WALKING
‘AND. FIVE. SIX. SEVEN. EIGHT…’
By Rachel Mead
There’s a new dance in town, in fact it’s probably being performed across the whole country, and possibly worldwide when you come to think of it, but what with the UK closing its borders I can only tell you about the dance which is being choreographed within my local area. It’s a dance which you will have completed countless times already. It can’t be performed solo, and it is one which you have undoubtedly shimmied and shuffled your way through many times with varying success. The level of the performance isn’t entirely down to the ability of your twinkle toes because this dance involves unknown partners or sometimes whole troupes, and to take it to another level, you have never strutted your stuff with these folk before and you are highly unlikely to partner with them again. If you have small children or a dog then the technical level of your dance routines is inevitably much higher. 30
The daily dance is of course the Covid Quickstep. Depending on where you live will affect which moves are required by you, and the challenge, as with any genre of dance is of course to keep to the time. For those of you who live in a town you will know that you can’t perform this Pandemic Polka without a warm-up. A quick walk to the shop for the newspaper now involves a series of ‘doorstep neck rotations’ which are crucial for scoping out the immediate paved dance floor to see how many fellow dancers are in your midst. Taking the leap out onto centre stage involves precision, the throng of the cast ebbs and flows around you, and you know that no amount of double reverse spins are ever going to get you a solo in this show.
what drives this Viral Volta and extra points are awarded for showcase hedgerow heel-turns and driveway dosey-does. The whole performance involves an intricacy whereby all dancers within this unofficial company are reacting to one another’s movements, and a chain reaction of twists and turns can ricochet along the pavement. On the whole, the dance when performed in England is traditionally polite, one utters thank you to their momentary dance partner as they gracefully side-step to allow them to pass. Another adds a fleeting wave of the arm or perhaps a nod of
The Lockdown Lambada, whether performed on city pavements or country lanes, has strict rules. If you are wanting a ’10 from Len’ then be sure not to stray into another competitor’s dance space. The two-metre rule is
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the head in place of a curtsy in their impromptu routine. Some dancers, shy in their ability, turn their back on you as you boogie past, others cautiously chassé along - treading lightly and softly, whereas the parent with dog lead in one hand and child’s hand in the other almost pirouettes past in a whirl, commanding the commuter limelight in a flurry. As ever, with Covid being very much part of our lives, the show must go on, so stay safe and, perhaps in the confines of your home, you can continue to dance like nobody is watching.
To find some more inspiring walks in the countryside: www.visitsouthsomerset.com /menu/inspire-me/ brochures.aspx?parentNodeName=Brochures# If you would like to recommend a ramble for Rachel then please email rachel@zestbureau.co.uk You can also see more photos from each walk on instagram: rachelsrambles /TheConduitMag
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