I’m sitting in my room, wiped out from what was supposed to be a “5 hour drive” that really turned out to be a “what the heck? It took us 8 hours?” kind of drive. The weekend of Boogie by the Bay 2011 is about to commence and I'm accutely aware: the ball is rolling... Abstract and Swing will collide once again... lines will be drawn and lines will be blurred... I can hear it now... 'Competitions and Questions and Music... Oh My!'
...and I realize, as I sit here in the quiet before the storm, just how much I wanted to share with you by now. I have so very much more to say than I did six months ago! I wanted to talk to you about the judging, and I wanted to talk to you about the music and the competitions and the social dancing and the teaching… there’s so much I have to tell you. And I really hoped to have told you by now.
I wanted you to go into this weekend prepared. I wanted you to walk away from this weekend understanding.
And so I ask myself. How do I release this massive body of knowledge upon you?
The one that's tripled (no pun intended!) in size since May? How do I get the dam within me to break? How in the world do I write on just one little topic, when really, it’s a book that lies within me?
Be it writer’s block, be it my jammed packed schedule of SwingIN!s, workshops, lessons and routines, be it injuries, be it anything... One fact still remains:
You aren’t hearing from me.
And there’s A LOT going on.
You should know about it. You deserve to know about it. And I can think of only one way to get it to you sooner rather than later without breaking my brain and body.
So I’m trying something new. As usual, when a major work and article is done, I will post it on my blog as a complete, finished and copyrighted work. Katherine’s Dance Word (my blog) will continue to serve as a FREE and excellent reference site.
But from here on out I will start sending WEEKLY NOTES to my Katherine's Dance Word & SwingIN! email lists. You are the ones who want to hear everything I have to say, even if it isn’t polished, primed and ready for publication. You are the ones who know even an ounce of truth is worth ten pounds of dust. The emails won't be four pages (I hope!) but they won’t be trivial either. You will gain much. Period. In fact, much and most of it will be pure gold. I’ll talk about things learned at the last SwingIN! I’ll talk about things I observed at my last event. I’ll talk about the music and I’ll even (gasp!) talk about the judging.
You will learn a lot. We will stay in touch. Because you are not alone… and I don’t ever want you to forget that. Ever. You are not alone. A revolution has begun. The Time really has Come!
If you are not already on my email list, I ask that you sign up with me today. There is much to be gained, and nothing to be lost… Here's the link:
As always, I encourage you to tell your friends. Every week I hear from at least one new dancer who has just discovered my articles. It's fantastic. But the point is that there are those who searching for answers still... those who haven't heard what's going on. Let them know.
And again, as always, send me your feedback. I do love hearing it. I may not respond right away, or even ever get to, but believe me; your comments make a difference. The main reason I have so much more to share with you than when The Time Has Come was first published is because I’ve had feedback from you. Feedback by email, by text, by private lesson, by conversation and by SwingIN! I love hearing about your experiences and I love hearing your questions. For example, I’ve developed my answers for both music and judging more than any other area… simply because those are the ones asked about or shared about most.
So let’s buckle up, everybody. Let’s enjoy each other’s company. And let’s start to live in this community with hope, honesty and a healthy, joyful removal of fear. Let's.... DANCE!
Best and with love,
Katherine Eastvold
