Parallels Between Lindy Hop Social Dancing and Mizahar Roleplaying:
1) Every written thread is like a song that I dance to. Each thread I might have a different writing partner and each song I might have a different dance partner.
2) People come primarily to enjoy the activity, writing/dancing, and any additional socialization outside the activity is just supplementary.
3) Lindy Hop dancing and roleplaying draws people from many walks of life and all kinds of age groups. I will write with people of any age and I will dance with people of any age.
4) Sometimes dancers and roleplayers will leave and never return, while others might leave for an extended period of time only to return a lot later and pick up the writing/dancing again. There is also usually a core group of regulars that can usually be counted on to be there on a steady basis who welcome people in and out of the community.
5) Each song might have many dance moves that are familiar but sometimes there are surprises or mistakes that turn into moves that make for a pleasant surprise. In roleplaying, some of it can be planned out, but sometimes the unexpected can arise and the story might go in an entirely different direction.
6) People who are new or are beginners, are sometimes shy to ask veterans to dance/roleplay with them. Veterans are sometimes cautious about asking beginners out of fear of committing to a poor dance/thread.
7) Different dance venues bring out different dancers. On Mizahar, different cities have different PCs. Sometimes dancers cross venues or PCs cross to between different cities. But each venue/city has its own unique core group of people who are regulars there. Whenever visiting a completely new venue/city, sometimes it’s overwhelming with all the new faces, but usually they just all want to try you out and enjoy the fun you bring to the new place.
8 ) Dancing and roleplaying can be a very interactive experience and few people know the true joys of it. So it’s hard to get others to relate when you’re chatting about it to friends.
9) Sometimes dancers and roleplayers just stick to their circle of friends or regular dance/thread partners. They aren’t trying to be excluding to other people, but they know these people and know that they have a fun time with these people so they don’t always branch out to new people or those outside their circle.
10) Someone almost always has to ask the other person if they would like to thread/dance. If you’re shy, you might not get as many dances in or as many threads written. Fortunately, people are usually flattered or happy to accept a dance or thread from someone who asks.
11) Dancing or threading with a very skilled partner can greatly improve your own skill. A good dancer can make a novice look fabulous on the dance floor, and a good roleplayer can make a beginner shine and have a lot of fun as plots roll off the page.
12) Sometimes dancer cross over to other styles of dance like Ballroom, Latin dances, and West Coast Swing. For those dancing Lindy Hop, we might be curious about the other dances but we don’t really know what to think about them and their community. In roleplaying, there are those who visit other forums or try different genres of writing. We can appreciate that they are flexible and diverse in their writing, but we’re not exactly sure what to think about them because they aren’t as hard core with Mizahar as we are.
13) While most people come primarily to do the dancing/writing, a few people primarily come to socialize. I find it odd to see dancers who are mostly just chatting with friends or grabbing a drink or simply not dancing at a dance. Similarly, I find it strange when there are writers who primarily hang out on Chat and post in the OOC forums like in scrapbooks instead of writing out their stories.
14) When dancing or roleplaying, there’s no actual need to communicate other than through the actual medium of the activity, except to start/end the song or thread. In dancing, everything is communicated through movement and the physical contact between dancers. In roleplaying, it’s all communicated through the IC story. This can be incredibly attractive for people who are less comfortable in social situations because the bulk of the activity does not require it (or at least not in the traditional form of socializing).
15) Sometimes it’s just as wonderful to watch a beautifully executed dance or read a beautifully written thread, as it is to actually do the dancing/writing. It can be great inspiration too.
16) Both communities can be very protective of its members. In Lindy Hop, there is very little tolerance to people who solely come to pick people up, who are creepy or uncomfortable in any way, who are particularly unfriendly, or who dance in aggressive and potentially dangerous ways. On Mizahar, people who abuse the site or make things uncomfortable and no longer fun for other players, are often asked to leave.
17) There are dance crushes and there are writing crushes. Neither are romantic or sexual.
18 ) The majority of people who come to a dance/forum will arrive alone, interact with many people, and then leave alone. Occasionally people come to a dance/writing forum with a friend, and the odd time they come with their romantic partner. But during the course of the writing/dancing they are expected to mingle with other people besides the one they came with.
19) Sometimes threads/songs are short, sometimes they are long. Sometimes they are too long and you can’t wait for them to finish up. And sometimes you get a tiny taste of writing/dancing with someone but you never manage to get a second shot at it.
20) People sometimes judge by appearance and first impression. Those that dress well or have pretty boxcodes are sometimes thought to be good dancers/writers before even interacting with them. Those with more plain clothing or default coding might have to be seen (proving their skill) before people actively seek them out. But those with sweaty shirts, poor hygiene, hard to read fonts, or centered text are subtly avoided.
21) When dancing or threading with a new partner, sometimes it takes a little while to find your groove. Each person is just a little different and sometimes you don’t hit it off immediately.
22) Each dancer and roleplayer has their own style and preferences to the content they write/dance. If it’s a fast song, I have specific dancers who I target to dance with because I know they love and are good at fast songs. If I want to write about a certain theme, there are certain writers who I know are great at writing that kind of content, and I actively seek them out.
23) Sometimes on the dance floor you bump into people. Sometimes when writing you accidentally do the same event or write on the same day or otherwise ‘bump into people’ unintentionally. In both scenarios we try to avoid this.
24) There is a dynamic mix of the known, the planned, the unexpected, and the ‘What the hell just happened? Let’s do it again!’ Sometimes you can capture those moments, sometimes you really just can’t, but it was worth it all the same.
25) I love my many dance partners and thread partners. I don’t necessarily interact with them much in a traditional sense, like verbally in a social way, but there is an unspoken connection with them that leaves my soul feeling incredibly satisfied.
1) Every written thread is like a song that I dance to. Each thread I might have a different writing partner and each song I might have a different dance partner.
2) People come primarily to enjoy the activity, writing/dancing, and any additional socialization outside the activity is just supplementary.
3) Lindy Hop dancing and roleplaying draws people from many walks of life and all kinds of age groups. I will write with people of any age and I will dance with people of any age.
4) Sometimes dancers and roleplayers will leave and never return, while others might leave for an extended period of time only to return a lot later and pick up the writing/dancing again. There is also usually a core group of regulars that can usually be counted on to be there on a steady basis who welcome people in and out of the community.
5) Each song might have many dance moves that are familiar but sometimes there are surprises or mistakes that turn into moves that make for a pleasant surprise. In roleplaying, some of it can be planned out, but sometimes the unexpected can arise and the story might go in an entirely different direction.
6) People who are new or are beginners, are sometimes shy to ask veterans to dance/roleplay with them. Veterans are sometimes cautious about asking beginners out of fear of committing to a poor dance/thread.
7) Different dance venues bring out different dancers. On Mizahar, different cities have different PCs. Sometimes dancers cross venues or PCs cross to between different cities. But each venue/city has its own unique core group of people who are regulars there. Whenever visiting a completely new venue/city, sometimes it’s overwhelming with all the new faces, but usually they just all want to try you out and enjoy the fun you bring to the new place.
8 ) Dancing and roleplaying can be a very interactive experience and few people know the true joys of it. So it’s hard to get others to relate when you’re chatting about it to friends.
9) Sometimes dancers and roleplayers just stick to their circle of friends or regular dance/thread partners. They aren’t trying to be excluding to other people, but they know these people and know that they have a fun time with these people so they don’t always branch out to new people or those outside their circle.
10) Someone almost always has to ask the other person if they would like to thread/dance. If you’re shy, you might not get as many dances in or as many threads written. Fortunately, people are usually flattered or happy to accept a dance or thread from someone who asks.
11) Dancing or threading with a very skilled partner can greatly improve your own skill. A good dancer can make a novice look fabulous on the dance floor, and a good roleplayer can make a beginner shine and have a lot of fun as plots roll off the page.
12) Sometimes dancer cross over to other styles of dance like Ballroom, Latin dances, and West Coast Swing. For those dancing Lindy Hop, we might be curious about the other dances but we don’t really know what to think about them and their community. In roleplaying, there are those who visit other forums or try different genres of writing. We can appreciate that they are flexible and diverse in their writing, but we’re not exactly sure what to think about them because they aren’t as hard core with Mizahar as we are.
13) While most people come primarily to do the dancing/writing, a few people primarily come to socialize. I find it odd to see dancers who are mostly just chatting with friends or grabbing a drink or simply not dancing at a dance. Similarly, I find it strange when there are writers who primarily hang out on Chat and post in the OOC forums like in scrapbooks instead of writing out their stories.
14) When dancing or roleplaying, there’s no actual need to communicate other than through the actual medium of the activity, except to start/end the song or thread. In dancing, everything is communicated through movement and the physical contact between dancers. In roleplaying, it’s all communicated through the IC story. This can be incredibly attractive for people who are less comfortable in social situations because the bulk of the activity does not require it (or at least not in the traditional form of socializing).
15) Sometimes it’s just as wonderful to watch a beautifully executed dance or read a beautifully written thread, as it is to actually do the dancing/writing. It can be great inspiration too.
16) Both communities can be very protective of its members. In Lindy Hop, there is very little tolerance to people who solely come to pick people up, who are creepy or uncomfortable in any way, who are particularly unfriendly, or who dance in aggressive and potentially dangerous ways. On Mizahar, people who abuse the site or make things uncomfortable and no longer fun for other players, are often asked to leave.
17) There are dance crushes and there are writing crushes. Neither are romantic or sexual.
18 ) The majority of people who come to a dance/forum will arrive alone, interact with many people, and then leave alone. Occasionally people come to a dance/writing forum with a friend, and the odd time they come with their romantic partner. But during the course of the writing/dancing they are expected to mingle with other people besides the one they came with.
19) Sometimes threads/songs are short, sometimes they are long. Sometimes they are too long and you can’t wait for them to finish up. And sometimes you get a tiny taste of writing/dancing with someone but you never manage to get a second shot at it.
20) People sometimes judge by appearance and first impression. Those that dress well or have pretty boxcodes are sometimes thought to be good dancers/writers before even interacting with them. Those with more plain clothing or default coding might have to be seen (proving their skill) before people actively seek them out. But those with sweaty shirts, poor hygiene, hard to read fonts, or centered text are subtly avoided.
21) When dancing or threading with a new partner, sometimes it takes a little while to find your groove. Each person is just a little different and sometimes you don’t hit it off immediately.
22) Each dancer and roleplayer has their own style and preferences to the content they write/dance. If it’s a fast song, I have specific dancers who I target to dance with because I know they love and are good at fast songs. If I want to write about a certain theme, there are certain writers who I know are great at writing that kind of content, and I actively seek them out.
23) Sometimes on the dance floor you bump into people. Sometimes when writing you accidentally do the same event or write on the same day or otherwise ‘bump into people’ unintentionally. In both scenarios we try to avoid this.
24) There is a dynamic mix of the known, the planned, the unexpected, and the ‘What the hell just happened? Let’s do it again!’ Sometimes you can capture those moments, sometimes you really just can’t, but it was worth it all the same.
25) I love my many dance partners and thread partners. I don’t necessarily interact with them much in a traditional sense, like verbally in a social way, but there is an unspoken connection with them that leaves my soul feeling incredibly satisfied.
