Hey! So after yet another dancing hiatus (thanks, covid), I've jumped back into the swing dance scene!
My summer break this year was shorter than usual because I had to make up time from my previous, uhhhh...covid vacation last winter. I can't complain too much because at least I didn't lose money, but it sucked working on my birthday. Anyway, I decided to look up swing dance events going on during my week off. I'd been occasionally checking the Facebook events, but they always fall on Saturdays when I work, or Sundays when I have play rehearsal, but can only maybe make it later in the day. During summer vacation, I was able to go to 3 events!
Event Number 1 Aug 11
First one was on the Odakyu line, Soshigaya in Setagaya. I chugged a 5% chu-hi for a bit of liquid courage on the way from the station and followed Google maps. It lead me to some neighborhood house's parking lot. That couldn't be right, so I tried looking it up again and changing it a bit, but then I got a different address about an hour away! I could make it in time for the dance, but I wanted to go to the lesson first to meet people and brush up on my dancing. I wandered a few minutes trying to figure out what to do, when an older man came up to me and asked me in Japanese if I was heading to this swing dance event, and I was like yes! Yay, so I'm not the only one who ended up confused in front of someone's parking lot. So we (he) asked a neighborhood person where the hall was, and it was actually one street down, right behind the parking lot!
We went in and were just on-time. I was hoping to see at least some people I met years ago when I was dancing before, but I did not. The teacher spoke some English and asked me if I'd danced before, and I told him yeah, but not for a while. Then, the man I met outside previously started speaking to me in perfect English! It turns out he wasn't Japanese, as I'd assumed he was, with his mask on and good Japanese language ability. He is also from America!
The lesson went well, I realized I remembered a lot more than I thought. Dancing came right back to me. Me and me new friend hit it off, not only conversationally, but dance-wise. We have good dance chemistry! His specialty is west coast swing, but most circles in Tokyo tend to be east coast focused. We had a shortage of leads, but still I was dancing quite a bit. I met another few foreigner people, a girl and 2 guys who were nice. I wanted to try to break into the Japanese group and speak more Japanese, but I was too shy.
At the end of the dance when it was me and the Japanese girls cleaning up, I lingered a bit to help out hoping to connect with someone, and one comment kinda bothered me. Maybe I am overthinking or misunderstanding something, but one girl complained something along the lines of all the leads being "gaijin". The word "gaijin" can be taken or meant in a negative way. The kanji literally translates to "outside person", while the true word for foreigner is "gaikokujin" which is "outside country person". The word gaijin is short and sweet, and we even call each other that, no hard feelings. I have no problem with any "bad" words on their own, but I got the feeling her meaning behind them was a bit stronger. Idk... It bothered me as the only obvious foreigner in the room who lingered behind offering to help, and like she just assumed I had no idea what she was saying and acted like I was invisible.
Anyway, I still was hopeful that someone would try to include me or talk to me or something. One girl was talking about getting drinks together after, and I was there, but at that point I really felt invisible. Whatever, I don't wanna be negative, but I wanna be honest, and this was how I felt at that time... Maybe they need to get used to me and realize I wanna be there and be friends. I gotta speak more Japanese and overcome my shyness? I am glad I went. I met a couple of cool people along with a person who makes me look forward to and feel passionate about dancing again. I also learned that here's a lot I need to learn dance-wise. A lot of the Japanese women there were EXTREMELY good dancers. As leads, follows, everything. Like, I'm ok. I'm a good enough follow, but I learned that there's so much more I need to learn! I left this day feeling inspired and slightly sad.
Event number 2 Aug 14
Zoshigaya in Toshima-ku. This one seems to have a monthly, same location. I decided to skip the lesson, but I came early enough to watch some of it. They were doing a solo jazz routine thingy, and my new swing friend dude was there. Also when I checked in, I recognized the check-in guy and he did me too! He said "hisashiburi" which is "Long time, no see!". That was nice. Then, me and my friend started dancing as soon as the lesson ended, and I got a little video for you! We danced A LOT, and I saw some people from the previous dance too.
Event number 3 Aug 20
This one was near Futakotamagawa. I was lucky that my work location this day was nearby. I could take a quick bus to get there. I, again, grabbed a quick chu-hi before-hand. It was so much fun! I met a girl who had her own drink, and was planning to hop onto another dance event after this one and she was a GREAT lead when she'd asked me to dance. The teacher knew English really well, and my new friend was there too. I danced until my whole body was sore!
Event number 4 Sept 11
After work started up again, and my friend wasn't able to come, but I met some new interesting people. I had rehearsal for Midsummer Night's Dream with my company that morning, went to eat Yakiniku nearby, then left. At the event, I got to join only the last bit of the lesson. One girl was one of the leads, and she was really nice and complemented my outfit. This event also included a Balboa circle, which I don't know at all, so some of the leads were I guess newish to the swing crew or at least new to me. Anyway, after the lesson, I found out that that girl was really good at English, so I'd asked her why she joined swing and she said she was into musical theatre, so I told her about my theatre/English job and the show I was working on that morning, and she was like wait, I know your job.... she had been a student at my company for years up until right before I started! She knew the people I was with that morning! What a small world!
Anyway, after that, I was a bit shy because there wasn't anyone else I knew well, and then she left. I think everyone there thought I was totally new and only learned what we did at the lesson which was suuuuuuper basic Charleston, so every lead I met at the lesson who asked me to dance assumed that was all I could do and didn't try anything else with me. All the others who came later didn't ask me to dance, and I don't ask people, I wait to be asked. So, I didn't dance much. But then I made another friend who was from Colombia, but unfortunately doesn't live in Tokyo. She likes Japanese fashion, music, and has been into swing dance for years!! How is it possible to meet someone so interested in these specific things like me? XD She is a student and lives far away, so I just hope our paths line up again someday. She seemed to have found and liked every cool place in Tokyo I also frequent after only being here for a short trip.
Anyway, those ar my recent swing dance adventures! I've got some more coming up again this weekend and later in October 😉
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