"I Don't Dance" (Yeah right)
Remember that one baseball scene in High School Musical 2? If you don’t, here’s a summary of a summary: Ryan is trying to get Chad to dance. Chad sings “I don’t dance,” while simultaneously dancing. Ironic, right? Well, I’m here to tell you that you are like Chad. If you think you don’t dance, you’re wrong.
Your next thought might be, “Well, even if I could dance, I never have an opportunity to!”
Once again, you’d be wrong. Or you just have never heard of English Country Dancing, which is a tragedy I intend to remedy immediately.
Not sure what this looks like? Think Jane Austen, or your favorite period drama on Netflix. In this traditional social dance, some dances happen in a large circle, and others break into smaller groups of 10-12 people. Everyone is involved in each dance. The person in charge leads you through the steps of each dance, making sure everyone is comfortable and on the same page before starting the music. The steps repeat throughout the dance and are easy to pick up. Seriously, the only skill that you need to dance successfully is the ability to count to eight at the most. If you don’t know how to do that, you will by the end of the night. Once you get in a rhythm, you won’t want to stop.
If you aren’t hooked already, here are a few more reasons why English Country Dancing is for you:
1. A workout, but fun! If you're like me, the honeymoon stage of a workout lasts maybe 10 minutes. Two hours of dancing, on the other hand, will help you get all your steps in or close those fancy apple watch rings easy peasy.
2. Everyone is as clueless as you. You don’t need to know how to dance. In fact, many of us have no idea what we’re doing. We will teach you! We learn, we dance, we practice counting to eight, we bond.
3. A chance to clean out the back of your closet. English Country Dancing is 100000000% more fun in a swishy skirt or that swag suit. This is the opportunity to dust off those outfits you love that never get worn. Get fancy, get funky, or …
4. Impersonate old men or show off your muscles! While formal wear is encouraged, it is not required, and can be interpreted in different ways. Wear anything from a formal dress, to church clothes, to an old man costume (yes, it has been done before), to your Concordia track meet outfit because even though you had a meet today, you had to come to English Country Dancing afterwards because it’s THE MOST AWESOME THING EVER!!!
5. No date required! If you have a date, great! Bring them! Share them! (You can have him/her for yourself for some of the dances, but in mixer dances you will have multiple partners throughout the dance. Yes, it is as epic as it sounds.) Otherwise, a partner will be provided for you. Bringing your friends helps with this. So, bring your friends. If you don’t have those either, come anyway. Friends can also be provided.
6.Line dancing is also involved!!! If you love line dancing (because honestly, who doesn’t?) this is the place for you. If you don’t know how to line dance, COME LEARN. You will love it.
I would like to think that I am a master communicator, but since that has been proven on multiple occasions to be false, I will reiterate the finer points.
WHY YOU SHOULD COME ENGLISH COUNTRY DANCING: Because it’s a fun, laid back, no pressure social event. And it makes you feel like you're in Pride and Prejudice. I know we all want that.
WHAT YOU SHOULD BRING: Your own lovely self, a willingness to learn, a water bottle to stay hydrated, a fun outfit if you so desire, and all of your friends. The more the merrier!
WHERE AND WHEN: Be on the lookout for posters with more details. A little birdie told me that this might become a monthly thing …
Now that you know what English Country Dancing is, you have no excuse. Come and dance!