This exchange was in Osaka and was set for three days. It started on Friday at a club called the Cell Block. There was a better than average one hour lesson to start things off around 6pm and then dancing until late. The lesson was packed with beginning women (follows), but very few men (leads). Several women agreed to learn the lead part and I decided to try my hand at it too. It was my first time leading, but the lesson was great so I learned a lot of practical stuff. Things were off to a great start. I was recovering from a cold, though, so I decided not to push things too far. I only stayed out until about 9:30 or 10pm on the first night and then decided to turn in for a decent night's sleep before Saturday. Russell came home about an hour later. As far as I know, everyone else danced until 11:00pm and then switched to a late night venue where they danced until they couldn't anymore. Saturday started at 1:00pm with dance workshops. There were two workshops running at once. Russell and I both did 1920's Charlston for the first workshop, but then Russell and I split for the next two workshops. Russell went to beginner Balboa 1 and 2 while I opted for flare outs (a bit too complicated for me) and Tranky-doo (an fairly complicated line-dance based on a dance choreographed for a movie by one of the masters of swing). Russell and I both finished our workshops around 5:00pm soaked in sweat and ready to collapse. Not to mention hungry. Everyone broke for dinner before the main dance started at 6:00.
For Saturday, Russell and I had been clever and got a cheap hotel room in Osaka so we could stay out as late as we wanted. We retreated to our room to change into dry clothing. It had started raining outside, so I decided to wear my rain boots and carry my dancing shoes with me. The resulting ensemble made quite the fashion statement. I made Russell take a picture. After we were all ready to keep dancing, we met some friends at a bar near the dance for hamburgers and beers. Incidentally, I highly recommend Lion Stout to anyone willing to try dark beer. I had heard of it before, but its now one of my favorites. I believe it hails from Sri Lanka. We made it to the dance around 7:00. The dance was already well under way. This time we were at a local dive club famous as a pick-up spot with foreigners. This particular night the crowd was all about swing, though. The live band and enthusiastic dancers in full period costume did not match the half-naked pop music videos playing silently on the flat screens around the club. Some time around 10pm the live band played their last set and everyone stopped for an entertainment break. We saw a Charlston performance by two of the regular teachers and a traditional, Edo-period performance involving inter-woven sticks that was incredibly entertaining and pretty much impossible for me to describe in writing. It was great. More dancing to DJ swing music followed the performances and some time around midnight the swing dancers made room for the regular clubbers milling around outside ( looking very confused). We all headed to the late-night venue and kept dancing. Russell and I decided to bow out around 3am, but some of our friends stayed until the last - some time around 6am.
Sunday I had to run back to Kobe for our school festival. The festival (for me) consisted of lots of eating. The food was not exactly healthy, but I couldn't say no to all of my students begging me (in very decent English, I might add) to try their booth's specialty. I had paella, handmade gyoza (chinese potstickers), a crepe. yakitori (chicken skewers), a hotdog, lots of tea and some mochi sweets. I pretty much rolled back to Osaka. I figured I was burning it off, though.
Back at the exchange everyone had met at Osaka castle park to start the dancing back up. There was a live band playing while the dancers at picnic lunches and danced in the park. Russell attended the first couple hours but then had to go play with one of his bands. I made it back in time for the last hour, but wasn't as assertive as I needed to be (not realizing there were only four songs left) and never actually got to dance. I waited for Russell to finish band practiced, then met up with him, had dinner and headed to the main dance of the evening. We arrived just in time for another beginner lesson. There were fewer follows, but still a shortage of leads, so I continued to practice the lead part. Turns out, lead is pretty fun. Its hard to get started, but fun. This time we worked on some Charlston - not the 1920's kind, but the more modern, basic kind they teach beginners nowadays. This dance was the climax of the weekend. It had the highest attendance, the best period costumes and the Jack and Jill contest. Russell and I didn't know what a Jack and Jill performance was before that weekend, but assuming Osaka is following standard procedure, the rules seem to be that all the leads who sign up get numbers and all the follows that sign up get numbers. At our exchange there were about 12 of each - or 24 participants. The competition we saw split everyone into two groups of 6 pairs. The first 6 lined up according to numbers, then a dice was thrown and based on the numbers, the follows rotated down the line to be with a new partner. At that point the music started and the contestants danced. The first song was a slow dance, then the dice was thrown, everyone changed partners again and danced a medium speed dance, then rotated again and danced a slow dance. All the while there was group of six judges walking around the edge assessing the partners and how they all danced with different partners and at different speeds. After the first 6 partners finished, the second 6 partners took to the floor and did the same thing. From what I have read, lifts are generally not allowed during Jack and Jill performances. What makes this competition interesting, though is that you aren't (usually) dancing with an established partner. You have to do a good job no matter who you are paired with. It was fun to watch.
While the scores were being tallied the social dance resumed. We danced for about another hour and then we started to hear an odd thumping noise. The live band finished their song and the thumping got louder. We thought maybe there was a problem with the amplifiers or something. By that time the sound started to sound distinctly like a helicopter. Everyone was starting to notice and look around when the lights went out. The door opened and four men dressed in swat uniforms with replica guns came storming into the dance. We were all really confused at this point, but then a man walked in and started walking towards the stage. Everyone started screaming. It turned out it was one of Osaka's more famous comedians (Osaka is famous for comedians). We didn't catch his name, but the cameras were flashing and our Japanese dancers clearly had stars in their eyes. The comedian told a few jokes (I was able to understand one! Hooray!) and then sang some swing standards with gusto. Apparently singing is not part of his normal repertoire on TV, so everyone started screaming again. Everyone was very excited. After about 30 minutes, he wished us well and he and the Swat team ran out again.
The dance continued and around 10pm the finalists for the Jack and Jill competition were announced - three leads and three follows. They were then randomly paired together and had to dance once more time through three songs, taking turns this time so only one couple was dancing at any given time. They were really good, as you might expect.They all had very different styles, too, which was interesting. I believe there was another round of social dancing while the judges debated. Finally, at the end of the evening, the winners were announced. They then lead off a round of Snowball - a dance in which two people start and then the announcer yells "Snowball!" periodically and the dancing couples split up and grab one of the spectators. This continues until everyone is dancing and then everyone just switches around until the music ends. Finally, the main dance came to an end, and Russell and I decided to head home. We were seriously footsore and worn out from three days of dancing, but we both had a great time. The exchange wasn't over yet and many people continued on to the late night dance - which lasted once again until the early morning. We both had to work the next day, though, so we headed home. Needless to say, we slept very well.
If you don't know much about Swing, click here to see a Jack and Jill competition I found on YouTube. Of course, these guys are REALLY good.
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