Shadow Charleston

Last night Stephanie and I went out to Atomic Ballroom for a 7 pm class on Intermediate Charleston. I was hoping we would learn how to do the shadow Charleston. That's the move in the '20s era dance in which the the guy stands directly behind the girl, holding her hands in his. They dance the Charleston with identical footwork and hand motions, so that one one is shadowing the other. It looks great, and is a terrific addition to any swing repertoire. Our instructor, James, included the move in the evening's lesson; most important, he taught us how to start and end the shadow segment. Many months ago, I remember seeing other dancers weaving the shadow Charleston into their dancing and being very impressed--it seemed so far beyond what I could do. Last night's lesson was a further reminder that the performances that seem beyond our grasp are probably less so than what we imagine. We are rightly impressed and inspired by the skills of other people, but too often we wrongly conclude, "I could never do that."