecenter4thearts.org/index.php

This was the last dance we will be going to for a while there due to my wifes illness. She is going in for surgery on Monday. I am sure it will be there when we get back- like the wind and the trees, and those old cement steps. I look forward to being there again.

Pigtown Fling Recap

Monday Morning! ARRRGGGHH!!

Pigtown was INCREDIBLE! Saw some old friends, met some new- Danced my ass off and felt like a SPAZ! Short notes before I get in the shower and start my day-

Friday night- Started at 8pm and danced til midnight! The band was Airdance which at once was traditional but with a very jazzy, almost funky flair. Saw the usual gang of dancers- met some new people from Memphis, Cleveland and Columbus. All very nice- made a mental note to try and visit those places for dancing if schedule permits.

Saturday- Went to advanced Contra in the afternoon. Almost understood contra corners (which I have never really gotten). The gym where the dance was, was hotter than hell- sat down in the only airconditioned room in the complex afterwards- ended up doing something called Nia dancing, which was being held in the nice airconditioned room-

The dance is almost impossible to explain to any other human being in words. I call it "yoga booty ballet" from the infomercials on TV, although it's different.

My particular version was "cereabal palsy on parade".

If I ever thought I had the Funk, the Funk, (like Elvis) had left the building many years before I got there.

Met some people who were absolutely delightful (one was a fellow Nia dancer with much more Funk than I), all were easy to talk to and laugh with. Went to dinner with them at Pompilio's in Newport. They shot the movie "Rainman" there a million years ago. Was able to talk to them about my favorite things- Art, Mediation, Food, Travel, etc.

Had a great time.

Went back and danced until 10 pm, when I turned into a pumpkin and had to go to bed in order to catch a flight on Sunday to work a trade show in Chicago. Found out later by one of my dinner partners who was wearing a pedometer that she had danced the equivalent of 24.7 miles!! Wow!

I wanted to keep on dancing dammit!!

Sigh! It's almost 7am- gotta get in the shower- iron my shirt and eat breakfast!! No fair!!

Pigtown Fling

Every year in March, they have the Pigtown Fling here in Cincinnati. It is a large gathering of the regional Contra Dancing community (which is a wonderful mix of aging hippies, college people, retirees and NPR listeners) that goes over three days. The ages of the people range from 10 years old to 90. We have anywhere from 300 to 500 dancers on the floor at one time- It's a sweaty riot of mass confusion, movement and most importantly of all laughter-

ANYWAY, I helped set up this year- I hung pig shaped lights from the ceiling of the caffeteria of the local high school where the dance is going to be held. As anyone who knows me knows- I HATE putting up lights- If it were up to me, I would leave Christmas lights up all year, just so I wouldn't have to put them up again. So what is the first task I am handed at Pigtown? Hanging lights- Karma has a funny way of biting you in the ass.

When I walked into the gym, where the dance is going to be- a couple of kids sitting on bikes were standing outside with confused expressions on their faces. There were a lot of middle aged people hanging signs, lights and gigantic bamboo branches over the floor of the gym.

One kids goes to the other- "Whats going on here?"

The second kid goes, "I dunno, must be a prom for old people"!

I am still laughing about that-

Sunday Blues

Long week past, long week ahead- Daily chores needed to be done on the Lord's day- No getting around it.

The sky is gray- rainy. Laundry is running in background with the zippers creating a clanging sound in an uneven tempo. Three cups of white peony tea- a light lunch of sun dried tomato hummus and bruchetta on toast- then back to folding and cleaning (with a couple of glimpses at a book inbetween)-

Sore from the contra dance last night and ther personal trainer the day before- muscles that have been sleeping too long are letting me know they are still there. Loudly.

Lists in my head- Packing for next week. Shedules and weather reports- Aiplanes and rental cars.

Sunday.

Contra in Chicago

There is always a bit of uneasiness when you go to a contra in a new city. "Is this the right door? Is tonight the right night? What am I doing in this place?"

Such was the case at St. Bethany's in Chicago- I was walking around the Church, wondering if I had driven 30 minutes towards the north side of Chicago for no reason, when a woman bundled up in a long coat, hat and scarf with a violin case walked up from the side walk.

"Umm, is there a contra here, tonight?" I asked.

"Gee, I hope so," She said with a slight smile on her face.

As I opened the door to the basketball gym that was attached to the church, I wondered how many teenage boys and girls passed through those doors? How many school assemblies, how many graduations, how many proms? How many hearts broken, how many loves started. The gym was in some disrepair, there were several large holes in the wall above the stage.

It made me sad for a moment, the holes showed disrespect for the space.

There was a class going on with about four people. Then a small group of about six college folk came in, all newbies with the exception of a girl named Ivy. I stepped in, and Ivy and I tried our best to explain the basics. Balance and swing, check. Dosy-doh, check. All the while I was wondering, what the heck was I doing- teaching dance to strangers in a part of town I had never been to.

But that is the beauty of the contra community. It doesn't matter who you are, where you are from, how old, what you do, what you look like- you are there to dance- so you are immediately accepted- which in today's world of constant crisis, fear and loathing- is quite a special thing when you stop to think about it.

The dance started and for the next two and a half hours, Anne, Ivy, Tucker, Andrea guided me around the dance floor- telling me where I should be, and gently guiding to where I should be-

I got "closelined" once- Stepped on one foot- and totally confused at least twice-
Most importantly, I laughed a lot and had a wonderful time.

Thank you Chicago contra people- I had a great evening.

This is what Wikipedia says about Contra Dancing:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Contra_dance

Travel

"Transport, motorways and tramlines
Starting and then stopping
Taking off and landing
The emptiest of feelings"- radiohead

Off again tomorrow- for the next two weeks, more or less (will be home next weekend)- Chicago, Milwuakee, Buffalo and Washington DC. The last two weeks have been great- but as with most things, there is a price to pay! The price for being home is being away-

Plan to keep this updated- Some fun stuff planned, alright ONE fun thing planned- A contra dance in Chicago tomorrow night- Will post pics and stuff of it next....