The December Waltzing Party

To my delight, six women and girls and seven men and boys came to dance at the December Waltzing Party.

A Numbers Game

If you are reading this in Canada or the United States, you may think this a small turnout. However, our biggest turnout (for the parties, not the ticketed dances) here in Edinburgh has been 21, and last month it was 10. More importantly, last month only 3 women (including me) came to dance, and two of us were over 40 and one was under 13. Thus 13 people, with gender parity almost reached (and 3 of the ladies between 17 and 25), is to me a success.

I am glad I didn’t call it off.

The Hidden Costs

My first piece of advice to all would-be dance hosts and hostesses is to calculate how much you can afford. Originally I meant in time and money, but eventually I realized that there is an emotional wear-and-tear that time and custom might not resolve. I, for example, suffer real anguish if young women don’t come to my parties, and probably would just the same if they did but young men didn’t. You, however, may feel that as long as one member of the sex opposite to yours turns up, and the teachers likewise arrive, that will be enough. At least you will get a dance lesson.

I envy this Stoic approach, and indeed I tried to cultivate it all week. However, it wasn’t until I was assured that three young women, plus a mother-and-preteen-daughter from Glasgow, would be there that I could fully relax.

The Event Itself

I was so relaxed the hall’s locked door and the custodian’s absence did not distress me. I merely took out my MMWP notebook, found the jannie’s phone number, and summoned him. Then one of the boys and I set up the refreshments table, a merry Christmas tune played over my powder-blue Bluetooth speaker, and I called the company to order. Mr McLean, scooting about in his wheelchair, reminded me to start with the Prayer to St. Michael which, as the eldest male present, he led. Then I reviewed the basic 6-count Lindy step for the sake of the beginners. After that our professional instructors arrived.

Was it my imagination or did an expression of faint surprise cross a teacher’s face when it was clear all our “leads” were men and all our “follows” were women?

Then followed about 50 minutes of learning a partnered Charleston routine, a nice addition to our swing moves toolbox, and about 15 minutes of the Cha-cha which for me was madly modern.

After that we had a much-needed refreshments break. There followed about 10 minutes’ review of the Box Step, so that there was at least some waltzing instruction in the Waltzing Party, and then the Free Dance.

The freedom of the Free Dance is that I stop micromanaging for up to half an hour. There is still only one strict rule: only the boys are allowed to ask. They are free to ask or not ask. The girls are free to say yes or no. As I mentioned during the Waltz review, we are very Old School.

Pro Tip: Louis Armstrong’s “Winter Wonderland–Single Version” is much too slow for the Lindy Hop.

We ended with dancing an off-beat (literally) Strip the Willow and singing Alma Redemptoris Mater.

The Rewards

This was the 19th Mrs McLean’s Waltzing Party, which has been in existence since February 2023. As a result, some members of our tradition-minded Catholic community now know how to dance or have become better dancers. If they visit trad communities in the USA, they will take to their dance floors like ducks to water. If forced to share a room with rock-and-roll, they can at least dance the 6-count East Coast Swing. If a waltz is played at a wedding, they will distinguish themselves. I derive a great amount of satisfaction from these thoughts.

The Woman Question

It is just possible that more young ladies don’t come to MMWP because (theory) women are more conventional than men and thus shy away from weird stuff like Old School dance rules. However, it may also be that I have not yet found a hidden cache of local Catholic girls who want to dance and do not mind having to wait to be asked by men, let alone led to, on, and from the dance floor by them.

The Nitty-Gritty

Here are our other weird rules and customs:

• Mrs McLean’s Waltzing Parties are private parties for tradition-minded practising Catholics, hosted by Mr & Mrs McLean. Once a guest, always a guest, but please introduce to Mrs McLean anyone new who would like to come to the party before bringing him or her.
• We always begin by praying the Prayer to St. Michael. We always end by singing the season’s Marian Anthem.
• Gentlemen dance as leads, and ladies dance as follows.
• Gentlemen test their mettle by asking ladies to dance, and ladies test their own by waiting to be asked.
• Ideally, gentlemen escort ladies back to their seats after a dance and then ask different ladies.
• The dress code for Sunday afternoon parties is what you would wear to a Sunday Traditional Latin Mass (minus veils, cassocks, etc.).
• That said, we recommend ladies bring flat shoes for Lindy Hop/swing-dance class.
• MMWP does not meet during Lent or Advent outwith Gaudete Sunday.
• If you are over 18, photographs of your attendance at an MMWP event may appear online.
• Donations are happily accepted; membership fees may become a thing.