With my 60th birthday approaching fast, I had one final task to add to the list of 60 challenges. The more I tried to force myself to think of something, the more blank my mind seemed to become. And then two weeks ago Andrew and I attended the wedding reception of his godson Tom. The cake was cut, the music started and we took our places on the dance floor. All around us were wedding guests twisting, jiving, waltzing, hip-hopping and boogying (hmm - is boogying actually a dance? Anyway you know what I mean). And as for Andrew and me? Well there we were, just bopping and dad dancing in the same old way that we've been doing for the past 38 years. At that moment a small nugget of an idea for the final task came into my head........
Fast forward to Saturday 30 May at 2pm, at Gauthier Soho http://gauthiersoho.co.uk/ (it's a fab Michelin starred French restaurant, tucked behind Shafesbury Avenue - can definitely recommend it), where a small band of family and friends were gathered together for my birthday lunch. The task was duly described to them:
Andrew and I will learn a dance (selected by our birthday guests), film ourselves doing a performance of it, and put a videoclip on YouTube.
Each of our guests wrote down the name of a dance on the back of their name place card, put the card into a box and I then plucked out the winner. As you will have already realised (couldn't resist the blog title) it's to be.......the lindy hop! My daughter in law Liz is responsible for this inspired idea and has already sent me the link to a videoclip of happy-looking people lindy hopping http://www.swingland.com/. I'm very excited at the prospect of getting to grips with it (not sure that Andrew is quite as enthusiastic but his fate is already sealed) - and who knows, we may be putting on star turns at wedding parties for years to come.
The photo below shows the other dances that were suggested:
Spot the imaginative spelling of paso doble. In defence of the individual concerned, I wouldn't have got it right either. As you can see, the Argentine tango (my worst nightmare!!) proved to be a popular one. In fact so much so, that a minor rebellion arose from within the ranks regarding our selection method. So in a moderating gesture, we've promised to learn it as well, as long as (NB caveats are so important at a time like this) we manage to get our heads and feet around the lindy hop without starting divorce proceedings.
This task is a work in progress and more than likely will take all year to perfect. I'll keep you updated. In the meantime any comments on our lunch guests' subconscious desire to make us suffer (highland fling - phew, narrow escape there) are welcome....
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