swing revs 2019

Oh hi Leeds! Time for Swing Revolution!




I stayed with in an apartment with these beautiful people, and while we weren't in the same streams and didn't have the same dinner plans, I really enjoyed chatting on the way to and from the venue, and getting to know them better over breakfast. A++ people across the board.

(Yes, Liam was also at the event, and since I've already had a few people ask why we weren't staying together, here's the answer: We realised that we've become quite dependent on each other when we go to dance events. And while it's lovely to want to spend all the time in the world together, it's also not healthy in the long run. It's got to the point where people assume that we come as a pair to everything, and it's doing my head in; I need to maintain my independence, thank you very much.)





Campus is apparently really pretty. And spring and everything!


Saturday dinner - yummy daal at Vincent's.




These cutie pies, Rafi and Vincent, did a fabulous 30 second showcase (and, very well-deservedly, won the comp). It was so good I'm already excited for the video to come up on youtube so I can watch it again.


Other than what's pictured, I had a quite mixed weekend. The general atmosphere was super nice and friendly (and as an organiser myself I know how hard it can be to create that), I really liked the venue, and all the nicest people were there. But some things were a bit disappointing.

The classes were ... so-so. The teachers were great and their material was great. But I was unfortunately quite disappointed anyway. I was in the teachers' track, and it was a couple signup. I signed up with Liam, and expected to work with him, work on our teaching partnership (that's what they've done in the teachers' track previous years). But in classes, we were rotated all the time. This meant that I had to spend a lot of time acting a follow doll for other leads, instead of discussing and figuring out important things - things that I could have learned a lot from if I'd been allowed to work with Liam. So essentially, I didn't get what I signed up for, which was a bit shit (and yes, I went to speak with the committee on Sunday morning to see if there was anything they could do about the situation, but nothing changed). I really can't recommend the teachers' track despite the material being interesting and useful.

My thought on the socials: I LOVED Pete Long on the Saturday, and would have wanted to dance a lot more than I did. The dances I did have were all fabulous! But the dance floor was completely lined with follows. Apparently they didn't balance the dance roles at all at signups? I was quite disappointed, as I still refuse to hunt down leads who are clearly on their way to someone else, or to their water bottle. There's a part of me that's starting to feel like maybe I've done my last dance event as a follow. Now that I've started noticing the power dynamics between leads and follows (this imbalance, that leads are chased and pandered to and revered, while follows have to do all the work of chasing, and get used to going unnoticed - how did we all learn to just accept and embrace this situation?!), I can't un-see it. There's a feminist follow revolt bubbling up inside me (quite fittingly, as "Swing Revolution" is the name of the event ...). Just you wait.

The most fun bit was probably David Broad coming up to me and asking if I wanted to sing a few songs with him ... in half an hour. That is a thing he does. :) I obviously said yes, I absolutely love singing with him and his band. And I'm very grateful that this is not ten years ago - I would have required weeks of practise and preparing to do that. Now we just pick the songs, agree on the keys, and do it. It's great. :)

Sammy Davis Jr. & Carmen McRae | People Will Say We're In Love