Traffic jam! I get totally lost – Sergio Intermediate

May 19, 2005

Wow. Until this lesson, I was feeling quite comfortable this term with Sergio's lessons. Some of the overwhelmed students were nearly in tears especially early on and seemed uncomfortable throughout. At the end, I too was completely flustered because of high level of difficulty of today's lesson.

First the traffic jam – jarring enough for me, more so for many others, esp. Tamryn.
R-R hold
1,2,3 open break (not backwards) on 1 (or maybe partner is pulled towards you right away on 1) and partner is pulled towards me to my right into sweetheart’s position as R-R is released and R hand goes to partner’s R hip (both now facing the same direction) on 3 for a slight tap
4 before partner makes a move forward for her 1 1/2 counterclockwise turn, I step across her path on 4 with my R foot
5,6,7 on 5, quickly step to my left with my L foot (!!!) as I turn ~90 counterclockwise and continue to turn counterclockwise ~270 to face partner by 8 as I somehow keep correct distance to comfortably place my R hand on partner’s back on 8

more filler to get to R-R hold
version 1 – tried once but aborted after Sergio complained of no one paying attention to a easy routine
1,2,3,5,6,7 basic
1,2,3,5,6,7 clockwise turn on 5,6,7 for partner
1,2,3,5,6,7 cross body lead with change to R-R hold
version 2 – shorter but slightly more complicated (simple enough but nifty and easy to use for changing to R-R hold!)
1,2,3,5,6,7 standard cross body lead until 6 (or 7 for Sergio) whereupon I switch to R-R hold and turn ~270 clockwise to face partner

Now the one that really confused the heck out of me…

open hold
1,2,3 cross body lead start
5,6,7 L hand high on 5 while R is kept low and end with wrap with L hand on partner’s L shoulder – release R hand (partner is meant to keep her L hand behind her back for a bit longer)
1,2,3 R hand moves over my head and get hold of partner’s R hand on her L shoulder in the inside (my forefinger is closest to her shoulder and my palm is facing partner’s neck)
5,6,7 gently pull partner’s R hand backwards (this is not too unlike breaking partner’s hand to get to sweetheart’s position except the connection is broken) and R-R is released – while partner is going backwards, I prepare my R foot on 5 and turn 180 counterclockwise (I was pivoting on my R foot, which may or may not be correct)
1,2,3 now it starts getting confusing – catch partner’s R hand with my R hand again and (I think on 3) my R hand is over my head and is tossed on 4 as my L hand goes to partner’s R hip
5,6,7 getting very lost now – R hand gets hold of partner’s L hand which had been kept behind her back all this time … my steps involve stepping in counterclockwise circles with my partner for at least 5 and 6 – I think starting on 7, I might be pulling partner’s hand backwards and then forwards (resulting in a full clockwise turn for partner and us facing each other with R-L pointing to my R)

– the ending was never resolved
A shine Sergio claims to have made up this morning
1,2,3,5,6 basic
7 R foot pointing to R
1 L foot cross over (Suzy Q)
2 R foot cross over behind
3 L foot cross over
4 R foot kick
5 R foot toe
6 pivot 180 on L foot
7 R foot kick
8 R foot rest
1 L foot cross over
3 R foot cross over behind to normal position
5 L foot cross over
7 R foot cross over behind to normal position
1 L foot toe pointing forward (=90 turn to right from previous position)
2 swivel on my R foot for a 180 clockwise
3 turn all of head to look left
4 …I can’t remember it anymore (not because it was hard) … maybe get ready for hook turn on 4
5 …maybe do a hook turn 180
6,7 …maybe do a split (not all the way to the floor, mind you – but Sergio did end with something like it)
and go back to basic

This being the last class and all (same was offered at the end of improvers), Sergio passed around a sheet to get info of people who’d be around during the summer and would be interested in “On 2” classes. I think he has more willing leader compared to followers. In any case, my reply was “To learn more things that cannot be used? Why not! Go New York!”