The Origin Story -- Part III

[An on going series on how I started to dance.  Here is Part I and Part II.]

At the end of Part II, I was making my way to Angell Hall at the University of Michigan, with the intention of trying out the tango dancing class.  However, I just couldn't bring myself to do it, so I decided to jump ship and try out swing dancing, because it seemed less scary and less morally ambiguous.  So I crossed State Street and went from Angell Hall to the Michigan Union.

Just like there were iconic tango videos that I kept going back to watch on youtube, there were iconic swing dancing videos that fascinated and inspired me.

Here is one that combines science and swing dancing that fascinated me to no end.  In this video, the woman choreographed the swing dancing routine to illustrate her Ph.D. thesis.  Brilliant!



One of the coolest part of the dance is when she danced solo by herself in the middle of the choreography.  The way she stretched out her arms is both awe inspiring and courageous.  I know those are strong words for extending one's arms, but I bet for most people, it is incredibly scary for them to express themselves in this way.  To extent one's arms like this requires being willing to be vulnerable.

While I'm showing youtube clips, here is another all time favorite swing dancing routine by Dax Hock and Alice Mei, whom I had a secret crush on.  I know this is a bit naive, but I imagine that if the whole world can dance like this, then we will have world peace.




Even though swing dancing didn't trigger the morality alarm in me like tango dancing did, I was still extremely anxious.  There is a part of me that is like Chicken Little, thinking there is moral danger around every corner.  At the same time, I love to explore and try out new things.  I don't know why God has given me these two personality traits at the same time.  He must have a sense of humor.

I was nervous after the first class, but the instructors encouraged us to stay for social dancing, saying that is the best way to learn, especially for beginners.  Being the good student that I am, I just started dancing with people with the few moves that I learned that night: basic triple step, inside turn, and outside turn.  It boosted my ego and gave me more confidence when a few women complimented me on how well I was dancing for a beginner.  I didn't have all the moves, but apparently I have a very intuitive understanding of the music and that I danced to the music.  This is one of the complements that I have received down the road in other kinds of dancing.  I treasure these compliments.

The principle of learning, revisiting and mastering the basics is a theme that have cropped up again and again in my life.  When things get confusing and rough in life, this is one of the small rules that I can return to and find refuge and peace.