Men jag får aldrig dansa tillräckligt, det kan jag nog lugnt säga. I söndags var jag ute i paviljongen nere vid sjön, där ett gäng dansar lindy hop varje vecka. Jag känner mig väldigt ringrostig, men får i alla fall komplimanger! Killarna här är verkar lätta att imponera på, de är inte vana vid att dansa med någon som improviserar och tar initiativ. Ändå är det just det som är det roligaste med lindy hop!

Kolla in den här artikeln för lite bakgrund: Are You Hep to That Jive?: The Fan Culture Surrounding Swing Music. Artikeln är skriven av en tjej som disputerat på en avhandling om swingkulturen, och hon skriver om hur man delar med sig av filmklipp och lär sig av gamla dansare från för, men utvecklar det för sin egen stil.

The real challenge to my creative and critical faculties comes on the dance floor, when I have to bring it - to bring the right step at the right time, but with my own unique, creative twist.

För min del är följande klipp en stor källa till inspiration för närvarande, även om det mesta av det är alldeles för svårt för mig på min nuvarande nivå (åtminstone i det tempot, åtminstone om jag ska lyckas få det att hänga ihop). Charleston! Är de inte alldeles galet bra?

En gång i tiden lärde jag ut charleston till lajvare. Det var ett fantastiskt stämningsfullt Lovecraftinspirerat lajv, Det sista kapitlet (sista delen i en kampanj) som utspelade sig 1930. Det är en ganska intressant aspekt av fankulturen kring gammal swing och jazz, att den kan byggas in i rollspel så där.

Faktum är att det var tio år sedan. Det var faktiskt under höjdpunkten av 90-talets swing-revival. (Kan det vara så länge sen redan?) Inte alla musiker tyckte att det var en så idealisk situation, Wolfgang Parker lär till exempel ha lackat ur ganska ordentligt på dansare som inte uppskattade hans punk-attityd och högenergiska musik som kanske är lite jobbig att dansa till i längden. Personligen tycker jag förstås att det verkligen rycker i benen när jag lyssnar på honom, och jag skulle gärna testa min improvisationsförmåga till "The Mice, the Demons, and the Piggies" om jag finge en chans.

Nåja. Tills vidare putsar jag upp min jitterbug stroll. (Och så ska jag göra klart mina figurer till den där konferensen...)

Jump Session Show 2008 Trailer - As I mentioned in my post for Camp Jitterbug; the Jump Session Show is one of the few shows entirely dedicated to traditional jazz dances.  Here is this years composite trailer.

Jack and Jill Finals - I had the opportunity to participate in this years Jack & Jill and it was a really great competition.  High energy with a very responsive crowd.  Here is the video, although I would have liked to have it filmed from the front.

Solo Charleston Finals - I couldn't wait for this video to come out and I'm thrilled that it is out.  I had such a great time with all of the other dancers in this competition, especially in the dance off between myself and Sharon.  Check it out.

And if you missed the Lindy Hop Couples Final video, check it out in this post.

What'd you think of the videos from this years Camp Jitterbug?  Leave a comment and let me know.

I en sällskapsförening stötte jag på en gammal ballroom-dansare, eller om det nu borde heta baldans på svenska. Tiodans, säger vi ibland, eller tävlingsdans. Twostep, quickstep, slowfox... det tidigare 1900-talets modedanser, alltså, som konserverats i en form som det även tävlas i. Vad han talade sig varm för var dock inte baldans utan lindy hop, kanske främst för att han menade att lindyn var lättare att ta till sig och känna i kroppen hur det ska vara. Han cementerade min uppfattning om att baldans är stelt och konstigt, men gjorde mig nyfiken på lindy. En tjej i sällskapet pratade mycket om det årliga stora lindylägret i Herräng, och det lät väldigt kul. Jag hade slutat träna aikido - när jag kommer till det avsnittet i mina budomemoarer får jag väl gå tillbaka hit, och länka om - och var öppen för nya hobbies av kontaktstuk.

Baldanskillen pratade massor om att föra och följa, och han sågade turbaserad dansundervisning i stort. Hans infallsvinkel på det hela lockade mig. Då hade jag ännu inga åsikter om dansundervisning, men mina nuvarande åsikter står nog ganska nära hans. Inte så konstigt, eftersom hans åsikter var de som formade mina begrepp om vad pardans är.

Jag hittade Herräng Dance Camps hemsida, och där stod även om danskurser på Hornsgatan 75 som snart skulle öppna. Lokalen hade bland annat varit biograf under namnet Chicago, och det namnet kom även dansstudion att överta. Vid den här tiden hade den dock inget namn, och var i största allmänhet en skräpig byggarbetsplats. Ingenting var färdigt. Det sades att pengarna att bygga för var slut, och att det var därför Harlem Hotshots, dansgruppen som höll i det hela, var tvungen att öppna lokalerna i detta skick. Mina tidsbegrepp de här åren är ganska luddiga, så om någon vet vilken vår Chicago slog upp portarna och därmed vilket år jag började dansa lindy får ni gärna tala om det för mig.

Jag tror inte vi var fler än åtta eller kanske tio par, denna Chicagos allra första nybörjarkurs i lindy hop. Tjejen som gjort så mycket reklam för Herräng hade pratat ganska mycket om hur svårt lindy var, men jag tyckte inte det kändes så svårt. Trampa takt med fötterna och följa med, svårare saker har jag gjort. Förvisso gjorde vi bara åttor, lindyns äldre grundfigurer som sträcker sig över två takter. Sexorna fick vänta till nästa kurs. Jag kan inte minnas att vi fick mycket teknisk undervisning, och med tanke på vad jag idag vet om Hotshottarnas sätt att undervisa stämmer det säkert. Trampa grundrytm även kallat grundsteg, dansa runt med grundsteg. Sedan turer, ett fåtal sådana per gång. Liten mängd teknisk information per lektion. Om jag fört hade jag säkert fått kämpa mer, men det här kändes ganska enkelt. Jag kan inte minnas vare sig frustration eller riktig danslycka. Det kändes mer som förberedelse. Nybörjarundervisning är sällan särskilt "riktig", det visste jag från min aikido, så jag begärde inte så mycket vad gällde dansupplevelse.

Lärarna gjorde reklam för sitt dansläger, det stora Herräng Dance Camp. Jag bestämde mig ganska tidigt för att åka dit. Med en nybörjarkurs om fem lektioner bakom mig borde nybörjarnivån vara den rätta. Jag ligger hellre nivåmässigt i överkant i en grupp än kämpar i underkanten, så det skulle säkert bli bra. Kurs på nybörjarnivå gavs bara en av de fyra Herrängsveckorna nämligen den första, och alltså fanns inget att välja på. Jag skulle åka solo, utan att känna någon på nybörjarkurs på Herräng, det där Herräng som folk pratade så mycket om. Världens största lindy hop-läger, hållet årligen i ett litet brukssamhälle utanför Norrtälje. Det lät otroligt att sånt hölls just i Sverige, men eftersom det nu gjorde det så var det lika bra att utnyttja det.

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Andra bloggar om lindy, lindy hop, Chicago, Harlem Hotshots, Herräng, Herräng Dance Camp, pardans, dans

And I have decided, after this past dance I attended, that it is good form to attend these short lessons, even if you are an incredibly skilled dancer. Here are my reasons:

You get to meet new people.

New people arrive all the time at different swing scenes, whether they are visiting from out of town, freshly moved into the city, change in work schedule, change in level of courage, and beginners (skilled and unskilled). No matter how friendly they are, forcing yourself into a circle of strangers is an awkward experience for all involved. Even more awkward (and difficult) is asking that gorgeous thing who caught your eye to dance when you have no other connection. But it is completely unawkward hearing the instructor call "Rotate!" and introducing yourself to this person as you move in front of them. You now have a connection, both with new friends and that hotty on the other side of the room. (Please don't use the dance floor as a pick-up venue. Dancing with someone who catches your eye is vastly different from trying to pick that person up. Please acknowledge the difference and only practice the first. A PSA from a concerned single female dancer).

You learn.

I don't care how much you know, these lessons, especially when taught by people you have not learned from before, can show you things you didn't know before, or remind you of techniques you have long forgotten. They are good refreshers, and really good warm-ups. They also force you into pairings with people you may never have a reason to dance with otherwise. The better dancers are very instructive, even if they don't say anything, and no matter who the dancer is, the change from the people you normally partner with keeps you sharp and keeps you from getting lazy in your following or leading technique.

You teach.

As a skilled dancer, it is considered very good form to attend, especially the beginner's section. When two beginners are learning, they often have difficulty improving, because when something doesn't work right, they don't know whether it was them or the other person, or even what it is supposed to feel like when it is done correctly. You do. When you dance with a beginner, it shows them how a move is supposed to work, both in feel and execution. It gives them helpful feedback, showing them whether they are leading correctly (in the response their follower gives), or following correctly (if they are in the place their partner expects them to be).

It's fun.

Sometimes the beginner warm-ups are silly. I watched as a skilled dancer sat out for part of the beginner lesson. I admit, right at that time, I felt kind of silly, but it did get really good after that, the exercise helped reinforce some technique I had been letting slide, and let's be honest, when I reminded myself that, no matter how basic, I was dancing, it became fun. I focused more on the music and enjoying it with my dancing than on how I must have looked. And let me say this, you usually don't look as silly as you feel. In fact, sometimes you look pretty darn good when you feel silly. ;)

So, if you have the time, you should go to the pre-dance lesson. If you don't feel comfortable, go with a friend, that way you have someone to partner with to start, but you'll still meet new people. And I know the instructors really appreciate having sleeper helpers in the group (people who don't identify themselves as "instructors" but who know enough about the dance to give little bits of assistance if people are having trouble catching on). Just don't take over the lesson. "Sleeper" is the key word. Unobtrusiveness. In fact, aside from the fact that you know what the instructors are talking about, the beginners shouldn't be able to see any difference ;)

Anyway, I was at a dance the other night and received one of the best compliments :) I was excited. He was clearly a good dancer. I don't know how long he's been dancing for, and when he asked me to dance, I had no idea why he asked me, especially as the dance got under way.

I'm totally in over my head! I thought as I scrambled to keep up. But the song was enjoyable and I think we both had fun. The dance finished and we walked to the side of the floor. I was watching a couple of my friends dancing, and he startled me into remembering he was standing there when he asked how long I'd been dancing for.

"Oh, I don't know. Since February?"

And then we both counted on our fingers, "February, March, April, May, June."

"So, five months," I concluded.

"Oh wow!" he said.

I wasn't sure how to interpret that. Oh wow as in "oh wow, you did really well for a beginner" or oh wow as in "oh wow, really? you might want to think about getting more lessons, cuz you stink". But he didn't leave me in confusion for long.

"I saw you dancing earlier tonight," he said, "and it looks like you've been dancing for years."

Instant delight sparkled my expression.

"Years? Really? Thank you!"

It was an enjoyable night. For the first half of the dance, I hardly sat down. I would finish a dance and return to my group of friends sitting down, only to have another gentleman approach the group and ask for a dance. So either I was in top form that night... or else it was the killer shirt I chose for the event ;)

The first time I saw two guys dance together it was at a dance put on by a small college a few hours away. This was the first time I'd ever traveled to a dance, almost nobody knew me, and I wasn't dancing much. There were a set of twin brothers in the hosting swing club, both good dancers. Towards the end of the dance they danced a song together, showing off all the tricks they knew, and occasionally bickering with one another over who was leading. It was one of the most awesomely hilarious things I'd ever seen. Their dancing was wonderful - athletic and graceful. Because they weren't being particularly careful with their partner they went for the moves with a gusto that was amazing to watch. The best was watching their faces as they reacted to doing unfamiliar things, and as they argued with one another about who was leading. I loved it, and when they were done, applauded along with other onlookers.

Since then I've considered it a treat to see guys dancing together. Beyond the fact that it's usually only the very good guys who do it (meaning the quality of dancing tends to be very watchable), guys dance differently with other guys than they do with women. They become more athletic, a little more forceful. It's like the difference between guys playing basketball by themselves, and when a woman joins the game. No matter how much a guy may intend to treat everyone equally, subconsciously they tend to tone things down a little, become a little more gentle when physically interacting with someone they perceive as smaller and potentially more vulnerable. Don't get me wrong - I'm a committed feminist - but to be honest, I'm rather grateful for this. There are too many opportunities in social dancing for both partners to get hurt. Guys being a little more gentle means I may still have usable shoulders when I'm fifty-five. Still, it's always been a joy for me to see guys dancing with the gloves off, so to speak.

Two of the best leads in our scene are Trey and Rudy. Both of them have fairly distinctive styles, Trey being more grounded and groovy, Rudy smooth and gorgeously graceful. They are also the only two guys in our Lindy Hop scene who also dance West Coast. Trey knows how to follow, but he's not super good at it. Rudy can follow like a dream. Sometimes the two of them dance together, especially working on their West Coast skills. It's always a fabulous show, and attracts quite an audience. The onlookers often comment on Rudy's following. I've heard more than one girl say she wishes she could follow like Rudy. One night a group of girls got together and decided that they should have t-shirts made that read, "I want to dance pretty like Rudy." I thought this was an awesome tribute, and told Rudy about it.

To my surprise, he thought it was an insult. I was dense, so he had to explain. "Guys dancing with guys... don't you think some people think it's a little gay?" I blinked, and let that sink in. To be honest, that thought had never occurred to me, and I had to think a little to figure out why. I know Trey and Rudy. Both of them are completely, sometimes obnoxiously, heterosexual men. Both are involved in committed relationships with their girlfriends. To me they're so thoroughly heterosexual that even if I saw them dressed in drag trolling for tricks in a city park I would probably sooner assume that they were pulling some kind of prank (or possibly in dire financial distress) than that they were gay. I told Rudy this, and the conversation ended.

Still, the more I thought about it, the more annoyed I got, not at Rudy, but at our society that considers any non-violent contact between men as suspect. When girls dance with girls, it's hot. But when guys dance with guys people doubt their manliness? That's just wrong. There are lots of cultures where men dance with each other. Think of Russian folk dancing, with the guys doing what wikipedia calls "traditional squatwork" - that incredible kicking while sitting almost on your heels which requires such awesome balance, not to mention monster thigh muscles. Does anybody call that gay? Heck, no! So why do we have to be all hatin' on our guys who happen to be fabulous dancers.

Hmmph.

Mest tagen blir jag, som vanligt, av scenerna där män dansar med varandra. Min favoritscen är den med två män i kostym som dansar i vad som ser ut att vara ett kontor efter stängningsdags. Varför tycker jag att två män som dansar ihop är bland det snyggaste som finns?

Musiken är snabb och glad ragtime i gitarrbaserad sättning. Filmen är massor av dans, på olika sätt... oooh vad det ser roligt ut! Fast inte ingår direkt någon shimmy, inte. Shimmy är en dansrörelse som inte är ett steg, utan ett sätt att röra överkroppen. Nedan till höger syns burlesque-artisten Immodesty Blaize i en klassisk shimmy-pose. Bilden visar ingen rörelse, men tänk på att glosan "shimmy betyder "skaka"... ni hajar. Visserligen kommer shimmyn från det glada 20-talet då flickor inte skulle se ut som Immodesty utan vara platta framtill, och det finns även manliga dansare som gör utmärkt snygg shimmy. Man måste inte ha tuttar att skaka på, de bara förstärker effekten av rörelsen. Faktiskt är det nog lättare för en manlig eller mer platt kvinnlig dansare att göra snygg shimmy utan att folk börjar koncenterar sig på något annat än själva dansen.

För 15 och faktiskt bara för 10 år sedan skulle jag ha avfärdat den typen av rörelser rakt av, och känt mig urfånig om jag ändå försökt utföra dem. Jag var för obekväm med och i min kropp. Numera känns det roligt, på ett lagom absurt sätt. Jag har gått några lektioner i autentisk jazzdans för människorna i The Harlem Hotshots. Det var jättekul, och vi sprang förbi shimmy sådär lite hastigt. Problemet med hotshottarna är bara att de inte lär ut detaljerna i hur man faktiskt gör, för att stegen ska bli snygga. De instruerar skelettet, sedan får man själv försöka sätta på muskler och senor. Aha, boogie forward kanske ser ut sådär för att man ritar cirkeln med höften och låter benet och foten mest hänga med? Och så testar man. Ibland går det bra, så man till och med får beröm från dem. Shimmyn fick jag dock aldrig till. Vem där ute kan lära mig att göra en vettig shimmy?

Annars så tror jag räcker ganska bra med skuttig och glad lindy. Fast det vore kul att kunna göra bra shimmy... också.

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Fotot av Immodesty Blaize är taget av Michael Albov och är tillgänglig under licensen CC-BY-2.0.

Tack till Swing, jazz and blues som länkade in videon. Andra bloggar om lindy hop, shimmy, jazzdans, dans, uptempo, ragtime, Ditty Bops, Sister Kate, Harlem Hotshots, jazz

Das Programm ist bei jedem Ball identisch.

-19.30-21.45 Uhr gibt es parallel zwei Workshops für Einsteiger und zwei für Fortgeschrittene.
-ab 21.45 Uhr ist dann Ball mit Live Musik.

Die genauen Inhalte für Swing finden sich hier und der Ablauf des Tangoballs hier.

Der Eintritt ebenso wie die Workshops sind gratis, da sie von der Studierendenschaft der Uni Potsdam finanziert werden.

Softdrinks wird es vor Ort geben - also Apfelschorle und Mineralwasser. Wer etwas anderes trinken oder etwas essen möchte, sollte es selbst mitbringen.

Die S-Bahnen fahren die ganze Nacht durch, die beiden Bälle gehen jedoch bis ca. 1.30 Uhr.

Der Ballsaal ist im Komplex der Universität Potsdam, direkt am S-Bahnhof Griebnitzsee - eine Station hinter Wannsee und 20 S-Bahnminuten vom Zoo entfernt.

Der genaue Laufweg findet sich hier nach einem Klick.

Evrim Icoz is one of the best photographers I know. His wedding photos make me want to get married. I used to think you could just point and click and it would capture the essence but Evrim does something that makes his pictures outstanding. He has an incredible collection of photos of the Lindy Hop Dance scene during the Viscount Ballroom and Crystal Ballroom era. Evrim is now serving a stint with theTurkish army. Go figure.

EJ Simmons is a blood cold lawyer with a very warm heart. I love the level he talks at and someday maybe he can sue somebody for me. He’s got this huge poodle, go figure.(this just in, his poodle died—it was 13 years old) He doesn’t do too bad either when it comes to introducing new follows to the Portland Swing scene (EJ, bring a couple for me!). He is constantly studying and talking Internet talk and one of those people that is always happy to see me. (Read: rare) and always just takes off and starts talking at this great level that taxes my IQ. His electrical accident site seems to always have new stuff. Think I’ll let my garden hose wander over towards the electrical outlet while I’m watering my plants. Maybe make it rich with EJ’s help. I think I better stand on a chair so I will fall off and disconnected the flow of electricity that might be going through my body. Also sue them for a broken arm. So who? Not sure, we’ll get to that bridge when I cross it.

I like Joshua Kereos and his girlfriend Karissa. Karissa used to work for EJ Simmons. He said she now has a “real job”. Heh heh. Joshua has spent some serious money setting up Swingout.net and it’s bulletin board and he is fair with everyone. Many dance websites that try to cover dancing in Portland don’t want to acknowledge Portland Dancing but not so Joshua. (when you wonder if a website is feeding you a bill of goods, just look for a link to Portland Dancing—no link, no complete. Portland Dancing always includes contact phone, email, and URL with each listing: it helps people get associated with Portland dance and lesson choices—oh well). I love talking tech talk with Joshua. He is a programmer for a big internet/communications company and always has a friendly smile or a cheerful reply when I email him. Oh god, I love dancing the Blues with Karissa. I really don’t dance Blues that good, but Karissa is wiggling all over the place. The way Karissa dances the blues borders on G-rated obscene (go figure what that means). Joshua, you are a lucky guy! And I am lucky to know you guys.

All of you, everyone in this world, I am lucky to have met and known you.

And glad I have a list of dances in Portland.

The line up this year included Andy Reid, Naomi Uyama, Jojo Jackson and Mike Faltesek with each of the teachers brings a unique array of style, skills and knowledge.

Friday I arrived off of the train in time for the late night.  Held at The Keg, a sports bar, it was a relatively nice change of pace for a late night.  There was a front room with the bar area and a second room which held the dance floor and impromptu stage for the musicians.  The floor was a faux wood with decent give and slip.  The feel of the venue was cozy yet not cramped.

Gordon Websters band started off with some easy swinging tunes until the "secret special guest" arrived, Wycliffe Gordon.  I have heard many exceptional musicians and bands but when Wycliffe started to blow on his trombone the energy in the room vaulted.  He laid out licks that made the hair on my neck stand up and gave me goose bumps.  It was truly a great start to the weekend.

Saturday morning we kicked off with Andy's class entitled Looking Good & Feeling Good where had us learn on a routine with the intention of working through the movement and giving it some quality, even at one point having us dance the routine with almost no movement except for our core.  The second class was Mike & Jojo's Washington (the state) Style class which was a fast routine with tight footwork and nice break steps.

With a nice break for lunch, we returned to do Naomi's Arms are the New Legs class outdoors.  It was sunny and being that we were using our arms more than anything else, it wasn't going to tear up the grass.  Unfortunately about half way through our fun was spoiled by a bit of rain and we had to get back inside.  It was a challenging class and played up on the exceptional clarity Naomi has in her movement.

The last class of the day was actually two classes that you had to choose between.  I attended Mike and Andy's A Mellow Dichty class, which I had missed at Camp Jitterbug, which was a slow jazz routine done to Sunnyside of the Street in the vein of Coles and Atkin's soft shoe routines.  One of my favorite classes for the weekend.  Unlike faster routines where you might be able to jumble through a section, their slow jazz routine required more control and emphasized quality of movement.

The other class taught by Naomi and Jojo was a solo technique class where they had each person dance individually in a circle within a provided framework and provided constructive feedback on what they could work on.  The most common feedback: look up.  I heard quite good things about the feedback itself, the only complaint I heard was that it would have been nice to have a change of song throughout the session.  Flat Foot Floogie is perhaps only good for the first half an hour.

Saturday evening the Cangelosi Cards played with Gordon Webster at the Tango Cafe.  These musicians have an excellent relationship with dancers, providing a wonderful atmosphere and range of tempos to dance to.  It may help that they play almost every week with dancers present in New York.  Sadly, I was exhausted and didn't dance a great deal during the band.  During their last song, a jam circle broke out which was great to see.  As the energy of the jam died off however, we pulled it in to the band to give them the rest of our energy as well as thanks for playing.

The late night returned to the Lindy Compound where Ryan Swift DJed.  The compound, as always, is a great place for a late night.  The energy of a house party is much more receptive to a variety of interests than a dance only venue.  This time it turned out particularly nice with an impromptu musician jam out on the back porch with folks playing guitar, a wire table top like a washboard, glasses and even drumming on a plastic cooler.  Everyones participation, whether they were just standing and listening, tapping out a beat with their feet, or playing an instrument, created a communal vibe that really stands out in my mind.

Sunday morning Mike taught a tap for lindy hoppers class starting with a warmup that the Condos Brothers used and followed it up with a short routine.  The second class of sunday was the Washington (the district) Style class with Andy and Naomi.  A really creative routine put together to one of the catchiest tunes of the weekend whose name I can't remember.  The playfulness of the routine fit the music incredibly well.

After lunch, Jazzin' with Jojo was a jazz routine similar to a big apple in that it was performed in a circle with various changes of location as well as a series of spotlights in the center of the circle.  Each time they ran the routine they chose different people to spotlight in the center which created a really good vibe for the dancers.

The last class of the weekend, as every year, is a jam class featuring all four of the instructors where they break the room into smaller groups to work on jamming solo movement.  They provide various rules or guidelines for each exercise and it was really fascinating to watch the interpretations of it all.  Probably one of the most interesting suggestions that the instructors put forth was taking a jazz step and perform it in reverse.  This created some really interesting variations on steps we would already know and took creativity to alter them so they would work.  Try to do an eagle slide in reverse.

Overall, Stompology is one of my favorite dance weekends to attend since it focuses exclusively on solo dance and allows each individual to push themselves to whatever level they are comfortable with.  There should be more weekends that focus on the quality of an individuals movement and their ability to dance independently of a partner.  Many lindy hoppers come to the dance from the reverse direction, learning to dance with a partner before they learn to dance by themselves.  If one doesn't understand how one can move their own body, being able to guide anothers movement at the same time becomes all that more difficult.

Did you go to Stompology this year or in prior years?  What are your thoughts on dancing solo?  Let me know.  Comment.

Pictures are courtesy of Ryan Swift.

If you liked this post you may enjoy these other events in Rochester: Northeast Girl Jam, Steven & Virginie.

For the first time, Nathan and I have cable TV. We prefer not to have it but it is included in our rent so what can you do. I am happy to report that I have not turned into the couch potato I thought I might have. There is just one show on right now that I hate to miss and that is So You Think You Can Dance. I LOVE the show. I really love the contestants this year too. I look forward to it every week.

I use to be into early 1900's social dancing, basically dances that led up to and branched out from lindy hop with lindy hop as my main dance naturally. I started to get into the history of it all and everything. I even danced with Frankie Manning, one of the original lindy hoppers. At the time I danced with him he was 87. The picture below is our lindy hop dance team with Frankie Manning in the middle.

Watching so you think you can dance makes me sad that I don't dance anymore but it is a ton of fun to watch still. I would love to get into something like hip hop (as long as its not too skanky) but I have a million reasons why I just can't do it right now. (sigh) oh well..

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This is from a b-boy DVD called Detours. I don't know much about it, but this compilation could be a Ph.D. thesis in dance history/culture -- you can tell a lot of work went into. I saw lots of familiar faces in there - even rare footage that I didn't think would be very well-known outside my little nerdy world of Lindy Hop, like the Mama Lou Parks dancers. I love the dude crip walkin' back in like "nineteen-ought-deuce."

For over a year now, every time someone finds out that I moved out to Sioux Falls from California, I hear the same question.  "Why?"  Well, lots of reasons... but only one important one.

Swing dance is my life.  I live it, I eat it, I drink it, I breathe it, most importantly, I dance it.  It's brought me more joy and excitement than anything else in my life, not to mention friends across the world.  And the more people I talk to, the more I realize that most people don't have an activity that they are passionate about, or a community to be part of that brings them that kind of joy... yet.

Sioux Falls is a wonderful place.  Once you get past our world-famous winters, you find a beautiful city that is one of the largest commercial and cultural centers in the Midwest.  The people here in Sioux Falls are important to the rest of the world, but they are missing out.  There are ways to live so that you can look at yourself in the mirror every day, proud of who you are and what you are part of.  There are ways to make your life passionate and exciting and, most of all, fun.  Swing dance is one of them.

I moved here to share with Sioux Falls the wonderful experience of swing dance that someone, many years ago, changed my life by sharing with me.

For more information about Swing and Salsa dance in Sioux Falls, call (605) 212-6230 or write to lindyhop@swingexperience.com.

When watching, I noticed that one of the ways you could always tell when it had been a really, really good dance was by the hug. The two dancers would end the song with a flourish or a pose or a dip, and hold it for a long moment as the music faded. Then the tension would be released, the partners would come out of their position with a smile or laugh, and give each other a big hug full of spontaneous affection. It was all there in that hug: the joy of the moment shared, the gratitude for the gift the other person has given you and allowed you to give them, the satisfaction of knowing that you have done something well.

I watched these dances with despair in the pit of my stomach. I had hit the point in my dancing when I started to realize how much I didn't know, how much I wasn't following. I was so frustrated with myself, my limitations, my body that just didn't do what I wanted it to do. I could hear so much in the music, but I couldn't seem to get it out on the dance floor. I felt lucky to finish a dance feeling that I had followed everything correctly. Every once in a while I got a "Good job." or "That was nice." I treasured those moments and kept working. One day...

Then came the first time I lost myself in the music. It was only five seconds during a rotation at a workshop, but it was... dizzying. When I looked up at my partner I saw the same half-stunned look on his face. That was when I found hope. I kept working hard, practicing, getting critiqued, taking lessons, pushing myself to get better. Then I had a whole dance like that. I can still hear the song: Sixteen Tons by Tennessee Ernie Ford, though when I was dancing it was almost like I didn't hear the music, or I did, but it was as if it were coming through my lead. At the end my partner held on to me for a long moment, and we looked at each other. "That was..." he said, "that was..." and then he gave up and hugged me.

That was over a year ago now. I've had more dances like that since, though I've learned never to take them for granted. They're rare moments of serendipity when you, your partner, and the song all line up in fleeting synchronization. But I'm no longer surprised when they come along. Last Wednesday a good guy dancer from another city showed up at our weekly dance. We had a really fun dance, playing with the music and off one another. There was styling, improvising, and fancy footwork. We laughed and had a good time together. At the end of the song he led me into a big, flourishing pose, which we held as the music faded. Then we both laughed, and he pulled me into a big hug. As I walked off the floor I realized that I'd made it - that for all of the ways I'm still far from the dancer I want to be, I'm now one of the "good dancers" I used to watch with such hopeless envy. And I have the hugs to prove it.

En attendant ULHS 2008 ... Rien ne sera dévoilé ! cette année, on compte bien le prendre ce trophée!

ULHS 2007 / Happy go lucky local (Lincoln Jazz Orchestra) & the Last jump (Charlie Barnet)

Take care ! et à trés bientôt !

Again, bad posture can happen to good people. The "Craning Neck Syndrome" is one in particular that makes me anxious. It is especially noticeable in dances that stay in closed position for a good portion of the dance, like Balboa or, dare I say it, Blues. "Blues" is overrun with this particular problem.

Craning Neck Syndrome

• Problem: The head and neck come forward, shearing out of alignment with the spine, causing a excessive closeness of a leader's mouth to a follower's face, neck, or shoulder.
• Why this is creepy: Having someone with whom you're barely familiar breathing down your neck is weird and uncomfortable. The posture can also pull the lips open, causing any halitosic breath* to leak into the follower's facial vicinity. (*SIDE NOTE: Gum - always!)
• What causes Craning Neck Syndrome?: Several causes: Tilting your head down to look at your partner, her footwork, your feet, the dance floor, or anything below your line of vision. Also, a weak back curls your shoulders forward along with your neck. Some dancers have low flexibility in their neck, and need stretching exercises to rectify the situation.
• Solution: Practice holding your head in alignment over top of your spine and shoulders, and NOT looking down towards the dance floor while you dance. If you must look at the beautiful wood floors, glance down with your eyes, and try not to tilt your head. When you tilt your head, you are generally sending your head away from the center axis, which also makes you prone to be less balanced. Strengthen your neck by practicing "Peckin" or other neck isolation exercises, like doing headers in soccer.

Final thoughts: Bad posture/technique is not a "style." Please watch yourself, dance with your friends, and if you're not sure you're a culprit, ask someone who cares about you. Although restructuring your body doesn't happen overnight, it is something you can practice sitting in your car (keeping your shoulders back), walking, dancing, etc.

And please...don't forget gum.

My name is Swingarody, and I'm a Dance-aholic.

I've been on the stuff for the past year or so. Now that I look back it really started when I was very little, I started using my legs, and I mean, cumon, you dont really think about it, everyone does it. Its natural, but it just wasnt enough for me.

Then like 2 years ago I got to a really bad place, got fired, no gf, was falling behind in my studies. and so I started ago experimenting with different dances, and oh man, I'd just get so high sometimes I'd forget where I was.. it would take me ages to find a road I'd recognise to get back home...

anyway the more I experimented with different dancing, the more I needed to dance, it was completely out of control man. I started on the Salsa first, it disconnects your body from your thoughts and gives your hips a mind of their own!! I worked my way through that for a while, you know, doing some ChaCha along the way..

Then I got myself into RnR.. That stuff made you feel so alive you just take the rock and just rollll with it.. and it takes you places man. sometimes you'll open you're eyes and you'll be with little girls or old grannies, and sometimes you'd look up and people would be doing lines.. but everyone had a stupid grin on their face, so no one really cared..

Anyway I tried to get clean once and started telling people the dangers of dancing.. it only lasted a few weeks, cuz I was talking about west coast rock right, but every time we started, some idiot would turn on some music and next thing you know I'm bloody everyone how to do it..

Anyway I'm getting off track here.. Then about a year ago I started doing this new thing, they called it the Swing. and its gone around the world so much for so long, its changed so many times and gotten lotsa names. I started on the most dangerous one, they call it the lindy... and once you start, you get the hops. and you dont stop all night. So dangerous was this dance.. so bloody addictive, you could be passed out on the floor with bloody feet and blistered toes, and someone would ask you for a dance and you could still keep going.. "Mind over matter"?? HAH, whoever said that never took the Lindy..

So here I am, I've accepted I'll never get clean. Theres just no going back.. I'm too damn far in. You could break my legs and I would still dance!!

So what happens now? What the hell do I do?

Where do you go when you've gone too deep? hit rock bottom? no way out?

you go to Herräng...

Tonight one of my favorite swing DJs, Travis Whetman will be tickling our tympanic membranes with his exceptional DJ stylings.  Wednesdays at the Century Ballroom are my favorite night of social dancing.  A perfect mix of atmosphere, quality floor, great music, reasonable price, awesome people, booze, and inspiring dancing.  If you are a seasoned swing guru or looking to get started, the Century is the place for you.

Ill be there tonight, come by for some drinkin, dancin, or chattin.  See you there.

This solo charleston contest is really exceptional with two of my favorite dancers that I got the privilege to compete with at Camp Jitterbug, Juan and Sharon.

Here they are winning the showcase division at GLX.

Here are the winners of the Team Competition.  I particularly enjoyed the jazz steps at 1:30.

If you haven't checked out the former video round-ups take a spin through them: Blues Video Round-Up, Raw Video Round-Up, and the Solo Jazz Video Round-Up.

When I teach someone to dance, I don't just teach them steps. Steps are useful, but they're a very small piece of a much larger picture. I've said many times before to many different students that the dancers do not choreograph the dance. The music choreographs the dance, the leader interprets it, and the follower dances it. But music, especially jazz, isn't always straightforward. It's chaotic, passionate, and powerful with many different levels to explore and enjoy. In it's own way, music is alive. And the choreography that the music gives us doesn't always lead us to something we already know how to do. Those are the moments when the street dances come to life.

Swing dance makes a wonderful pastime. If you just want to take lessons for a month and try it out, we will welcome you with open arms. I promise you'll have a great time. But if swing is something that captivates you, if you watch the masters and think, "I want to dance like them," then be prepared. It takes time, energy, and a lot of practice.

Is it hard? Absolutely. Is it worth it? Hell yes.

Here's the good news. Everything you learn, you get to use from day one. Take the steps that we teach you and go use them! Go dance! Even in Sioux Falls, there are plenty of places with music and a dance floor, and that's all you need. The practice and the experience are invaluable, and besides, isn't that why you're learning to dance in the first place?

So the key is to find the right class that can make you want to get out and dance after the first day. If you've got that, "BRING IT ON" attitude, go for Lindy. If you want something easy to learn, East Coast Swing. Something more exotic? Salsa. Then, whichever one you choose, don't just take the class. Explore the dance on your own. Listen to the music, think about the steps, find a way to mold them to fit your own style. The key to being a street style dancer is to understand something about the music that no one else does. That's how you build a style that's unique to you.

That's how you get to be a star.