17 Friday Night Swing! (2/2)

Jericho turned on some lightly jazzy music. ”Kenneth, come over here.” He motioned from the furniture-less living room (with the exception of the piano and a few other difficult to move instruments). ”The first basics I will show you are for a dance type called 'The Swing'. It is something you can practice both on your own and with a dance partner.”

Moira's eyes lit up. ”Ken you want to learn to dance?”

The pre-teen scratched his cheek awkwardly. ”Well, I wanted to learn to dance with you and your brother agreed to help me so I don't make a fool of myself.” He walked over to where Jericho was stepping in place.

”Mimic me for now.”

Ken started stepping in place to the rhythm as well.

”Lean forward, just a touch. You want to hover over your feet, not behind them. You don't want to be leaning forward excessively though or you two will bonk heads.”

Ken let out a light laugh. ”Okay.”

”Moira, come over and help him get his posture right.” Jericho called out.

The sister laughed. ”Brother, his posture is better than yours!”

After a few minutes of stepping to the beat, Jericho changed the song to one that had a similar rhythm. ”Next is Touch stepping. This is done with the same foot like this.” He kept the beat and touched a spot with the tip of his foot and then placed it down like a step. ”When doing the swing, touch stepping is very versatile. You can use it to move around, change postures and many other things. Moira will help you out with those but practice touch stepping both below you and also in all sorts of directions.”

Ken smiled as he got familiar with the modes of stepping. Without realizing it, his upper body started to sway with his movements.

Jericho grinned at the scene of the awkward kid picking up swing dancing faster than people would have expected. ”Excellent, you have swag.” He changed the song once more. ”The next basic step is called the triple step.” It is done like this. Jericho's feet moved at a fast pace stepping three times twice as fast as the original stepping.”

”Brother, your stepping is right but your posture is horrible, you will teach him all wrong if you keep it up. Ken, watch my movements.” She carefully repeated the triple step.

”Oh, okay!” Ken started repeating the triple step.

Jericho turned off the audio player.

”Eh? Why did you stop the music?” The pre-teens asked.

”So I can do what I do best. Moira, you got showing him the Kick Ball Step and the rest of the moves handled right?”

”Yep! Bring out the saxophone!” She exclaimed.

Jericho went over to the spare room filled with instruments. He grabbed the saxophone and returned.

Moira was already showing him the basics without the music.

Jericho started to play and watched the two of them dance for a few hours.

The sky started to get dark.

”Kenneth, I'll walk you home. The two of you can practice more of the swing as we head towards the elf village and as you two wait for me to log back on.”

”Thanks again Jericho for tonight! Can I come over again to keep practicing?”

The adult nodded. ”The swing will take a lot more practice for you to learn and there are a lot more dances to teach you eventually. Getting some skill outside of game will help when you do it in game.”

The two left the house and started walking.

”Ken, did you have fun?”

”Yeah, the swing is really awesome. It's a bit tiring though.”

”Indeed. It is an energetic social dance. Remember what I said though; practice both alone and with others. It will help you learn it faster.”

”Um, I did have one question.”

”Go ahead.”

”Are you really that bad at dancing?”

”No, but I know how to read the atmosphere. You wanted to dance with Moira and spend time with her. I noticed that you were in that awkward stage of both wanting and feeling ashamed to ask her. So, I gave her a reason to take over the process of teaching you so you didn't have to ask. Sometimes it is hard to ask for what we really want because we aren't taught how.”

”Thanks.”

”On another note, you are quite good at the swing. Here, take this with you.” Jericho handed the Pre-teen a small drive. ”The songs you were dancing to before are recorded on this. I will need it back but use it while you practice.”

”Wow, I can see why Moira talks about you like your biggest fan every day. See you back in game!” Ken ran back up to his house door.

Jericho waved the boy off and returned home. ”I'm glad Moira has good friends.”