LESS PERFECTION AND MORE HAPPINESS FOR THE SOUL

I decided to show the world that “I Too Sing Lindy hop and I am the overweight sister.” It’s in my soul. It’s in my history. It’s in the way my body reacts to the music. It’s in how I connect with others. It’s how I respond to learning the history of the dance. It's how people look at me and assume my weight will hold me back until they see they can't touch this! It’s in how I want to share the dance with everyone I come in contact with.  I am certainly not perfect but you best believe I am certainly happy. I am always happy to dance with my friend and jazz vocalist Mr. Charles Turner. Since Lindy hop originated on the streets of Harlem. I can certainly relate because I grew up in the Bronx just a #2 train ride or Bruckner Expressway drive away. For the record my first dance craze was “break dancing and pop lockin” so I am a converted Lindy hopper.  Like Lindy hop break dancing of 1970’s and 1980’s took the same course as Lindy hop first starting in the streets, clubs, then it hit movies, then Broadway, spread to the South and West coasts, and now it is worldwide. Literally, I like break dancing in my teens I like to love to dance outdoors. Taking Lindy to the street, to communities that have long since forgotten it is the best jolt of excitement. The crowds join in and want to learn. Some even start taking classes. Venues in NYC like Harlem Week, block parties, the Intrepid, Governor’s Island jazz Age Lawn Party, 125th St Pier, and the Charlie Parker Jazz have allowed me to showcase my love for the dance.  Although the ground pitch is not good on your knees this the time I have the most enjoyment because the crowd starts pumping you up. Of course, they are excited to see this big girl get to the get down. My knees are bent, and arms wrapped around my partner and my body is ready to be “swung out.” I am hoping that my body rhythm or what they call pulse is in sync with my partner. When the pulse between my partner and I is on point that is the best feeling in the world. My heart is racing; my body is moving fast, my giddiness is obvious by my laughter and facial expression. I have so many pictures that people Facebook tag me in that always show me in this mesmerized condition. And if the song just so happens to be Lionel Hampton’s Lavender Coffin then this one dance has come full circle. Wow! Homerun! Then it starts all over again with a new partner. Not perfection but happiness. As the great Queen of Swing Ms. Norma Miller reminds me “Lindy is indeed a Happy Dance.”

Keep Swingin’ Y’all!