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Miss Double ShotA friend and I were out last week watching couples swing dance as part of NYC's
Midsummer Night Swing.
Essentially, Lincoln Center opens its courtyard to anybody who wants to
dance or watch; a live band plays swing music and it's kind of a blast
to watch.
I was surprised at how many guys got into dancing - I guess the guys I hang out are not as swingily inclined as
these gentlemen were! Most of them were proficient, if not great, at
what they were doing and looked like they were having a fantastic time.
It was easy to see that the women they were with were also thrilled
with the focus and intensity that the guys showed.
What kinds of non-traditional activities might be fun to do for a date night?
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Comments (33)
i can't dance to save my life.
i would go to Rollerball or whatever. Death Cab fans will know what i'm talking about.
The firing range!
Dancing lessons might be more appropriate.
I'd also love to go to lectures, volunteer (Habitat or soup kitchen?), or go roller blading or ice skating.
Take a nice long walk in the park with your date... It couldn't hurt to bring a camera! Central Park and the Cloisters are 2 places I highly recommend.
i attended midsummer night swing at lincoln center when i was in high school. it sure was a lot of fun. how about glass blowing? if you could find a place that is willing to teach it could be a blast.
Take lessons in something neither person has tried. Archery, bowling, boating, anything that opens the door for conversation, and possibly a hooby. Then grab some great food after that!
Furniture browsing is fun... just to see if you fit together in a big chair of course!
The shops where you can paint pottery make a fun date (Paint+playful couple=Messy fun).
Some other fun things are Bowling, Taking a walk!, swimming or boating,or going to the zoo or a museum.
Something else I've had fun with is going to a Mall food court. It's interesting to see what your date will order to eat!
The Bryant Park movie is wonderful! Although not if you really want privacy... I bump into someone I know everytime!Â
Everyone should be "swingily inclined" as you call it. There's a place in my town to swing dance every week for $3...and then you go and find out you could probably go out every night of the week if there was time.
It's such a marvelous time...and I've never found a place with unfriendly swingers :)
@manilajones@xanga - i've ALWAYS wanted to try that!
picnic at the Arboretum in Boston! :) [or in Central Park]
fly a kite... anywhere! [park or beach would be nice]
The firing range sounds cool.. I wouldn't mind. xD
& I LOVE Color Me Mine! That place would definitely be a great date place.
Or the ballet? You never know.. I took my guy there once for his birthday present [the story line was one of his favorites of all time -- Don Quixote] & it was amazing, just watching his eyes light up throughout the experience. Who knew?! :) It's also fun to just dress up for the ballet & then go out for desserts after. :D
The museums are also quite nice.. If you're in Boston, try the Isabella Gardner Museum. In my opinion, it's got quite a romantic air about it.
I think the Bodies Exhibition would be pretty cool too. [Ok, my nerd side is kinda showing now so I'll stop.]
OR right now in Central Park, they are kicking off the the 150-year celebration of the park & they offer helium balloon rides for $25 for 10 minutes. Supposedly you get a great view of the park. It just started today/Friday. The line wasn't that long but if you take into account 10 minutes per group, it can be a long wait...
can I be honest for just a second? it saddens me that you classify dancing as a "non-traditional" thing to do on a date when like a generation and a half ago, that was one of the biggest things to do.
why doesn't our generation DANCE??!?! and I mean, DANCE, not dry hump.
I love swing dancing. I took a vocal performance class last year with a focus on musical theater and we had to do swing dancing for one part and I got hooked.
My brother and I do it together now but I'm hoping when I'm in a relationship that eventually the guy will agree to learn. 
@blessed_saint_catherine@xanga - It saddens me as well. Be encouraged though, there is a good size following around the country that regularly participate in ballroom and other real forms of dancing. Sometimes they're tough to find, but they are there.
@blessed_saint_catherine@xanga - ah, was unclear - I think dancing is normal and fantastic, but the whole closing-down-a-large-area-in-NYC-and-dancing was what I thought was so untraditional :)
pretend youre a married couple and go house/apartment shopping! ...im doing that tomorrow =]
For "dates", my guy and I sometimes just go to the grocery store, find some food that looks good, and we go home and just make something...and then proceed to eat it while playing video games or watching stuff on youtube.
cooking together is always fun. If the guy stinks at it, it gives him something practical to learn and use in the future.
the most fun thing we've made is probably sushi. we got the seaweed and bamboo rolling mat, and then just made the rice and prepped the veggies. we've also tried to make imitation frappuccinos from starbucks (as it is getting old paying $4+ for one drink)
concerts aren't traditional dates either, but very very fun. Walking around the mall is fun too...but it's more of a teenager thing. Learning something together with a class is fun, my guy and I are thinking of taking a Japanese class together. Really, anything you can think of can be made into an exciting date!
Poetry slams are great for dates! Espescially first dates. Go to the slam first and get coffee after. They get you emotionally and intellectually charged enough to have really great conversations.
Fencing lessons would be a fun date too (though maybe not until you've been going out for awhile.)
Chelsea Market offers free dance classes on tuesdays (salsa) and fridays (tango!). and after each dance lesson, it opens up for a big dance party. i've been once and it was fun... a real mix of people though...young folks, senior citizens, a couple of weirdos. and i think how much fun you have during the lessons will also depend on the teacher...they rotate all the time.Â
to blessed saint catherine.
I totally agree i would love if i could take my boyfriend and go dancing, considering i've grown up around dancing, knowing how to dance. Actually iv'e tried, since we've been looking for something different to do rather than just watch movies at eachothers houses. It wasn't even actually dancing, it was at a club! Which means he doesnt' have to do antyhing, but sit there and let me do it all! Btu sadly he wouldn't go because he hates dancing, and frankly it kind of sadens me he wouldnt' just suck it up for one night, he might find he has fun!
Considering i'm in highschool, we like to do things liek paintballing, and thing like that. It creates competitivness between us, healthy competition.
scavenger hunts, drive-ins, roof-top picnics, and more.
the key for a different night date is adding romanticism and ingenuinity.
also spontaneous dates are hot so keep it fresh.
I dated a guy briefly once that took me swing dancing. He didn't know it, but I was in the swing club in my high school so I knew a thing or two. It was fun and different. I totally didn't expect that from him.
You just need to find something that isn't too OUT THERE and do something new and excited for the both of you.
Swing dancing is fun because it's not traditional dancing or trendy dancing, you don't have to worry about how you look. It's all about having fun.
for those of us who live around/in Manhattan/the boroughs, how about a night at ss seaport? i always thought of it as kinda a fun kiddy place, which it can be, but its fun for adults too. i was there just the other day and feeling like a 10 year old again was a nice feeling. i think it'd be nice to share with a date too.
::Rico::
@grumpieisme@xanga - but isn't OUT THERE exciting, too? i mean, not something like....cliff diving or something like that...but i doubt anyone would take a date to do something like that anyway...
@indie317beats@xanga - rooftop pic-nics. my heart is melting already. good idea.
@la_faerie_joyeuse@xanga - i've done the volunteering thing before. its actually a lot of fun and both parties come out feeling really good about themselves.