October 31, 2019
No numbers were exchanged
I could not believe that I had interacted with so many people and, having zero
time to assess their flaws in the middle of this maddening dance, was going with
the flow and having fun.Regardless of who they were, or where they came from,
everyone seemed to like that there were no torturous lessons, no fear of
failure, and zero judgments.A lot of them, like me, had taken heed to the
description on the Facebook page that said you could come alone and you could be
a total beginner. Over the course of the evening, a room full of strangers was
slowly transforming into a room full of friendly faces. Some came here for the
dance, but a whole lot were looking for a fun diversion. Then someone turned up
the tempo of the jazz. I eagerly waited for someone to ask me for a dance, and
sometimes I made eyes till they did. For the rest, it was a fun night.com.The
instruction part of the night was soon over, and everybody was asked to take
turns dancing with various people in the room.
This was when it became really
fun. It was total anarchy!My legs hurt from dancing, my jaw ached from smiling,
and I was sweating from head to toe, I did not want to stop dancing. I was flung
around, spun, and awkwardly moved from one step to another.By then I had figured
why this event was so popular and why it had drawn so many people every Sunday
night for over a year. Sure, we’re not averse to meeting strangers today, but in
the digital age, it feels more normal for us to swipe our way through the
process. Alone, with two left feet and a perfect wallflower attitude, I walked
into a Lindy Hop Social curious to find out what a ’20s American dance form was
doing in South Mumbai.The instructor led us, tap, tap, tapping electric faucet Manufacturers our way through
two hours of a beginners’ class.The awkwardness of standing next to strangers
was slowly fading.My sense of regret grew when a man in a beret walked into the
centre of the room and asked people to choose random partners of the opposite
sex.As the clock drew closer to midnight, the crowds started thinning.Lindy Hop
is easy to learn, and you can be spontaneous with a lot of the movements – as
long as you get the basics right, of course. So I didn’t imagine I would see a
lot of people at a Lindy Hop Social on a Sunday evening.
No numbers were
exchanged, and there was only one Facebook friend request. Sometimes I just
stood and watched while my partner, a better dancer, did fancy moves that I
could barely imitate. Some had even made an effort to dress up a little bit,
keeping with the jazz theme. There was slow jazz playing as we giggled and tried
to keep up. I was surprised – the little room above a club was filled with
mostly young people, all shuffling in corners. Just like me. Some stepped on my
feet; I bumped into a lot more. But the room got warmer and the smiles a little
friendlier as we danced along.
Then someone turned up the tempo of the jazz. A
lot of people come by themselves and leave having made friends. There was small
talk while I nervously tried to avoid stepping on my partner’s legs. He says
that in a city so huge, it can be tough to find groups to socialise with. Wonder
if I’ll sign up for the dance classes now!By arrangement with thecitystory. I
realised that, deep down, I hadn’t come here because of any love for dance.A
social seems like an idea from a bygone time. Lindy Hop is easy to learn, and
you can be spontaneous with a lot of the movements – as long as you get the
basics right, of course. It’s a party without the need for mingling, very little
need for awkward small talk or knowing anyone. In a culture where it’s not easy
to make friends of the opposite sex by just going out, these events gave people
that avenue and an alternate form of socialising. It was more curiosity – would
people have fun alone at a dance party in this city? I had patted myself on the
back for having made the brave move to come by myself, but now I was going to
have to dance, matching steps with a person who I’d met merely seconds ago. One
or two even snuck in a salsa or jive move. I certainly didn’t feel like a dance
professional, but I was sweaty and content. I hadn’t even touched my phone for
four hours now.
There was a general nervousness running through the room as
people scanned each other as if there was a collective realisation among the
newbies that maybe a dance form from the ’20s did not a fun party make. Some
told me not to hop (it’s called Lindy Hop, man, what else will I do!), some
wouldn’t let me stop dancing. A social is a perfect setting where the steps are
easy and the dance uninhabited. A few people came by and waved goodbye with a
smile. The awkwardness of standing next to strangers was slowly fading.
Chaitanya Senapathi, instructor, organiser, and administrator at these socials,
agrees
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