Holy Land Open 2015

the 'blue' level workshop group at HLO 2015

After every dance weekender I go home deflated that it is over and determined to return, but after the Holy Land Open I'm not sure my conviction to make sure that happens could be much stronger.

Just as I had to recalibrate my opinions of what constitutes a great book after reading John Steinbeck’s East of Eden (you must read it), HLO’15 has done the same thing to me for west coast swing events.

I wrote something similar after Budafest 2015 and due to its sheer scale (nearly 1,000 dancers) I thought it would take some beating, but I have to say that HLO blew it clean out of the water. I have never had more fun than at the Holy Land Open and for that I especially need to thank the Israeli WCS community.

To start with, a massive congratulations must go to Alex, Gadi, Miri, Shani and others for nailing it on their first take. I wouldn't have had a clue that that was their first big weekender as everything ran so smoothly throughout. And if I heard correctly, there was no west coast swing in Israel just two years ago but yet the enthusiasm and excitement and sheer size of the WCS community could fool you into thinking it had been there for donkey's years! By comparison, my scene in Belfast, Northern Ireland is actually older but we could probably host a social dance in an elevator (although we are definitely growing!!).

If you read my post about Budafest I mentioned towards the end of it that a chance meeting with a group of Israelis at the airport on my way home was pretty much the reason I registered for HLO. Those guys had given me some of my favourite dances in Budapest and so, having met some of its international ambassadors, I was very keen to see if they were a fair sample or an anomaly.

To say my hopes and expectations were met is a chronic understatement.

Before I even get to the dancing, I have to state that I have never met a nicer group of people anywhere on Earth! I love travelling, at my last count I have visited around 60 countries so I reckon I have a decent handle on comparing cultures, but the warmth I felt in Israel matched the scorching heat (seriously, it was the tail-end of winter and it was 32°C?!) and made me feel incredibly welcome.

I was always going to have a different experience as it was the first time I have ever gone to an event on my own - west coast swing or Lindy hop - so, although I could rarely be described as shy I was still curious what it was going to be like without having my usual Swing Belfast safety blanket, as whether or not they tolerate me, my Belfast crew usually still have to room with me!

To start with, when I arrived in Tel Aviv I was greeted by my friend Dana and her flatmate, David, and I have to say a massive thank-you to the pair of them for putting me up before and after the event.

After an introduction to some of the finest Israeli hummus and meeting Luke and Tana who were also staying the night, Dana and I (but mainly Dana) set about creating our costumes for the Purim dance party before I conked out after a full day of travelling in the hope of getting a few hours kip before an early flight to Eilat, by the Red Sea, where the event was being hosted.

Arriving at the hotel I met a few more familiar faces (some of whom greeted me with a kick up the backside - thanks, Adi) before Stas (the top bloke who was to be my roommate for the weekend) and I checked in and then everything kicked off with a two hour question & answer session with Jordan & Tatiana. They fielded questions on just about anything and this included a few tips on how to help the scene grow in Northern Ireland which I hope will prove to be successful!

After that, a very quick lunch, and then the class level auditions, the workshops began, and for the whole weekend they were fantastic with each pairing teaching something completely new that also characterised the dance styles of the teachers: Torri Smith & Maxime Zzaoui, Chuck Brown & Nataliya Kharlanova, Maxence Martin & Virginie Grondin, Colleen & Arthur Uspensky, and of course Jordan Frisbee & Tatiana Mollman.

With there 'only' being around 200 people at this event, split into 3 levels, it made the vibe more intimate and the classes more manageable in terms of getting to know others in your group, but again this was made easy by how gregarious this crowd was and set things up nicely for the evening's socials.

However, before hitting the social dancefloor, there was the small matter of competing. And in costume, no less.

I'd said after Budafest that I didn't think I would compete again because I didn't want nerves ruining my fun but it seems that that stance didn't last long; mainly because Dana 'suggested' that a fair repayment for her hospitality might be for me to partner her in the competition heats! And despite my protestations I have to admit I was glad of Dana's insistence because I actually enjoyed it.

Maybe it was because of the ulterior motive (competing as a favour rather than a personal desire), or the wonderfully ridiculous costumes we were attempting to dance in (which made me write off the idea of being genuinely competitive due to associated dexterity issues) but I didn't actually feel that nervous at all and although we didn't place it was a bit of a personal victory for me, so thanks to Dana!

After a strategic nap and a shower (it could be argued that the latter was also strategic) I was all set for a bit of social dancing and this is where the weekend really came into its own.

“ 

halfway through the social on the Saturday night it occurred to me that my face was sore because I had been smiling so much 

”

Of course I got to dance with my favourite dancers/dance crushes from Budafest again but I met a whole load more who quickly started to populate my 'favourites' category, and what made these dances so incredible was the connection I felt with so many of my follows and a lot of that was to do with their unspoken communication.

I've heard it especially emphasised in salsa dancing more than any other style how you should "lead with your eyes" and obviously success in such an endeavour requires that the follows match the eye contact, but this is a completely under-appreciated aspect of swing dancing as well.

That said, there are some obvious cultural differences in what constitutes socially acceptable levels of eye contact and in the UK, Ireland, the USA, and a few other countries the 'staring' threshold is set pretty low, whereas to some Central or Eastern Europeans it apparently seems quite normal for follows to completely fixate on their leads for the duration of the dance.

And if that follow also happens to be really attractive, well, that intense eye-contact can sometimes wreak inner havoc. It's a good kind of havoc that disappears after each dance, but still. Havoc.

It does help your lead, though, having a follow match your gaze and it also provides an opportunity to read whether or not they are actually enjoying the dance and although I may well be seriously mistaken (as my inability to read women has become a recurring joke amongst friends) I did get the impression that, by and large, I was succeeding with that at HLO, and to get that kind of feedback throughout a dance makes me feel like a million dollars.

In fact, halfway through the social on the Saturday night it occurred to me that my face was sore because I had been smiling so much. I can only recall that happening to me once before in my life so there's a good yardstick for what this event was like. And this was not only because of how nearly every follow made you feel during the dance but after each dance as well - you were thanked with a hug!

To a member of a less-huggy culture (for all that's said of our world-famous friendliness, in Northern Ireland said friendliness towards a stranger is generally at arms' length) something like that really warms your soul and underlines the sincerity of the thanks given for a dance enjoyed. It's a simple thing but physical contact breaks stuffy barriers. I noticed the same thing when I lived in France and greetings were accompanied by 'bises' - kisses on the cheeks (and none of the facetious "oh dahhling!" *mwa mwa* air-kiss rubbish that aspirational socialites dish out) - and it was the same with hugs in Israel where the culturally encouraged intimacy sort of fast-tracks complete strangers to friendship.

Back to the dancing, though, and I just had so many highlights. Again referring to when I first experienced it at Budafest, one of the things I noticed about the Israeli crowd was that they really have fun with their dancing. That's not to say they don't take their dancing seriously but at least that seriousness isn't plastered across their faces and I definitely find it easier to relax when I feel I am not being judged through a frown.

I've also realised that, while I sometimes write about it here, I don't actually tell the people I dance with just how much I enjoyed dancing with them, and I need to change that, because, having had a few make a point of telling me, I know it didn't half make me feel awesome!

One of my highlights was getting to dance with Torri Smith to "Uptown Funk" of all tunes! For anyone unfamiliar, Torri is a "Champion" which means she is one of the best of the best. Again, a lot of people may be reading this through Lindy lenses and may not be aware of the stratification that exists in the WCS community. There are pros and cons but the more meritocratic approach attempts to balance competitions etc so that new folk aren't always up against *that* guy who, 20 years ago, danced his way out of the womb in Toms/Keds after an intensive selective breeding program. The levels are: Newcomer, Novice, Intermediate, Advanced, Allstar and Champion. And I got to dance with a Champion.

On top of that, I also had Colleen Uspensky, another Champion, come up to me at the end of the weekend, address me by name (despite never actually having had an opportunity for me to introduce myself personally) and apologise for not getting an opportunity to dance with me before wishing the growing NI WCS scene the best! Whaaaaaat?!

clockwise from top left: massage circle to ease the weekend's pains; ready for the Purim party; a great way to remember the weekend; Purim in Tel Aviv with Adi & Dana; roommates!

And things like that are one of the reasons I love this thing called swing so much - I honestly can't name another sport, career or hobby where the world's best are so accessible and where they are nice back - a dance with Torri, chat with Colleen, Q&A with Jordan & Tatiana. And this is not a point of boast - I reckon most swing dancers could share similar stories or better (and at some point I will share a really great story from Dana about another Champion, John Lindo) - but just another way I want to emphasise what wonderful people can be found in the west coast swing and Lindy hop scenes.

Another first for me was getting the opportunity to be a follow for a few dances which was a daunting but educational experience. To those outside the dancing fraternity who are a bit insecure this may seem a bit weird, but it is pretty common, especially amongst the best dancers.

Now, I am so far short of that category that I have zero intention of conflating myself with it but learning to be a follow can only do me a huge service as a lead as it can provide an insight into what feels good or bad to the other half of the dance partnership. And as I want to give my partners the best possible experience every time I dance with them this can only be a good thing for all concerned!

Other things I got to practice were a few steal dances and a little bit of Lindy hop when the music allowed it so I have to say my weekend had it all, including making it to Breakfast Club (dancing until, well, breakfast) every night/morning.

Meeting so many great people also set me up nicely for a full week of actual tourism because once I had hopped over the Jordanian border to visit the stunning ancient city of Petra and then taken a trip to Jerusalem to visit the Old City (two places I have always wanted to visit) I had a few days in Tel Aviv to see the sights there and hang out with some of the folk I had met over the weekend.

This included getting the opportunity to attend the biggest costume street party I've ever known along with Dana, David, Adi and around 50,000 other revellers in the centre of Tel Aviv for Purim (and I need to thank Adi for her help with my costume!), and I was even able to sample the Lindy hop scene where I met a few folk who I hope to see again at Herräng this summer.

I could honestly keep typing about my trip to Israel but I fear people might lose the will to go on, so I shall stop here. Again, a massive thanks to the organisers, to Dana, David, Adi, and Stas for hosting/rooming/making time to hang out with me, and to everyone else over the weekend, Israeli and otherwise, who I danced or chatted with. I'm sure our paths will cross at other events soon but if not, I look forward to seeing you all again at HLO 2016!