“We love the winter holidays in my family,” he began, to the delight of the host. “My family celebrates Christmas on both December 25th and on January 7th, according to the Eastern Orthodox calendar, and the extended family on my father’s side celebrates Hanukkah.”
The other host—Giovanni—introduced the next segment. “Now we’re going to have Nik and Jess tell us a little about the dance style in their viral video and show us some moves.”
Nik, Jess, and the two hosts got up from their chairs and moved to a clear section of the stage.
“Now, what’s the dance called?” Elena asked, even though she knew perfectly well since it was written in her notes.
“The Lindy hop,” Jess answered.
Giovanni jumped in. “And that’s a type of swing dance?” Again, it was in his notes. This was part of the game.
Nik’s turn. “If you go to a studio to learn swing dance, there are three main types they’ll probably teach: East Coast Swing, West Coast Swing, and Lindy hop.”
They’d done this enough times now that Jess picked up the thread of explanation right on cue.
“The Lindy hop, as a dance style, originated in Harlem at the Savoy Ballroom in 1928,” Jess explained. “It’s a fusion dance that evolved over time with jazz music, and it’s known for its basic step, the swing out.”
Every time she talked about it, her demeanor brightened. With her eyes shining and her dimple flashing, she was a joy to watch. Nik hoped his open admiration wasn’t clear on his face, but if it was, well…so be it.
“And that’s what we’re going to learn today?” Giovanni asked, and Jess nodded.
Nik paired up with Elena, a petite woman with a sleek red bob and too much bronzer. “This is the hold,” he said for the cameras. “I hold Elena’s right hand lightly with my left—no thumbs.”
“Oh, sorry.” Elena giggled and blushed under the makeup.
He smiled to put her at ease. “No worries. This is a learning environment.”
A few feet away, Jess did the same with Giovanni. “I put my left hand on Giovanni’s arm, just below his shoulder, and he should put his right hand on my left shoulder blade.” When Giovanni didn’t move, she gave him an encouraging nod. “Come on, man. Do it.”
“Whoops.” Giovanni laughed and completed the hold. “I got caught up in the explanation.”
Nik explained the eight-count pattern, and Jess gave instructions on the stance. Once they’d guided the hosts through the swing out steps a few times to music, Elena and Giovanni moved aside to let Nik and Jess take center stage.
Jess stepped close to Nik and got in hold.
“Ready?” he asked.
Her eyes held a glint of humor. “Always.”
The song’s bassline started, and they flew into the dance.
This, by far, was Nik’s favorite part of the whole media circus—getting to dance with Jess again, to hold her in his arms without anyone wondering what it meant, and just letting the music carry them away.
They’d put together a short, fast routine backstage before the first interview of the day, dancing to a recent electro-funk pop hit they’d been able to quickly get permission to use. The objective was to go full out, as fast as they could, no holding back. So, even though Jess was the one doing most of the jumps, that meant Nik had to put in equal energy to balance her.
Starting with a swing out, they shook it up with swivels, kick steps, and spins. Their spirited intensity matched the bubbly vocals and bouncy beat, and at each turn, they found the camera with grins and winks. The vibe was flirtatious, a courtship between him, Jess, and the viewers.
When the heavy horn section kicked in, they shifted into the bigger tricks. Nik always took dance seriously, but especially when he was dancing with a partner. The moves could be dangerous if he didn’t stay focused, attuned to Jess’s energy and his own strength.
First a push out, where Jess used the tension of their joined hands to leap at him. Nik caught her hip and pushed her back out, admiring the force of her jump. When she landed, they circled each other with a series of deep swivels, throwing their knees side to side and showing off for the audience. Jess even stuck her tongue out at him as she improvised with a twirl.
A vision floated through Nik’s mind, of pulling Jess close for the next move and planting a kiss right on that sarcastic mouth. It would interrupt the dance, but her sexy little smiles and flirty winks were driving him wild with need. But he filed it away for later. If he had anything to do with it, they’d have more opportunities to dance together in the future. Without an audience.
Catching her hand again, they launched into a Frankie pop, jumping away from each other on one foot, coming back together with a small hop, and then rotating in the air—with Jess doing a full three-hundred-and-sixty-degree spin before landing again.
The studio audience murmured in awe, then cheered as Nik and Jess swung out into their last move.
The flash of pleasure in Jess’s eyes probably matched his own. There was nothing like dancing in front of a live audience. As professional dancers, they spent every moment practicing, but still, anything could go wrong. So when things went right? There was a rush of satisfaction, even after all this time.
