Chaos, Panic & Disorder

"Chaos, panic, disorder... my work here is done."
So the saying goes, but so far only the 1st part of the statement is applicable to my life at this moment. I have 8 days left, and about 38 items left on my "Things To Do" list (none of which, by the way, include packing). I feel like a whirling dervish of insanity, which is actually a good thing because it makes what's waiting for me look that much better--a quiet house, a town that actually sleeps at night, green grass, no traffic.

I did manage to knock a couple of things off my "Things To Do Before I Leave L.A." list. Two weeks ago I went to the Magic Castle with my friends Stacey, Ken, and Bryan. The magicians (and the company!) were great that night. My favorite magicians were Gregory Wilson & Shawn McMaster. I was even an assistant for Shawn! A big thanks to Steve Moyer for helping make such a wonderful night possible!

Frankie Manning, 6/11/05

Shout 'n' Feel It

I also participated in my 1st Southern California-based swing camp--Swing Camp Pasadena. 91-year old Frankie Manning came by to teach some fancy moves, and there was a fabulous Swedish troupe--Shout 'n' Feel It--who put on at least 2 shows that weekend. (You can see some of their amazing performances here.) I danced from Friday night through Sunday night, and I was exhausted! But it was worth every minute!

And last Monday Jenny took me to Disneyland!!! We spent the day in California Adventure Park, which I had never seen, and hit the classics at night: Haunted Mansion, Pirates of the Caribbean, Indiana Jones, and the Jungle Cruise. The 50th Anniversary fireworks show was fantastic! And we had an incredible dinner at the Napa Rose restaurant in the Grand Californian Hotel.

On a much sadder note, my friend (& mechanic) Ryan Ito passed away suddenly at the too-tender age of 55. (You can find him listed in my very 1st blog under things I love about L.A.) He was a great guy--unbelievably hard-working & honest, with a great sense of humor & compassion. I'm so glad I got to tell him just last month about a disagreement my friend Fred and I were having over whose mechanic was best. Turns out we were both talking about Ryan. I'm really going to miss him.

This is going to be my last blog before I move. There's a total crunch on time right now, so once I get to Colorado I'll be able to reminisce more fully on my good friends, my good-bye dinner, and my last dance.

Onward and upward!

Learning To Soar (Part II)

A soul in tension that's learning to fly
Condition grounded but determined to try
Can't keep my eyes from the circling skies
Tongue-tied and twisted just an earth-bound misfit, I
...
There's no sensation to compare with this
Suspended animation, A state of bliss
Can't keep my eyes from the circling skies
Tongue-tied and twisted just an earth-bound misfit, I
--Pink Floyd

"Rock back right. Step straight forward left. Left hand grabs his right shoulder. Swing your legs up. Don't collapse your arm! When you come over his head make sure you spot the ground. Land with both feet." Congratulations! You've just completed a helicopter.


The general rule of thumb is that as you get older you tend to settle down, stay more firmly rooted in place, and learn to see risk as "danger" as opposed to "adventure." But there are some who never stop wanting to fly. We can't wait to ride the latest, fastest roller coaster and we envy trapeze artists and astronauts. Earth is OK, but space is where it's really at.

Most dancers are pretty content to stay on the ground because the right partner can make you feel as weightless as a cloud. But there is a level of swing dancing known as "aerials" where the dancers strive for that atmospheric realm. You can usually catch a few aerials in the big dance numbers in films--a girl being thrown in the air or somersaulting around her partner's waist or diving through his legs--but you don't see it too often on the dance floor anymore.

After 3 years of dance lessons, I was itching to take the plunge. When I heard that a local dancer was looking for a new aerials partner, I figured it must be fate. I went to my 1st aerials class with some trepidation, not really knowing what I had gotten myself into this time. The teachers--Kim Clever & David Frutos--didn't seem too concerned about my being a total newbie and suggested I try a helicopter my first time out. Trying to sound cool and collected I said, "Sounds good. What's that?" "It's just a flip over his head."

*Zoinks!* A flip over his head?!? Were they crazy?!? Did they see how tall he was?!? I'm sure I told them I was a beginner! Well, the good news is that Kim & David are professionals and they were able to break down the move for me easily & almost painlessly. And the other good news is that within 45 minutes I was soaring through the air, attached only remotely to the ground through Herb.

Have you ever gotten on a swing after the age of 25 and jumped off mid-air? If so, you'll know exactly how I felt when I first went airborne. As a kid it seems so natural to fly, but as an adult your stomach lurches and your old-lady brain tells your body that it shouldn't be there, and then the body panics and scrambles to find it's way back to the ground--all within the space of 3 seconds. It literally feels like the moment when Wile E. Coyote realizes he's stepped off the cliff. I do believe my 1st & only mid-flight word was, "Whoa!"

But I survived it and I loved it, so I keep going back for more. The next mornings are usually the worst--the sore limbs and bruises. I just keep reminding myself that Herb's got it worse than me. He's the one who's got to do all the heavy lifting and take my body slams standing still. And while I wish there was time to learn every aerial ever invented, I am quite grateful for this small opportunity I've been given to fly. I try to remember to spot the ground but I always hope it will take it's time meeting me, because how often do you really get to soar?