It’s officially day two of the Phoenix July 4th swing dance convention. The convention is being held this year at the JW Marriott Camelback Inn in Scottsdale. West Coast Swing dancers from all around the country are here to learn, to compete, and to dance. And this event does a great job bringing in some stars of the dance to teach.

Yesterday, July 4th, was pretty much a freebie day for attendees. Workshops all afternoon were free with the exception of one held in the evening. Following the workshops was an open evening of dance in the big ballroom. As I felt my first time coming to this a few years ago, I am reminded at how little I know, and how good you can get at this dance form. Most who are here are serious dancers, which means they are really good. It also means they make West Coast Swing a big part of their lives, and they invest substantially to improve at it- in both time and money. Weekly private lessons, practicing with an equally dedicated partner- it’s what you have to do to really become good at this dance. Me? I play at it. I take group lessons once in a while. I enjoy dancing it when I can. It’s a toy to me.

Still, it kind if shows who is serious about the dance and who is meddling with it at the open dances. If you are a novice or a pretender, the pros you dance with sniff that out, and you are relegated to the one and done group. The great are here to learn from- and to dance with- the great. All the rest of us have to both take the scraps they throw to us off of the table, and find others like ourselves who can accept where we are as dancers, and who will dance with the more newbies like us.

The workshops are fantastic though, and while I wish I could take them all, I learned last tune I was here that I really can only absorb so much, so I will take only a few of then today.

While I like watching others better than myself dance, tonight early evening is competition dancing, and nothing is going on for the non-competitor, so rather than watch others for three hours, a Diamondbacks game is a better use of time.

After the competition stuff ends thus evening after 10, the floor if the big ballroom will open again for all-in dancing (along with a midnight breakfast buffet bar for those takers) until the early late of the morning.

I may last on the floor until midnight. Not knowing many here and being a lower-class dancer, I find my options quell pretty quickly on the floor, and rather than just sit and watch folks all night, at my age, I prefer sleep.

The convention runs from Wednesday through Sunday. Tomorrow will be much like today- classes, competitions, late night dancing.

Good times.