Swing Inertia Out
In this day and age, hardly a day goes by without some sort of reminder of the importance of keeping away from a sedentary lifestyle and, in order to do so, the possibilities on offer are endless. Yet, are you sick to death of always attempting the same activity and failing to stick to it? In that case you might be interested in giving Lindy Hop a try.
Lindy Hop is a purely exhilarating dance popularised in Harlem, New York, in the late 20’s, where couples dance to swing music. It is named after Charles Lindbergh’s flight to Paris in 1927, when the newspaper headline read: ‘Lindy hops the Atlantic’.
The dance has no hop, though, but loads of ‘swing outs’, one of its core moves and it is wonderful fun. After a slowdown, there was a revival of Lindy Hop in the 1980’s and today there are communities all around the world and Murcia has had its own since 2015.
I have belonged to the ‘Murcia Swing’ community for 4 years and during this time, I have been involved with different degrees of engagement: going to regular classes, joining the weekly social dance, attending festivals, workshops and other events. As far as I am concerned, not only is it a way of fighting off inactivity, but it is also socialising and getting out of my comfort zone, as you get to know new people regularly and are constantly facing the challenge of learning new moves and routines.
Three years ago, on a long weekend in Madrid, I even ventured on a night out on my own; I had the certainty I would end up mingling with other ‘hoppers’ and so I did.
If you want to learn more about Lindy Hop in Murcia, you can visit the website tejemaneje.es or the Facebook group ‘Murcia Swing’.
Keep in mind; this is just a choice at the end of the day. Whatever you choose, don’t allow ‘inertia’ to undermine your body and mind.
Irene Larrocha Déniz
Escuela Oficial de Idiomas