Lindy Hop Etiquette and Safety Issues

From Cerasponza [67.125.240.21] - 9/25/05 11:48 PM

On hygiene...

DO NOT BE EMBARASSED ABOUT BRINGING EXTRA SHIRTS!  Yes, I said SHIRTS, plural, just in case.  Guys AND girls should have an extra shirt and preferably extra deodorant.  Only you know how much you sweat, and only you can control it!  I know people who bring 5 shirts, and I am ALWAYS appreciative when they change throughout the night. I know of one guy down in the Orange County area who, after about 2 songs, is DRIPPING.  It literally looks and feels like he was dunked in nasty water, and it doesn't smell good, either, whether or not deodorant is present.   He REFUSES to bring another shirt, because "it will just get wet, too".  And thus, many people will not dance with him. It's just gross. This is what 5 or 6 or 10 shirts would fix.  One thing to consider when choosing extra shirts is that sometimes people try to look for you based on what color shirt you were first seen wearing.  Thus, if you start out with a red shirt, you might want to bring another red shirt to change into, or maybe an orange shirt if you have no other red ones.  If you can't change shirts for whatever reason, at least dry yourself off at a fan or by going outside, and god forbid, do NOT try to cover it up by drowning yourself in cologne or perfume or febreeze or whatever.  That's almost as bad as the sweat itself.  In doubt about when it's time to change?  Just ask yourself if you would want to hug yourself in that state.

From luh [84.159.53.27] - 9/18/05 5:45 AM

There is a good wikibook already in the internet about swing dancing, including the Swing dance etiquette: http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Swing_Dancing#Etiquette

From adam - 9/18/05 2:25 PM

Hey, Luh... thanks!  There's actually a lot more on that page about swing (not specifically Lindy) moves than etiquette, but it's still quite helpful.  And I had forgotten about that wikibooks site.  It's really neat!

From adam - 3/5/06 9:41 AM

Risks of dancing?

- You could fall and CAN'T GET UP.
- You could fall in love with a DANCER! :o
- You might get addicted and find yourself being a loser geek that travels all over the world to get your fix.
- You could add a comment to a whiteboard without giving your address.

From 71.192.143.203 - 2/15/06 4:08 PM

 Do you think that there are anymore websites about helping find out abou the risks of dancing?  If so I would love to no but i don't know how to contact you!   thanks for the information

From stevenm1955 [71.32.242.55] - 12/29/05 2:53 PM

Hey, sweating is a GREAT THING  .  As long as one is well hydrated  (I do mean WELL hydrated), & clean, sweat should not have an odor.  Problem is guys mostly do not hydrate as well as gals.  Women KNOW the importance of hydration to avoid a urinary tract infection.  Guys aren't privy to that info.  Sure we know the basics- no garlicy foods (but are only focused on breath).  Being dehydrated poses so many complications- even drinking ample amounts of  'caffeinated beverages'  (fluids) noxiously (& grossly) contribute to dehydration 2ndary to the diuretic effects of that  'drug'.  Additionally A LOT of medication are STINK BUGS in a underhydrated body (& TOXIC!!!).  If I am dancing HARD (or other exercising), I carry a water bottle (some venues BAR H2O bottles- they want to sell you whiskey [actually- I found out  {in Oregon] it is the liquor commission- OLCC] they want to monitor brought in ETOH in containers).....  I try to drink 2-3 pints of H20 (free bathroom sink H2O will do) per hour. Most come out as sweat that is so fresh smelling (Yes- I am very grateful to God that I can sweat freshly).  There was actually a venue here in Portland (Viscount Ballroom) that when sold to the now defunct Bossa Nova- took out ALL their H2O fountains (that IS a fact)...  With that attitude they lasted a slow & costly year & died a miserable & sad death.  Here is a cool site on the excertory system ( http://www.borg.com/~lubehawk/hexcrsys.htm#skin ).   I also like to 'double shirt' ( a tee-shirt underneath)- Amazing what 100% cotton can absorb before wicking out.  Tucking in shirts while dancing hard is analogous to  'microwaving a sausage in its casing'  UGH!!! 

As I did my best to stay focused & included a good link for supportative data- I HAVE to include this sidebar- as I so diligently  'danced' about  caffinated drinks.  Phosphoric acid is an ingredient so common in soft drinks (whether caffeinated or not),  added as a safety (preservative) http://www.madsci.org/posts/archives/mar98/890115811.Ch.r.html  There are studies suggesting that Phosphoric acid in it's intermediate oxidative processes leach Calcium from bones in premenopausal women leading to undeniable statistical evidence of pathological fractures in the hips & trochantors of young women.  I don't have that evidence @ hand, but this link is interesting. http://scifun.chem.wisc.edu/chemweek/H3PO4/H3PO4.html .  No, my kids & I do not drink soda except on a rare occasion.....  Thank you for letting me ventilate (yes, I do feel so much better Now.....  I have to go back to work.

From stevenm1955 [67.189.73.78] - 12/15/05 5:32 AM

As it is early & I a bit chit chatty- in response to the  'salt type'  antiperspirant  from Trader Joes.  I without a full back-up of supportative data believe you might be talking about aluminum chlorhydrate (ACH)( http://www.summitresearchlabs.com/summit-content-anti-products.htm ).  There is a hush-hush about this compound being the cause of a high incidence of breast cancer in women & Alzheimer's (in both sexes), but the data is not yet conclusive (or is the word 'repressed')?  Potassium alum has been deemed as  'cleaner'. Deodorant stones are made of potassium alum. It is a pure product made without the addition of chemicals, fragrances, oils or alcohol.   is a colorless substance that forms octahedral or cubic crystals. Here is a single cool link that has several excellent references regarding aluminum chlorhydrate vs. potassium alum.  These particular mineral salts: Potassium alum molecules have a negative ionic charge, making it unable to pass through the cell wall. THEY ARE NOT ABSORBED. This is why deodorants are safe to use and will not cause high levels of ALUMINUM in your system. ALUM and ALUMINUM are two different substances, with distinct chemical signatures. They possess different chemical properties which create different chemical attributes.  http://askwaltstollmd.com/archives/antiper/168475.html Additionally stay away from the Tiramisu @ TJs.  It is awful.  REAL AWFUL!!    http://www.heavenlytiramisu.com/

From Cerasponza [70.132.33.97] - 11/13/05 11:02 PM

Instead of regular antipersperant made for underarm use, also consider the rock crystal type.  Essentially, it's a big salt-like rock that you wet and then apply to any body part - try feet, back, etc, even your face.  Keeps you dry without any residue.  It comes in spray form, too. Look for it at Trader Joe's or other supplier of similar "natural" products.

From Joe [67.160.66.49] - 10/14/05 6:57 PM

I sweat a lot when I dance. I've found that if I a take a couple of songs after every five or so that I dance to sit by the fan or go outside, that I can make it through a night on two or three shirts. Also, to make each shirt last longer, take a towl and dry off completely before putting on a new shirt, or else it just soaks up all of your sweat. Don't forget that antipersperant (unscented) can be applied to the back and stomach. (You can't be rid of sweat completely so don't try, but it can offer a little extra help.)

On a side note, I make a point of asking follows to dance towards the end of the night, when they're all sweaty and self conscious, after a while they tend not to mind if your shirt's not exactly fresh from the dryer. (warning: this tactic does not elieminate the sweat limits, but it can stretch em a bit)