Lindy Focus VII

I recently went to a Lindy Hop dance camp that lasted 5 days and 6 nights in Asheville.  It was like a Lindy Hop heaven.  Hundreds of people get together from all over the world to share their passion for dance.  There were people from the West coast, the North East coast, the South East coast.  We had the French, the Swiss, and the Sweeds representing.

It was all held at the Crowne Plaza Resort.  They made it so that we could dance until we were utterly exhausted and crawl to our hotel rooms to rest up for our next opportunity to dance.  There were lessons that people could participate in during the day based on the level of dancing that you were at.  I chose to abstain from the lessons because I needed a relaxing break.  If I participated in the classes and the dances I would return to work exhausted instead of rejuvenated. 

Instead of participating in the classes I lazied around the hotel, went shopping at the local

 Earthfare, saw Slum Dog Millionaire, and went hiking off of mile marker 407 on the Blue Ridge Parkway.  The hike was a little more difficult that what we had planned for.  The information we found said it would be moderate, it turned out to be on the difficult end of the spectrum.  It was at a 60 degree-70 degree incline for much of the way up,  and a 70 degree slope down the hill as we kept hiking through the mountain.  

 

Some of the highlights were seen in the competitions.  People danced solo and

 partnered; balboa, charleston, and lindy hop; danced with their dance partners and with total strangers. Winners were picked in each category.  My favorite competitor was this little guy:

His parents are avid lindy hoppers and dance together with him in their arms- he thinks it is the best thing in the world.  He stole the show by beaming during the whole solo charleston competition.  

There were social dances during the evening that went on into the wee hours of the morning (7am... I couldn't do it but I knew others that did).  Vintage jazz music inspired dance after dance.  A few jam circles broke out showcasing the best of the best dancers.  Each night, except for the first night, included a live band (Boilermaker Jazz Band and Russ Wilson and the Swingtets were my favorite two).  The nights ended with a DJs spinning their favorite vintage jazz songs.  

Oh and for those that don't know the awesomeness that is called lindy hop, here is my favorite performance of Skye and Frida.