Saturday is change-over day in Herräng, and yesterday was the first time in two
years that I have seen it from the point of view of somebody staying on. It was
quite different from the other days. There were lots of people lying around
doing nothing, generally surrounded by piles of luggage, and I was asked a lot
of questions. Also, the band rehearsed in the park, because the Folkets Hus was
closed.

The difference extends to the dance floor. Many have observed before me that
when people come to Herräng for the first time the social dancing is mildly
terrifying. The rooms are very crowded, especially on Saturday because some of
the rooms are used for registration and for auditions. The best dancers on
the floor are extraordinarily good: literally the best in the world. And they
don't hold back! This is the place to see and be seen. It is natural (but
incorrect) for a newcomer to feel that they do not belong here.

My job as a lead is to help my partners to have fun, and on this occasion my
social skills were taxed. For each person I had to balance the easy moves they
have seen before, and which will make them comfortable, with my fancy unusual
moves that are the reason they did not stay at home with the people they know
well. Everybody around me was understandably making more mistakes than usual,
so I had to be a bit conservative in my floorcraft. There is also a minefield
of etiquette to negotiate when dancing with people from so many different
countries. To top it all, I found myself dancing sometimes with small children
and sometimes with old ladies.

By Sunday morning, we are all like old friends, or maybe just high.