Training

During the day (all day from 9am to 9pm) we practice dances. That sounds like a lot of dancing and it certainly can be. If you are dancing for a medal (which is what I am doing), you wait for your dance to be called then you move to the circle at the front of the hall. You are separated from the rest of the dancers by a rope and they can practice on the remaining two thirds of the floor. Margarete puts on the music and then she and Leif watch. When you have finished, they elegantly guide you towards improvements you can make and put on more music. After two or three dances, your turn is over and they call the next dance up to the front. It's possible to spend a lot of time thinking about your dances and only twenty minutes at a time actually dancing.

Diplom is different. The diplom dancers all have the same dances, so they move into the front ring by name. Everyone can practice all of the time to all of the dances whether they are receiving the attention of Leif and Margarete or not. The floor and the music are there. If you are dancing both märke (for a medal) and diplom (for a certificate) you will be dancing all of the time. Of course, we do have 3 hour lunch breaks at 3pm every day; and a coffee break during each of the morning classes so it's not all work, but it does seem gruelling to do both.

My dances are going well. I knew there was work to do and I think we're doing it. I am dancing Bingsjö polska, Polska och Bakmes från Lillhärdal, and Enbens (that means one-legged, for the man of course) Boda. When Tom and I dance Bingsjö it's like the Earth has stopped rotating we are just continuing to turn. It's smooth and fun. The Lillhärdal will get there this afternoon and the Boda by tomorrow. Come Saturday, the world will stop and it will just be me and Tom turning.