July 2011
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June 2011
3 posts
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Day 14: Your swing group of friends
My swing group of friends never really changes- the larger of the two groups is my swing team that I’m now semi-coaching. But the core group is actually the 4 friends I have that go out with me regularly to social dance.
I do have to add- since I’ve become a regular at my dance place there are several leads & follows I’m always chatting up on my break songs so that group may be...
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Day 13: Favorite dancing memory
You would think that since I’ve done so many shows and performances with my group that I would love that but actually I have a Cinderella story of sorts that is my favorite thus far- I caught a lead and asked him to dance and had an amazing time dancing and it was like we were FLOATING. Ugh I love that feeling when you dance with a lead and the world melts away and it seems as though every move...
May 2011
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Day 12: Your swing crushes/favorite pros
Right now my favorite lead is a guy named Adam. When a lead can lead you to do the robot that’s style and ability right there!
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mareziee asked: Where might I be able to find the 30 day lindy hop challenge?
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Day 10: Favorite workshop weekend (Lindy Focus,...
I have yet to be at a full weekend workshop but if I had to pick a workshop I enjoyed I would have to say the small workshop I had with Peter Flahiff was the most helpful & eye opening I’ve been to so far. It was all about fundamentals of a swing out and how to make it perfect.
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Day 9: Favorite class taken
I took a lead/follow class where all the follows were leads and all the leads were follows! It was great fun and totally challenging. I would love to take that class again just to challenge myself since it’s always good to step into the other persons shoes for a bit.
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Day 8: Your favorite instructor
I can’t say that I have one. I’ve heard so many things from so many people. Erik Robinson cleaned up my lindy hop so well that I never trip over my feet and can keep my foot work and stay square to any lead- good or bad- I dance with. Mary Freitag taught me musicality and how to style anything! Even on the fly! James taught me a billion moves that I can follow with super light leads that barely...
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Day 7: Something you really want to learn
I want to finish learning the Tranky Doo- Just need to find some time to do so. I want to get my frame up to par there are a few things I know I need to fix- due to some lovely bad habits I have. So those are my two main things I’m working on.
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Day 6: Your favorite group dance (shim sham,...
Shim Sham for now. Probably once I’d done figuring out the tranky doo that one will become my favorite.
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Day 5: Your favorite Lindy Hop variation dance...
See I don’t think I have a favorite step. Each one works well with certain music. The most comfortable one is Charleston (both 20’s and 40’s) only because I can do that one in my sleep the other I have to think about since they are more recent additions to my repertoire.
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Day 4: Your favorite live band
I haven’t had the pleasure of dancing to too many live bands but so far I would have to say the Campus 5 are definitely the front runners.
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Notes on Musicality
swingitout:
Last night, our swing team- which has instructors come and teach more advanced, generally technique heavy lessons than the club- had a west coast instructor come. This westie instructor covered musicality and helped us incorporate it into our dancing. Now, I’ll be honest, I wasn’t able to directly apply anything he said during the trial and error period- it was a west coast only...
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Day 3: A description of your favorite partner (and...
I honestly don’t have a favorite partner- and there’s a reason. Every lead (or follow) can teach you something. And I truly believe in dancing with as many people as I can that way I can learn something new. Lately there have been a few leads I love to dance with because either they are very technical or very musical.
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Day 2: Your favorite place to dance
So far I’ve danced a lot of places in Southern California unfortunately my favorite no longer exists in its old form. I loved going to Stutters’ Ball when it was in downtown Orange CA. The music was always good. The dancers made your jaw drop and you always learned something (if not many things)
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Day 1: What got you started in Lindy Hop
Honestly my friends! I had a few friends that were in a small dance troupe and they recruited myself and my best friend and for the last two years I’ve had a blast learning every swing dancing thing I could get my hands on from the Shim Sham to Balboa. And to think I actually didn’t want to go at first!!!
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Lindy Hop Moves →
baldmuffin:
I just found this amazing lindy hop website, which lists moves by level, and have special sections for charleston, jazz routines, technique, etc. There is even a section for followers!!!
Looks promising so far.
just checked out this site and I have to say the resources are not only vast but really good. So totally check this out if you want helpful hints and tips!
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Lindy Hoppin Tip #2
For the leaders:
Look behind you on count 5. It helps to open up your shoulders making the follow know exactly where she is going to be sent for the rest of the counts. it also allows you too look behind you which is pretty handy on the social floor. This way you’re protecting your follow and allowing yourself to lead a clearer better swing out.
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conversations with a SoCal lead
Me: So how do you gauge what the follow is capable of then?
Him: What it comes down to is adaption, I always start off a dance in closed position and doing small movements. Depending upon how my follow reacts is the direction I go
Me: Sounds like taking her for a test drive, so-to-speak!
Him: Well, yeah. Even when I walk out with a girl on the dance floor I start pulsing to the music, how she responds says volumes.
I honestly can't stress how big of a deal that is. The first 15-30 seconds of a song will tell you how amazing your lead/follow is.
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“The Lindy Hop (or Lindy) is a partner dance that originated in 1920’s and...”
– This is a little history on lindy hop & how it all started. If you even remotely love this dance style and era as much as I do- This is a must-read.
“History of Lindy Hop” from the Lindy Circle
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Shad3s 0f Gr4y: Attack of the Super Evil Nerd:... →
muchmadnessisdivinestsense:
shad3s0fgr4y:
When I read this realized I couldn’t agree with this anymore.
“Beginning Dancer: knows nothing.
Intermediate Dancer: knows everything and too good to dance with beginners.
Hotshot Dancer: too good to dance with anyone.
Advanced Dancer: dances everything, especially with beginners.” -…
Hello, I am an intermediate dancer. …BUT I remember what being a...
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Some helpful hints on Lindy Hop I've picked up
Per a suggestion of a good friend & dancer of mine I figure I will post a few helpful hints I’ve learned over the years I’ve been dancing.
Tip #1: In regards to communication between the lead and follow
I always communicate what I’m going to do through one thing- MY PULSE. I’ve noted the longer I’ve been dancing the way I translate to my lead is through my...
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amazingracie88 asked: CUTE BLOG! i learned how to swing dance last year with a group from my Baptist collegiate ministry as my college. SO much fun. we have been swing dancing since last spring and last night was our end of the semester party and it was "swing-themed!". so much fun.
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advice given tonight
crochetpianissimo:
dont close your eyes while social dancing. that’s for excercising. let them open or you’ll miss all the fun and unexpected moves
- eirikur gudmundsson
That’s some really great advice!
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