Pretty much every time I am out in public dancing to a band with other lindy hoppers, some stranger comes up to us and asks "Are you with a group?" or "Are you with the band?"
I never really have a great answer to this question, usually because a song is playing and I'm really itching to dance! But also it's hard to summarize the whole thing:
"We are dancing a dance style that you probably know as jitterbug or swing dancing, but we call lindy hop. We aren't a set group, we are a community of hundreds of dancers that love swing jazz and when there is a great band playing, we come together and dance."
Usually I just say, "I'm not with the band. I just love to dance."
Originally posted Monday, April 5, 2010 (2 years ago)
I know what you mean...I get the same thing (plus "I love your costumes. Where did you get your outfits...did you make them?" [grrr]
Anyway, you have to say it fast, as usually they ask as Jumpin' at the Woodside is starting, huh? I just blurt off something like:
"no we're not a formal troupe, most of each know each other from the shared love of jazz and authentic swing dances, like lindy hop."
with more time and if the person seems to want to pursue it, I'll reference yehoodi and dance manhattan, etc etc. I'm sure the majority who seem serious at the time don't do anything about it, but we were those people once...and occasionally I'll be at an event and someone comes up and says they'd taken up dancing after talking to us. That's bliss, isn't it?
This music is not too fast; you're just too damn slow.
Originally posted Monday, April 5, 2010 (2 years ago)
Edited on Monday, April 5, 2010 1:17 pm (2 years ago)
Yeah, there's always the "So are you guys part of a club?" or similar. There have been times when the best answer is, "No ... we're not that organized!" And other times when the answer could be "Yes, we're from [insert name of local Lindy club]".
But if you have 30 seconds instead of 10, answers like the ones in the previous posts might be more accurate and informative. Just beware that if you admit that you are part of the anarchic world-wide global Lindy cabal there might be followup questions.
So if you get a question like this from a Homeland Security guy when you are trying to make your flight don't admit to ANYTHING!
"A revolution without dancing is a revolution not worth having" - V
Originally posted Monday, April 5, 2010 (2 years ago)
Ha, try explaining lindy hop in 10 seconds in a language you don't speak so well, to people who don't know what big band music or any kind of swing type dancing is (it just ain't in their culture). It's even better when Italian is also their second language! Right.
In this situation (in a country where they don't have a clue about anything swing-related), I say it's a kind of partner dancing done to music from the 30's & 40's that originated in NYC around that time, but is now done all over the world.
follow my adventures at www.AppalachianToAlpine.blogspot.com!
Originally posted Monday, April 5, 2010 (2 years ago)
Try explaining West Coast Swing! You first need to explain what swing dancing is, traditionally, and only then can you talk about the differences of West Coast Swing. Tough to do in a condensed sentence.
"If music be the food of love, play on!" - Shakespeare
Originally posted Monday, April 5, 2010 (2 years ago)
Lindy Hop is a dance where guys who weren't popular in high school stop discussing World of Warcraft long enough to attempt to court women over the course of a five minute song. Also, it has a hop and some kicking.
Originally posted Wednesday, April 7, 2010 (2 years ago)
I wonder if the reason people ask whether you're with a group is that, as they see couples dancing in synch, it doesn't occur to them that it could be possible for people who don't know each other to do that -- that it isn't mostly choreographed. I wonder if you would get more mileage out of emphasizing that aspect.
Follows who don't want to get wet shouldn't dance with me.
Explaining lindy in 10 seconds
Pretty much every time I am out in public dancing to a band with other lindy hoppers, some stranger comes up to us and asks "Are you with a group?" or "Are you with the band?"
I never really have a great answer to this question, usually because a song is playing and I'm really itching to dance! But also it's hard to summarize the whole thing:
"We are dancing a dance style that you probably know as jitterbug or swing dancing, but we call lindy hop. We aren't a set group, we are a community of hundreds of dancers that love swing jazz and when there is a great band playing, we come together and dance."
Usually I just say, "I'm not with the band. I just love to dance."
Maybe I should print out a little card.
What do you say?
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I know what you mean...I get the same thing (plus "I love your costumes. Where did you get your outfits...did you make them?" [grrr]
Anyway, you have to say it fast, as usually they ask as Jumpin' at the Woodside is starting, huh? I just blurt off something like:
"no we're not a formal troupe, most of each know each other from the shared love of jazz and authentic swing dances, like lindy hop."
with more time and if the person seems to want to pursue it, I'll reference yehoodi and dance manhattan, etc etc. I'm sure the majority who seem serious at the time don't do anything about it, but we were those people once...and occasionally I'll be at an event and someone comes up and says they'd taken up dancing after talking to us. That's bliss, isn't it?
This music is not too fast; you're just too damn slow.
Yeah, there's always the "So are you guys part of a club?" or similar. There have been times when the best answer is, "No ... we're not that organized!" And other times when the answer could be "Yes, we're from [insert name of local Lindy club]".
But if you have 30 seconds instead of 10, answers like the ones in the previous posts might be more accurate and informative. Just beware that if you admit that you are part of the anarchic world-wide global Lindy cabal there might be followup questions.
So if you get a question like this from a Homeland Security guy when you are trying to make your flight don't admit to ANYTHING!
"A revolution without dancing is a revolution not worth having" - V
I used to tell I invented Lindy Hop but then Lee Moore one-upped me.
Kalman
I say "we are the rejects from dancing with the stars."
Ha, try explaining lindy hop in 10 seconds in a language you don't speak so well, to people who don't know what big band music or any kind of swing type dancing is (it just ain't in their culture). It's even better when Italian is also their second language! Right.
In this situation (in a country where they don't have a clue about anything swing-related), I say it's a kind of partner dancing done to music from the 30's & 40's that originated in NYC around that time, but is now done all over the world.
follow my adventures at www.AppalachianToAlpine.blogspot.com!
"It's like a less sexy version of salsa."
Try explaining West Coast Swing! You first need to explain what swing dancing is, traditionally, and only then can you talk about the differences of West Coast Swing. Tough to do in a condensed sentence.
"If music be the food of love, play on!" - Shakespeare
We're talking about Lindy, not Blues Dancing.
Lindy Hop is a dance where guys who weren't popular in high school stop discussing World of Warcraft long enough to attempt to court women over the course of a five minute song. Also, it has a hop and some kicking.
Kalman
I wonder if the reason people ask whether you're with a group is that, as they see couples dancing in synch, it doesn't occur to them that it could be possible for people who don't know each other to do that -- that it isn't mostly choreographed. I wonder if you would get more mileage out of emphasizing that aspect.
Follows who don't want to get wet shouldn't dance with me.
Bingo! . . . and no. They still wouldn't get it, but a very ensiteful thought.
CollegiateShag.com
If, only I had nifty cards that referred to a website that explained Lindy Hop like I do for Collegiate Shag.....
If you are bored check out my blog... http://taintwhatyoudo.wordpress.com/
Whenever they ask me this, I always reply, umm, umm, I'm an excellent driver...excellent driver.
Elmo likes to Lindy Hop!
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