As I reached my mid-20's, I decided to learn country western dancing. You know? Country 2-step, waltz, cha cha, etc. I danced around the floor for months reciting "quick, quick, slow slow" until one day I realized I didn't have to recite the steps my feet were to do, but just enjoyed the music and followed my partner. No accenting parts of the music was necessary. After all, this was social dancing and my job was to keep my steps in time to the music. The dances were structured and left no room for personal interpretation separate from my partner.

My introduction to west coast swing began in a country western bar. What a unique dance to learn. I am now given the opportunity to interpret what I'm hearing in the music as I dance. What a concept. I've mastered the basics and now I have to listen to phrasing, breaks, where and when to accent certain parts of the music to develop my style and to show that I hear pieces of the music I never had to listen to before. This was something I was never taught. This is quite a challenge.

Those of us who social dance west coast swing might wonder what makes a dance extra special with a certain partner while it's a struggle with others. I had the opportunity to engage in a conversation with another dancer who questioned why some dances felt great and others were the longest three minutes of his life. I told him that it's my belief that the answer lies in our background. Some of us are trained in dance and some are trained in music or possibly both. Are we able to draw from our background to put the components together as we dance west coast swing? If so, we have the compatibility to create a wonderful dance with our partner of the same background. The partner who hears the same nuances in the music and can accent the dance the same way we do, makes the dance a pleasant experience.

by Michele Geerhart