This is the fourth and final instalment of Canberräng 2012. The weather taunted people with threats of rain as they headed to Old Bus Depot Markets for yet more lindy bombing. This drew a much bigger crowd than yesterday’s, including a few people I know from work. That, I can tell you, was a nice twist. This, again, featured the shim sham, but was otherwise an hour of all of us showing off our cool partnered dancing.
This was then followed by buying a lot of stuff from the markets. I snagged a few good purchases and had one of the most random lunches I’ve had in a while – bagels, croissants, samosas, herb bread, roast macadamia nuts and probably other stuff I’m forgetting (it’s amazing how hungry I’ve been over these four days).
Afterwards we headed to Lake George Winery. We travelled by the “singing bus”, a term I found out minutes before boarding it. I won’t say any more about the (mis?)fortune of jumping on this rather than the quite bus, only to say that if you’re attending future Canberrängs then I recommend tagging along. It’s an… experience.
Once there we took full advantage of the venue, downing more wine than I’ve had in a while. It was delicious stuff, accompanied by equally delicious live music. This was a popular event and a relatively small venue, which was good as it forced me to practice in-close dancing – very different from my normal style. At least, this was until we discovered the outside balcony – spacious, a little slippery, and empty, with a cool breeze and gorgeous views.
Shakespeare once said something about alcohol increasing the desire but decreasing the ability. Whatever he was talking about (it’s a mystery, I know) he wasn’t talking about swing dancing – while the first glass did make me lose track of my arms a few times, after that they only made my dancing better. That’s the way I remember it and I’m sticking to that version of events.
The way back was again by singing bus, only this time we had quite a bit of wine sloshing through our systems.
The final event for Canberräng was dinner, drinks and dancing at Digress, and Indian/Italian restaurant/nightclub. The staff, food and drinks are all really nice there. By this stage both the bands and DJs as well as the dancers were getting a bit goofy… the dancing became less strictly swing and more about random fun. My hat comes off to everyone though – people were still crackling with energy and enthusiasm even this late in the festival. If your perception of swing dancing is old people slowly shuffling around a dance floor, let me be the one to tell you that you couldn’t be more wrong. Swing dancers are passionate and eternal, their mortal bodies and all their woes just wash away while the music plays… until you sit down for a breather.
I would like to take this opportunity to thank the organisers, venues, volunteers and, of course, the dancers. This was nothing short of an amazing weekend. As a memento, I still have the bottle of “Medicinal Hooch” from Brewtopia, with my wristband for entry around its neck. Long may it stand as a reminder of how intensely I pushed my legs over these four days.
Swing Long and Prosper, Canberräng 2012. You shall be missed.
Swing Long and Prosper 