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!
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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!

How Do You Explain This Hobby?

I travel a lot for work. I meet lots of people. We usually spend most of our time discussing work stuff. How this part of our company works. How these are the things that we can do to help you your company accomplish x and y. But whether it's with new people working for our company or the individuals I meet at other companies, inevitably if I spend enough time with someone we start to breach the topics of what things we enjoy doing outside of work. And this worries me.

No, I'm in no way ashamed of dancing Lindy Hop - just the opposite. I just know that the words I use won't paint the correct picture in their heads, and it's not their fault.

First, if I say I like to do "The Lindy Hop" or "The Balboa" most people younger than 50 haven't really struggled with the meanings of those words - especially the later. So I say that I like to swing dance, but I know what this does. This conjures images of Dancing With The Stars, poodle skirts, sock-hops, everything the media has done to effectively destroy and alter the original meaning of the phrase. And I know that there's no REAL way that I can combat this in a short, polite conversation among acquaintances.

Second, I'm not a dancer's dancer. I'm a Lindy Hopper. I don't do the Cha-Cha or Tango, I'm not the type of person who just has to get on the floor as soon as the booty music comes on at a wedding, and I certainly have no great appreciation of ballroom. What I do have is a love of what jazz and jazz movement bring to my life. There is a very specific way that this music makes my soul come alive. There's also a very specific thing that happens in the brief 3 minute story a couple dancing together creates that will never exist again in exactly the same way.

I've learned that saying that I enjoy Swing Dancing creates a picture in someone's head that is about the furthest thing from the reasons I deeply enjoy Lindy Hop.

So take a look at this video because sometimes old cliches are true - and this is a moving picture, so how many words is that?

What Laura and Mike do here is to completely encapsulate why I love this dance. There's joy, playfulness, creativity, coordination, and a respect for the music.

Maybe I should just cut the conversations short from now on and just send them this link with a note that says - this. This is what I do outside of work.

Now to continue the joyful struggle to dance as well as they do.

Smokey Feet 2013 - Teacher's Jam

You absolutely must watch this all the way through.  I get this somewhat competitive feeling between some of the teachers at the beginning, but then it just gets sillier and sillier.

I bet our scene could work toward social jams like this.

Another Great Thomas and Alice Video

Thanks, Andrea, for the video suggestion.

Short and sweet.  I like this.  Enjoy.

Thomas & Alice - Being Awesome

Thanks to my friend Heather again for a wonderful video.  (Are you sure you don't want to help post things on my blog, Heather?)

There really isn't much to say.  Thomas and Alice are always wonderfully playful in their dancing.  This is something I consistently have to remind myself to focus on so that I don't get stuck in the same old patterns.

Hopefully this inspires you to use some of these ideas to great effect in your own dancing.

Enjoy!

Balboa Teacher's Jam - Berlin Balboa

This is a wonderful Balboa teacher's demo featuring some of the best dancers and teachers currently in the scene.  Pay close attention to the moves they choose.  

They start with some very common, core Bal-Swing moves, and then as they each get individual "shines" you can see how each of their styles are personalized and change.

Balboa contains a bit of a hidden depth, but over time you can learn to identify, appreciate, and see how deep it goes.

Matching the Music - Dax and Sarah

Looks like I've been on a little Dax and Sarah kick lately.  I just discovered this recent post of a social demo they did at GLHC.

First thing, the song, "Lindy Hopper's Delight" is just great.  This is one of those tunes that comes on and makes my feet want to move.

Second thing, I really enjoy social demos from the pros.  They give a sense of what's possible in a social dance where the lead/follow dynamic becomes the primary focus.  Yes, the pros have so much more practice, larger vocabularies, and are much more familiar with the music, but they give us something to aim towards.

Notice how they change in and out of different types of steps?  They throw in some Charleston, some break away Jazz movement, some large sweeping lines, and some close and tight movement.  They dance with how the music speaks to them.  They creatively play with instrumentation in the song. 

You can also tell that there is a conversation happening in their dancing.  He offers up a movement, she accepts and offers something back.  At one point when they break apart she isn't ready to come back in yet, and he catches this and continues with a new movement while separated and then waits to reconnect a few phrases later.

Personally, I've been striving to expand my dancing to match more closely whatever I hear in the music.  I find that my preferred mode tends to be faster and larger, but that isn't always a fit, so over the last few months I've been working more on smaller, tighter, slower, more nuanced and more efficient movement.

What do you think is your preferred dance mode?  Where do you need to find balance in your dancing?

Social Stealing - Sarah, Dax, and Max

A special thanks to our friend Cynthia from the UK for pointing out this great video.

These three dancers are well known to be top competitors and teachers internationally. I would like to point out how the dancing here is so calm and connected to the music. These three are all known for tearing up the floor with high tempo (and high flying) routines, but given a slower, calmer song they are just as capable.

Though the big crazy performances get more views, we shouldn't forget that songs and dances like this are much more similar to what we do socially.

Also, have fun and steal a dance every once in a while.  And make it look smooth.

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.

Jazz Dance Film Fest - 1st Place Video

I probably should have saved this for a future post, but it's just too much fun not to share.

This is another one of those great videos the just oozes with the life and love we share for this dance.  I can't watch videos like this and not feel like sharing this excitement with others.  

Wouldn't it be awesome if our scene looked like the place they're dancing at in this video?

Smokey Feet 2012

This is just awesome and fun.  Who wouldn't want to try this?  Thanks for the link, Heather.

Most Played Lindy Hop Video

I happened to wander over to Wandering and Pondering's blog today and noticed a little post about the most played Lindy Hop videos on Youtube.

Interestingly enough, this is the most played Lindy Hop video to come out in 2012, so far.

So I've decided to candidly list all of my thoughts in order as I watched:

• Oh, man.  Here we go.  Another modern song with "swing dancing" in it.  Great.
• I remember this song.  Do they play this at the Grotto sometimes?
• The color pallet is really kind of nice... I like the way these shots look.
• The dancing seems pretty good, but it's off time from the song. Nice work, Director.
• But wait... I recognize those dancers.  These are actually known Lindy Hoppers... cool.
• And several different couples, and they're actually DANCING.  Nice.
• Well, it's not my favorite song, but this video could be much worse.
• I really like the scenery... the mood of these clips... 
• Dancing at night... out in public... during the day, whenever, wherever.  I can dig this.
• Yeah.  I really like the positive vibe.  
• Why the hell are we not dancing out in public more?

And that's where I ended up. So let me ask you, why the hell are we not just dancing out in public more? What's wrong with us? Is this something we just grow out of?  

It seems to me that we all go through that phase.  We decide to try going out dancing one night, and before too long we're hooked and going dancing all the time, as often as we can.  After a few months we get over the initial difficulty hump and think we're the best dancers in the world.  Then follows the Lindybomb ALL The Things mentality, and we all make fools of ourselves dancing horribly in public and probably in videos that show up on facebook, all the while having a blast thinking we look soooo awesome.

We soon grow out of this phase and realize that no, we just look silly, and we stop just dancing when the time feels right.  So the pendulum swings the other way and we avoid it at all costs.

But, like most things in life, isn't there a balance?  Isn't the best time to dance in public after we've reached a point where we actually are better dancers, and when the mood is right?  When there happens to be music, or an outdoors event, or just a group of friends hanging out at the park with a boombox and we feel it?  When we think to ourselves that this song would be fun to dance to, and then we "act like adults" and hold ourselves back instead, but there's no reason not to dance. Aren't those the right times?

So let's dress up a little, stand out, look nice, have some fun, and make people stop and look.  Maybe it's time again.

Simply Playful - Thomas & Alice

When asked about being a dancer and choreographer Frankie Manning would respond that he was only doing what the music told him to do. This both sounds very simple and also sets a very high bar. 


Just move the way the music says.  It's that simple, right?


Here is another video my friend Heather Warner-Dubin reminded me of the other day. This is Thomas and Alice performing a social dancing demo at Fram.


I love how they play with their movements, matching them to what is happening in the song. To me there is always an inherent silliness to Lindy Hop and Jazz in general. It has something to do with a deep connection to joy and celebration, and this song exudes silliness with the scat lines and even the tuba bass line which I always seem to find a little bit silly sounding. 


If we break their dance down we see that most of their movements are very common - they do a swing out here, a side pass there - but they mix in extra flavors to match what the music is saying. They dramatically extend the 1-2 of a swing out, they add in little hops to emphasize the end of a phrase, they play with a melody line and hold a pose. It's simple and yet very difficult at the same time. 


Think of it like painting a still picture of a scene in front of you. As the scene (the song) plays out how are the characters feeling? What is the mood of the lighting? What is the pace of the scene? This is analogous to the feeling of the song. How does it pulse? How fast or slow is the song? How does the melody interweave with the instruments? How do you set the scene with your movement to paint this picture? 


Next, to paint a picture you need tools. Paint brushes, pencils, colors, different types of paint, inks, materials. These tools are your vocabulary of movements - everything from triple steps to swingouts to jazz movements. Anything you've learned about moving is a tool during your dance. 


Ultimately there is also a level of artistry that can't be taught or supplied to you. It's that spark inside that comes out of you and into your artwork. Some say it's part of you, deep down. Others claim it's the human ability to reach out and draw upon that which is outside ourselves. Either way, you, in your own personal way, are combining the things you've learned with something deep down to create something completely new. 


So easy, right? Just mix in how the music feels with the moves you know and add in a little of your own artistic interpretation and tada. And that's what's so wonderful about this dance. We can always keep learning more about each of these areas - and when we watch couples who have honed their skills in all three it creates art that inspires us.

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.

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?

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!

Skye & Frida - Simple Patterns

Of course I couldn't go more than a few weeks before posting something with Skye and Frida.

Here's a demonstration dance - this time from an event in 2008.

Look past the low quality shaky-cam, the muffled All That Meat and No Potatoes by Fats Waller, and the odd mix of on-lookers and you'll find what I love the most about this:  The simplicity of movement.  The patterns are nothing complex; there's just a solid pulse and movement that naturally flows.

Skye leads so effortlessly from his core, Frida follows so effortlessly from hers.  They dance in the rhythm of the music, not on-top-of the rhythm.  They are both so solidly connected and so loose at the same time (and in just the right places) creating an effect that the tempo is slower than it actually is.  No really, get out of your seat and just step through a swingout with the song playing.  It's pretty quick, isn't it?  They make it appear slower and more relaxed than it actually is, and this is proof of their efficiency of movement.

I'd love to see more of these kinds of movements and patterns used in our scene. Watch the clip a few (hundred) times before you head out to your next dance and soak up the spirit and feeling of this until it just flows out of you.

I'm a firm believer that we tend to dance like what we see.  If you spend most of your time watching everyone else in the scene, you'll probably move like everyone else.  Spend more time studying and watching the type of dancing you're aspiring toward and you'll start to feel and move differently than everyone else.

On a side note I'd also like to hear more pulsing upper mid-tempo jazz in our scene as well.

Do you have any favorite songs that are similar in rhythm and mood to this one?  I'm always interested in recommendations to add to my collection.