Another Night at the SO36

The SO36, on Oranien Strasse has traditional dancing every Sunday, with a short intro course for beginners who can’t dance, (like me!). I go with Berlina, Felix and Clare and we try to learn the hrhuhmbahhh (which must be pronounced just like that, accompanying a sway of the head). Traditional partner dancing is in (again) in Berlin, especially with the Kreutzberg queer scene. Nothing compares to watching some immaculately collar shirted and dancing shoed men spin their partners around. Or alternately, playing the guessing game while sitting on the side (which I often do, not knowing the dances) of who’s man/woman/once a man/once a woman/leader/follower/friends/dating?
When we arrive the room is split into leaders and followers as the teacher shows the next step. I realize I can’t tell which side to go to… there is an equal number of women and men on both sides and it’s almost impossible to figure out who is whom…no one ‘looks’ any more like a follower or leader than the other.
Figuring out the steps—which foot, forward, back? oh I have to count and, wait where are my feet supposed to be on the turn?—makes me feel ungainly and pleasantly comical, laughing as I lose the step direction for the oom pah pah umpteenth time.
We leave a moment to go across the street where the Kreutzberg Nose-Flute Orchestra is whining out 50’s pop tunes…novel, but not as melodious as it sounds. Back at the SO, the night continues with a short variety show and then more partner dancing music until some point at which the place turns into a regular disco (here that just means club really). This means music good for single dancing (unless, of course, you can figure out the partner dance steps to Billie Jean…which some people do…)
This dancing is thrilling…if you know the steps and/or have a good partner. It’s also a lot of fun to watch from the side if people have some fancy footwork, but in the end I’d rather dance myself, even all by myself.