Lindy Hop Mini Workshop 6/1/14

We've been working on controlling where we end up - maintaining the dance in cardinal directions.

This is part of an ongoing theme with our lessons about being more and more intentional with the movements we choose rather than just letting ourselves fall upon the same old habits.  It's tough and takes practice, but with more and more control comes more tools for artistic expressions and musicality (and not bumping into other people).

Plus, everything you can do forward you can do backwards.

Lindy Hop Mini Workshop 5/25/14

Last week was all about knowing where you're going and being intentional about your directionality.  Is that a word?

This is all part of a greater concept about being intentional with your movement and learning to control additional aspects as you develop as a dancer. 

Lindy Hop Mini Workshop 5/18/14

More side passes!

We reviewed last week's side pass exercise and added in this new "sliding doors" move.  It's both fun to do socially and also a good way to practice connecting and changing directions.

Give it a try and join us next weekend for more fun stuff.

Every Sunday at the Zendah Grotto, 6pm.  www.swingang.com for more info.

Zendah Grotto Mini Workshop Recap 5/11/14

Hurray for working video again!

This week we did side pass drills and added in a reverse swingout.  We even tested out our follows by having them close their eyes to focus on trusting the connection and continuing through with their momentum during the drills.

See you next week at the Zendah Grotto - 6pm - Free with entry.

www.swingang.com for more info.

Zendah Grotto Mini Workshop Recap 5/4/14

And we're back!

Last week we didn't have a recap because it was review week.  We did add some Texas Tommy variants, but that was all of the new content.

This week you'll have noticed that I don't have a video at the top of this post.  We recorded a recap in which you would have seen Jennifer Lai, guest instructor extrodinaire, and myself showing the variety of connection drills we did and how these make sense inside your swingout.  But there was a malfunction and Jen's internet fame will just have to wait.

So, I've included some clips below from some other people who I don't know showing something similar to what we did.  It's the next best thing, plus there's also other content we didn't do.  Enjoy.

Zendah Grotto Mini Workshop 4/20/14

Sometimes things get busy and you forget to do a recap video before the next lesson.  And sometimes you end up having to try to dance on asphalt in the parking lot while planes take off over-head.  You can tell by the pine trees in the background that we're definitely in Florida, haha.

So, this isn't the best rendition of this move, but hey, this is about helping everyone remember what we taught and not about showing off.  Mmm, this humble pie is pretty good.

Alright, here's the deal.  This move requires a combination of things we focused on with both previous lessons - directional momentum and rotational momentum.  Without both functioning correctly you won't hit the turns at the right time and you're not going to make it back around (kind of like how our move ends a little short with me sucking up all the movement and leaving Melissa in place.)  In a more ideal rendition we both would have captured the rotational momentum and moved around together.

Next week we're doing a recap lesson where we will go back over anything we've taught so far this year, so bring your questions and ideas because this one is about what you would like to work on!

Zendah Grotto Mini Workshop 4/13/14

I think we might have exploded some brains this week with the concept of extending the swing out by adding extra beats in the middle.  The video shows a simple version of this where we add extra "5, 6's" to create a longer 10 count swingout.

We also played with rotational momentum and continued to nail down the concept of efficient use of energy and movement.  Last week it was directional movement, back and forth, this week it was rotational.

Join us a again next week, 6pm at the Zendah Grotto, for more!  www.swingang.com

Zendah Grotto Mini Workshop Recap 4/6/14

Last week we discussed sending out the follow in different directions.

In exploring this concept our class discovered that we need to focus on where our energy is moving and make it more directed back and forth down the line of dance.  Our scene has a tendency to move circularly and to short cut the directional energy in our swing outs.

It was a very eye opening exercise and I hope everyone was able to take something new away from it.

As usual, we'll have a new lesson this week at 6pm with a whole new set of fun things to share!

Zendah Grotto Mini Workshop Recap 3/30/14

We've been working on traveling, consistent motion in a direction and while spinning, and redirecting energy. All that adds together into this fun combination.

Come join us next week at the Zendah Grotto for more!

www.swingang.com for more info.

Zendah Grotto Mini Workshop Recap 3/23/14

This week we had fun with pop turns and inserted one into the middle of a swingout on the 5 and 6!

Come join us every Sunday at 6pm at the Zendah Grotto for more lessons!
Visit www.swingang.com for more info.

Zendah Grotto Mini Workshop Recap 3/16/14

At the beginning of the year I started teaching a weekly 6pm mini-workshop class on intermediate Lindy Hop concepts at the Zendah Grotto.

The class is open to anyone who is comfortable socially leading swing-outs and using basic Lindy Hop techniques in their dancing.

The premise is to create an atmosphere where we all feel comfortable working on our dancing together, learning together, and generally growing in excitement for the dance we all love.

If you're in the Tampa Bay area I'd love for you to come on out and jump into the lesson.  Invite  and challenge your friends to come learn with you.  The more we lean together the better we'll all retain the information and get to use it on the dance floor.

The video above is a short recap from the lesson Melissa Reilly and I taught last week.  I can't wait for all the fun things we have planned!

See you on Sunday!

Double Events, plus Clips

With two simultaneous events next weekend, A Floor Divided and The Eastern Balboa Championship, I thought it would be keen of me to post some associated material.

First up is a recent Intermediate lesson recap featuring Peter and Naomi.  Peter is a master social lead and everyone attending A Floor Divided next weekend will benefit immensely from his instruction.

On a side note, check out all of the Uptown Swing lesson recaps for more great stuff to use in your dancing.

EBC is the other event happening that very same weekend.  My last visit to EBC was back on 2008, and if any of you have been to EBC you know that wackiness is a fundamental component.

During the event in 2008 they featured all of the instructors and had them dance to a previously un-announced song.  Nick and Sylvia were fortunate enough to get this gem; the original video is posted below for context.

Oh the magic of deleting just a single word.  Nick and Sylvia were great sports.

I'm sure both events will be awesome and I know I'm looking forward to more wackiness.

Frankie Manning

Frankie Manning's Birthday is this Saturday, May 26th.  He lived from 1914 to 2009 and is the most significant reason why we are all enjoying this dance today.

This video says more than I can ever say about this amazing man.  I hope you enjoy.

Shoop Doop Yah-te-dah - Mike & Nina

It's about time I featured these two.  This is a class recap by Mike Faltesek and Nina Gilkenson from the Seoul Lindy Exchange 2010.  

What I like most: Slapping the knee AND THEN turning and slapping the other knee!

I also really like:  Reversing the Susie-Q's and going the other way around.

What I don't really care for:  The swivel walk at the beginning.  It feels a little too effeminate for the male.  Maybe there's a way to do a different kind of walk instead?  Boogie forward?

Also, did you notice something similar to a video I posted recently?  I wonder if this is where the first video couple got it from.

Let's play with our social dancing more - I like the spirit of this.

And then there's this:




Shoop doop ya-te-dah...

You got that?  Awesome and fun stuff.  Who wants to practice these with me?

Yoyos - Kevin and Jo

Here's a great exercise for both leads and follows.  Turn up the volume to hear the instruction as the recording is fairly quiet.

Pay particular attention to his rock steps and the way he leads the direction of this move first with his body and then uses slight changes in the connection allowing for a wind up in her rotation.  Also pay attention to how connected she stays with his arm and how she commits to the direction changes.

I also noticed how she holds his arm firmly.  This is something Kelly Adams first pointed out to me.  I find that with some follows, especially smaller, lighter follows, this can help add a certain solidness to their connection.  Of course this is not a necessity and I'm sure some people would argue against it, but it's also not "against the rules" so try it and see if it works for you.

Jazz Steps and Swing-Outs Taste So Good Together - Uptown Swing

I like this - a lot.


This is a lesson recap from Uptown Swing by Peter Strom and Stacia Martin.  There's a whole lot here so watch it a few times.


They begin with a small routine with Jazz steps and then expand these steps into swing-outs.  Very very good stuff.


The Uptown Swing Lesson Recaps are similar to the 9:20 Special and Jam Cellar lesson recaps I've posted about before.  There's a wealth of learning available online, so use it to your advantage.


Bonus.  Here's another one I found that I thought you'd like:

Smooth and Technical, Close and Slow

While searching through some old 920 special instructional videos I came across this one with Jean Ma and Bromley Palamountain detailing some slick moves I'd really like to try out.  


I'd love to see someone locally pull off these moves in a social dance without telling me ahead of time.


I've been focusing recently on building a broader range of expression with my dancing.  I've spent a lot of time over the last year working on fast and big - on being more showy.  I didn't feel like I had much to "throw down" in a contest or a jam circle.  I'm happy to say that I've begun to make some strides in that direction, but I've noticed that I'm lacking also in the tight and technical area too.


When it comes to smooth movement, slower tempos, close or neutral connections I feel less sure, less practiced.  The video up top isn't particularly close or slow, but it's smooth and technical - one of these areas I wish to improve in.


So let's talk about close, slow, smooth Lindy Hop.  You've probably seen this video (cough cough, Skye and Frida).  They're close, smooth, connected, and the tempo of the song is slow, but they work in both slow and quick movements while remaining tight.

And that's one of the things I love about Lindy Hop.  These are all broadly different movements and steps, but they're all the same dance.


Do you have any suggestions for inspiration when it comes to smooth, technical, close, and slow?

The Chase!

This last year's International Lindy Hop Championship showcased many couples performing a move (and variations) found originally in the movie Hellzapoppin.  Performed by Whitey's Lindy Hoppers this move has come to be known as The Chase.

Warning: I've hot linked the heck out of this post.  I hope you take the time to follow these links and learn about all the awesomeness I'm too lazy to recap here.

The first video is a compilation of all of the different performances of the Chase throughout the ILHC 2011 competition.  I know, it looks crazy - and that's why it's so cool and why you should take some time to try it out.

I've included a video below of Ann Mony and Carl Nelson doing their video recap thing from the 920 Special (a wonderful venue in San Francisco) lesson on the Chase.  

Just like the Jam Cellar, the 920 Special video recaps are a wealth of information from some well recognized instructors.  I highly recommend spending a few minutes a week just searching through the lessons for new ideas.

Tranky Doo Follow Up

In the time since I posted about the Tranky Doo I've noticed a lot of talk and excitement from fellow dancers in Tampa and Orlando.  I know a number of you have been practicing and joining in at the local dances.  That's great!

My friend Don Kruse recently found and shared a list of all of the moves and the order they go in.  Everyone learns differently and I know that having a written list like this is helpful to me since I'm very much a visual learner.  I hope it helps you too.

Feel free to print for your own use, and if you know Don tell him thanks and ask him for a dance.  He's one heck of a dancer and a gentleman.

*Not a picture of Don Kruse

Tranky Doo Choreography

Breaktime - 2 bars (comes during the last 2 bars of the intro)

Fall of the logs - 2 bars (comes during the first 2 bars of the head)

Scoot Around with side to side - 2 bars

Fall of the logs - 2 bars

Scoot Around with side to side - 2 bars

Push Downs - 2 bars (8,1 hold 2, hop 3, 4,5 hold 6, hop 7)

Boogie Forward - 2 bars

Push Downs - 2 bars (8,1 hold 2, hop 3, 4,5 hold 6, hop 7)

Boogie Forward - 2 bars

Apple Jacks - 4 bars

Rocks - 2 bars

Side Rocks - 2 bars

Shorty George - 2 bars

Boogie Back - 2 bars

Shorty George - 2 bars

Breaktime - 2 bars

Knee Slaps - 2 bars

Crossover - 2 bars (clap on

Suzy Q - 2 bars (hop and kick with left foot on 7)

Reverse Break - 2 bars (left leg up on 4, down on 5, hop back 7)

Messaround - 2 bars

Fall of the log Break - 2 bars (spread legs on five, together on 7)

Eagle Slide - 2 bars

Drop Boogies - 2 bars (right foot first, together on 7, kick right foot

Mambo Step - 4 bars (right point on 2, left 3, cross with right on 4 hold 5, left point on 6, step 

right 7, cross with left on 8 hold 1)

Step around - 2 bars

Jump, Fall, Hop - 2 bars (jump one, fall 2, hop 5 6 7

Truckin - 4 bars (cross on seven to hop back)

Hop Back with Left foot - 2 bars (kick with left on 7)

Kick Around - 2 bars

Strut - 4 bars

Box Step - 12 bars

Shout - 8 bars

Clap and Point - 8 bars

(song starts over from the head)

Fall of the logs - 2 bars (comes during the first 2 bars of the head)

Scoot Around with side to side - 2 bars

Breaktime - 2 bars

Fall of the logs - 2 bars

Scoot Around with side to side - 2 bars

Push Downs - 2 bars (8,1 hold 2, hop 3, 4,5 hold 6, hop 7)

Boogie Forward - 2 bars

Push Downs - 2 bars (8,1 hold 2, hop 3, 4,5 hold 6, hop 7)

Breaktime - 2 bars

Dax's Triple Step Practice

Quick update!


I was talking with David Toop tonight, as we practiced swingouts, about the importance of pulse and carrying the pulse through in your triple steps, and I recalled these two videos featuring Dax Hock showcasing some triple step practices.


Take a quick look and feel free to copy his movements either by yourself

or with a partner.

Notice how he keeps the pulse even and steady regardless of what his feet are doing.


If the three beats of a triple step can be stated as "tri-ple-step" there's a downward movement into the ground on the "tri" and "step" while the "ple" goes no higher than the starting neutral point.


One of the things I notice a lot in our scene is a "ple" that moves upward above the neutral point, creating a bump movement that breaks the pulse and looks uneven.


Try these out and see if you can mimic the steady pulse shown in these videos.  Practice doing this in front of a mirror or video camera to get a good view of yourself and see how solid you can make your pulse - and then see what you can do on the social floor with a partner.


Enjoy!