Anonymous asked: I love swing dancing, but I have a terrible tendency to back-lead, which kinda hinders my ability to learn and get better. How can I fix this?
I think it’s really hard, and we all do it to some extent, so don’t feel bad! And it can be fun if you use it consciously and in the right amounts (hijacking etc.).
A good thing to try would be to dance with your eyes closed. Preferably somewhere with lots of space, and with a lead you trust not to lead you into something or someone. Obviously there is a lot of visual communication between lead and follow in a regular social dance, too, but it will force you to trust what you are feeling. Try to remember how that feels and apply it to the rest of your dancing.
Another thing you could try would be to pick up a dance that pretty much lacks patterns from the start, like Blues or Argentine Tango. You don’t have to become amazing at it, but picking up the basics and then dancing with experienced leaders will definitely help you become more aware of backleading.
Also, if you go to a big event that has late nights and loads of social dancing, by the end of the weekend or late at night you’ll probably have lost the brain power to anticipate, and you’ll just go with the flow (that’s what happens to me, anyway).
ETA: Also, if you really struggle with following, you could always change your role and learn how to lead instead, if that role plays to your particular strenghts more!
Good luck!
So here’s something I’m discovered about Shorty Georges.
I always thought mine looked kind of “flat”, even if I did the pulling-up-of-shoulders and arms. What I’ve discovered now is that I like them much better if I pull up the entire side of my upper body instead of just the shoulder, so I feel a stretch diagonally through my core. It looks much more dynamic and interesting, I think.
Find a mirror, give it a go (if you don’t already do them that way) and see if it works for you!
Uptown Swing - Intermediate #4, 1/24/12 (by UptownSwingLessons)
Super snazzy footwork variations by Stacia Martin and Peter!
(oops. not Naomi!)
So I went dancing while still dealing with the leftover symptoms of a cold. Bad, I know, but I think you aren’t that contagious once the worst is over, and I did wash my hands a lot… and I’d not been dancing for two weeks. Since I still wasn’t feeling 100%, I wanted to take it easy and preserve my energy. This seemed to really improve some of the issues that had been pointed out to me in a private lesson months ago, like compensating for my leader too much and being too tense in my frame/arms. I’d been trying to work on this but never felt like I was making a lot of progress. This time, I had a very relaxed basic frame and truly felt like I was as relaxed as possible and as tense as necessary (depending on the specific lead) which made everything a lot more comfortable and connected. Yay!
Lindy Exercise Series Ep. 9: Elasticity (by Damaraxis)
These two have a whole series of helpful videos on Lindy technique that deserve more views!
Jazz Up Your Lindy Hop III - Week 3 (by groovejuiceswing)
Speaking of variations… I like doing heel-toes as a swivel-substitions (and 1 and 2 triple step etc.), but I like the idea of doing them in tuck-turns!
So lately I’ve become a bit bored with the things that I usually do (mostly kick-ball changes, haha), and have been trying to expand my vocabulary of variations a bit. What I’ve found really helpful is to take an idea, concept or jazz step (e.g. apple jacks, contrasts between high and low, crossing your legs…) and try and fit them in whenever and wherever possible for a week when social dancing (or however long it takes to become comfortable). There is a very high risk of looking a bit silly and losing connection at first, but it really helps me to get out of stylistic ruts and challenge myself when I don’t have the money/time for workshops. If you’ve learned a variation before that you like, you could try to change the rhythm, add other parts of your body and try and do it at different points in the dance.
What do you do to prevent yourself from getting bored with your own dancing?
Stompology 2011 Breaking Out Of The Mold with Nathan and Laura (by groovejuiceswing)
Not entirely sure what is going on in the second half of the video, but some great ideas for playing with your solo movement. I really like the wide-legged apple jacks!
So for the first time in awhile, I went to the Fullerton Ballroom to dance. Tonight was in honor of the Military service men and women, past and present, off duty or on. All music was played from the 30’s-40’s wartime era and it was requested that we dress accordingly. All in all it was a great night, I had some good dances, but I got to thinking about some things.
First: Is it considered rude to look down while you’re dancing? I don’t look at my feet or my lead’s, but my direction of vision is always directed downwards. I know that some leads do it too while dancing, but I was told that you shouldn’t look down because it could screw up your follow, but I’ve never really had a problem. I do pay attention around myself and my lead, though, so we don’t run into anyone. Plus, I feel a little awkward staring at my partner’s face for an entire song.
Second: Swing Outs. When you go to go do your swivel, do you start your swivel on your left or right foot? I was told by a few people that you start on your right, but I start on my left. I didn’t notice anyone tonight who started on their right though. Also, when my partner goes to pull me back in, I’ve noticed that I never rock step, but instead just step forward on my right foot. No one has ever complained or told me I was doing it wrong, in fact a couple people asked me to teach them swing outs, but I don’t feel I’m doing it correctly. Any advice?
Last, on another note:
TomorrowToday, I’m going over to my see some of my family and my uncle wants me to teach him dancing. He knows the basic step in open hold and I’m trying to teach him how to control the follow in closed hold. He wants to be able to at least dance one song for his birthday next week. Any suggestions as to what I can teach him? Anything at all would be grateful. I can lead, but I only know so so little and I tend to forget haha.
1. I think I have the same habit, and I’m trying to get rid of it. I think eye contact is fine, just not all the time, I find it really unnerving. Also when dancing with a leader who is much taller than me I’ll look at their core because my neck is sore enough as it is. I think if you want to compete, you really need to learn not to look at your feet, but otherwise do what works for you. If a lot of experienced dancers say that looking up is better, they might have a point and it might be worth giving it a go and see whether it improves your following, though.
2. Depends - if I want to make my swivels really big, I’ll swivel on the last step of the triple step with my left and rotate my legs out to the left, then back in with my right. If I want to make them smaller/vanilla, I’ll swivel at the beginning of the basic (normally the 1) with my right. It’s a variation on the rock step and has the same rhythm, so I guess that’s why you start with your right. You could also do a swively kick ball-change, which would mean your weight would be (mainly) on your left and you’d be kicking with your right. It’s really difficult to discuss this without being able to show you!
3. Maybe some basic Lindy charleston? It’s fairly simple and looks pretty impressive to people who’ve never done it.
(Source: justsketchy)
Smokey Feet 2011 - Styling (by mistahwoodenlegs)
Some cool ways to play with you basics and swivels! I think my brain would have exploded if I’d been in that workshop so I might try to incorporate only one of two of these suggestions per night and see how that works out.
