After experiencing Lindy Hop for less than a year, it has become evident to me that the culture is a microcosm of life, full of life lessons. With the new year upon us it may be an apropos time to look at the first lesson I have learned from Lindy. (Apologies to you leads, I can only speak from the follow perspective)

Don’t Anticipate

It was only the second or third week of the beginning series that my instructor looked me in the eyes and said “Don’t Anticipate”. Wow, there’s a summation of an entire life philosophy in two words. For those of us who like to have control in our lives it is very hard to let go and let someone or something else lead. We dream, we plan, we have a roadmap laid out. Then some force comes along and directs you elsewhere. What the heck?

As dancers, we learn the basics, the technique, the steps. We build the foundation in order to prepare our brains and bodies to react to the direction our leads are taking us. We learn the choreography and don’t want to divert from it. In life, we do the same. We build the foundation with our social skills, our life skills, our education in preparation for where fate will take us or where we think we are going to take fate. Our expectations are built on traditions, social mores, and the life stories we have been told, the choreography of living. Life, on the other hand, like that tricky lead, may throw one into an unexpected inside turn. You don’t get the job you wanted, your relationship fizzles, whatever the situation, your conceived anticipated outcome is ruined. But that turn does not have to leave you unbalanced. The old cliché “Expect the Unexpected” can be a welcome mantra in dance and life. Preparation and flexibility are key in both. Prepare yourself for different routes, be observant to your environment, be willing to change and welcome it. What you discover is that you can accomplish things you didn’t know you could. And amazingly, the “choreography” is generally better than what you had planned.

When formulating new year’s resolutions last year (2010), it was determined that it was to be the year of no excuses, time to do things that I had wanted to do and found reasons not to.  Since I was a teenager I had wanted to jitterbug, but life got in the way of pursuing that desire. Five years ago a coworker mentioned taking classes at Atomic Ballroom. So in January I dropped into a Lindy Hop class there, then the basic series in February and have been hopelessly addicted ever since…..If you want to support my habit come dance with me Tuesdays and Fridays at Atomic and Wednesdays at Strutters.