Tag: hot flash

We’re no angels

There is a bit of insanity in dancing that does everybody a great deal of good. — Edwin Denby

I don’t expect heaven when I die, but I’m getting a little Heaven right here in Seattle — the new location of my part-time dancing gig.

Dancers are on summer hiatus — things typically slow down in July and August, and the Hot Flash schedule is variable because of Mariners’ games (baseball in Seattle = parking hell). But the dances and the dancers will be back on a regularly scheduled basis in September.

In the meantime, I’m making noises with the management about a volunteer schedule — hey, I’ll be there dancing anyway, may as well do it on stage — but we’ll see. Either way, come dance with me on July 26 (Hawaiian shirt and bikini night!) and August 16. (Sorry, guys — Hot Flash dances are for women and transgendered people only.)

Dance to the music

So I did my dancing thing last night and had a blast.

The club was packed, the dance floor was heaving, and people were having a great time. DJ Stacey played Frankie Goes To Hollywood just for me. In my two sets, I got everything from “We Are Family” to “Sexyback.”

My mother was there. With her video camera and her tiger t-shirt. She got an unexpected treat when one of the other dancers dropped into her lap and started to wiggle… It was wonderful to see her smile and laugh and move to the music. She remarked on how much she loved seeing an entire room full of women who all looked so happy — and for me, the gift is that she was one of them.

And Nicola was there, which made it all the more special. She looked gorgeous, she told me I was fantastic, and she didn’t blink when other women stuffed dollar bills down my bra. (Is she a keeper, or what?) I feel very lucky indeed (no pun intended) to have such unconditional, confident love.

And good friends came to cheer me on. Thank you, thank you to Sue, Vicki, Alsia, Elbereth, Kate, Liz, and Luey for being there. Thanks for dancing (you all looked beautiful!). And thank you especially for the goodwill, and for letting me share with you some of the particular joy that dancing is for me.

Let’s dance

We’re fools whether we dance or not, so we might as well dance.
— Japanese proverb

My dancing debut is Saturday, April 5. Two shifts: 6:30 – 7:00 pm, and 7:30 – 8:00 pm. I’ll dance the first Saturday of every month for the foreseeable future, although I’m not entirely sure that I’ll have the same shifts every time. We’ll see.

A reminder of the pertinent details:

  • Neighbor’s nightclub on Capitol Hill in Seattle.
  • $10 cover
  • Coat check provided, $1 per item, and tip the coat check dude, he’s a sweetie.

It can get crowded, but please let me know you’re there!

I am so excited!

My new job!

I am a go-go dancer in a lesbian nightclub.

Seriously.

A 47-year-old go-go dancer in a lesbian nightclub. The dances are for women over 35, so I don’t look like someone’s granny who wandered onstage by mistake and started shaking it at the young people. Although we did have a grandmother on stage last night, and she was hot.

Last night was my audition. I danced my ass off for two half-hour sets, with a clothing change between. Afterwards, the owner told me, “I like the way you dance! You’re not a… classically good dancer, but wow, you have so much fun up there. It’s great.” And so I was hired.

I’m not sure if this makes me the Bold New Wave of club dancing, or the Novelty Act. I guess either is fine, as long as the crowd enjoys it. They were certainly watching, with what I interpreted as a mix of amusement and approval. From the stage, I can see the entire crowd; I can chart the conversations and read the body language when they watch me for a measure and then lean in to talk to each other. Oh my god, she’s wild up there! is followed either by the raised eyebrow of Seems a little extreme or the grin of How cool is that?

And that’s fine. I don’t need to be the sexiest thing on stage. I want to be the one who makes you want to dance a little harder, loosen up a little more. I want to show you the joy of giving your body to music without regard for how it looks. Because you know what? I am having fun up there. And you, on the left side of the floor, I saw you busting some of my moves. Looked great on you. You go, girl.

Certainly, I had to go for it. I decided I would rather have the story to tell of how I tried out to be a dancer and didn’t make it, than the story of how I almost… And here we come right back around to the possibilities conversation.

Oh, and I have a stage name! You can call me Lucky. I get paid, I get tips (well, we’ll see — none of us made decent tips last night, what’s up with Seattle women? Put some money in the jar, people! Baby needs shoes.)

Kelley Eskridge: Executive. Novelist. Screenwriter. Go-go girl. I think it has a certain ring, don’t you?

If you are a woman, come see me dance. (All women and trans people are welcome. Go check out the FAQ.) I’ll dance one show a month, and will post my schedule when I get it.

Sorry, guys. Or maybe not — I love to dance for/with men, but I wouldn’t get two steps onto your stage before being told to make room for the 20-somethings. It’s your loss. I like men enormously, but I think many of y’all have some wacky ideas about what’s hot.