Hey, all. I haven't been dancing for quite a while, and figured I need to stay fit and have some fun doin' it. Just wondering what is going on these days- I learned Balboa, smooth style Lindy and Collegiate Shag from the Seattle and LA crews, mostly. I guess I'm not altogether interested in taking more lessons, 'cause I still dig the Dean Collins and Maxie Dorf sort of stuff, primarily. I was last hard core for dancing about five years ago.
Originally posted Monday, July 5, 2010 (2 years ago)
a lot and not much. Depending on what aspects you are looking at. I think there was a recent thread about 'new trends in lindy' or something that you might find interesting.
Welcome back to dancing!
follow my adventures at www.AppalachianToAlpine.blogspot.com!
Originally posted Monday, July 5, 2010 (2 years ago)
Edited on Monday, July 5, 2010 1:17 pm (2 years ago)
Basically, the Savoy vs. "Dean Collins" style wars ended years ago. People like Justin Zillman who bothered to do the actual research into the facts using things like old film clips of Frankie Manning and Dean Collins proved that they both did the swingout basically the same way when each of them was in their 20's and 30's. The thing they both did resembles the "Dean Collins" side of the style wars more than the "Savoy Style" side (which, essentially, was how Frankie adapted his style to something he could do when he was in his late 80's and beyond without risking injury).
Best suggestion - don't worry about it. Just watch people on the dance floor. It's still the Lindy Hop (aka "Breakaway Charleston") - just a bit more authentic in relation to how it was done back in the day. Oh ... and most people recommend you "pull in" on 2. :)
As to Balboa - some lessons may or may not be in order. Around the time of the Style Wars, the basic step that most instructors taught back then wasn't exactly wrong as far as I know, but it's not the same as the most common basic step the original Balboa dancers did "back in the day". I believe it's a variation that most of the original Balboa dancers only did occasionally. Too complicated to describe the difference here. If you can pick it up just by watching dancers on the floor - once again, don't worry about it. Otherwise, you should be able to pick up the more authentic basic step in about an hour if you choose the right instructor.
"A revolution without dancing is a revolution not worth having" - V
Originally posted Monday, July 5, 2010 (2 years ago)
Edited on Monday, July 5, 2010 6:57 pm (2 years ago)
Thanks, folks. I was aware of the style wars, and they certainly played themselves out where I was at. I don't worry about that stuff at all; waste of sweat.
Oh, and I've been pulling her in on the 2 for a long time. Even when I'm dancing after having a few.
The last time I was dancing they were doing something called "Harlem Style" with their legs darting back and arms flailing about. My gal and I got seriously shinhacked as if we were playing in a soccer game with some Crystal Meth addicts. I am hoping for the best, however.
Originally posted Monday, July 5, 2010 (2 years ago)
Lindy - Although it's trending back to real 30s-40s classic jazz and swing, with style and technique to match, there's certainly no consensus. Anyway, everyone mixes with everyone, old-school near-Charleston style Lindy to 50s/60s strait-ahead jazz inspired groovy Lindy that's almost indistinguishable from WCS, and everything in-between.
Balboa/Bal-Swing - The entire scene, save for one or two hold-outs, has largely found consensus on technique if not style. The details are too much for a quick response post other then to say if you're doing kicks in a basic on 3 and 7, traveling far (or at all) in your basic, or leading the start of a transition step using a pelvic thrust (yep, people teach that...), you may want to take a brush up private lesson otherwise you're fine.
Collegiate Shag - The forgotten bad ass dance. There's a bit of a resurgence, but it's still rare, and if you can lead it reasonably well at all you'll be a dance god to all the shag follows (all five or six of them nationally ;-) Seriously, shag leads seem to always be in high demand.
And I'm jealous of your 30M. If it's in brushed silver plate your life may be in danger. ;-)
Oh, man - she's lacquered, but she's still a monster. I'll send you pic, if you like. My 1947 Buescher Aristocrat Alto is silver, though. I just bought it- she has this wicked Johnny Hodges tone.
So Collegiate Shag is back in favor, is it? God, I love CS. That is a badass dance; that will get me in shape double quick. Either that, or a frickin' coronary.
Originally posted Wednesday, July 7, 2010 (2 years ago)
Edited on Wednesday, July 7, 2010 10:11 am (2 years ago)
Good RadioDJ;
On a dark desert highway, cool wind in my hair...
You can't come back. I needed the excercise so I tried to come back. But after you've been around normal people for a long time, coming back into the swing scene is complete geek shock. I went to the 92nd street Y a few weeks back and George Gee sounded like he has changed over to a wedding band (you have to make your money somehow and the swing scene can't support live music anymore).
Then there were the dancers. I felt like the ghost of lindy past. A showdowy figure crept up to me, and squinted out of one eye and said,
"You should never have left, see what became of them because you didn't stay."
He motioned to a tall geeky sweat monster still hopping up and down in a parody of dance. There was a woman in blyers and a dance skirt and spandex pants 'i'm a dancer' out fit. There was an old hunchback, an over-weight woman in loud flowers, and a young blond man showing off his spontinaity (they take class for spontinaity and once they practice it up they go spontanaityous and even snap their fingers).
I was shocked--I really should have stayed with the scene but then the good Witch appeared and said: "Don't worry barb, if you look closely you will see none of them have changed at all."
And then I saw a couple doing the swing out, over and over and over and over and over.
Last thing I remember I was running for the door. They are just prisoners there...Welcome to the hotel NYC lindy.
Originally posted Wednesday, July 7, 2010 (1 year ago)
So the next time I'm in NYC I'll come out with you and we can commiserate in the corner. I've seen some sights in my day too, but I'm coming back for the purely selfish reason of getting and staying in shape, and to dance. I have no great expectations. I plan on learning tango, too. It's all good.
Yes you can. (That's the good news.) PROVIDED you also work there as a "native English speaker" ESL instructor. (That's the less good news).
If you combine the your knowledge of swing music/dance and fluent English skills together into one gig where you teach lindy to middle schoolers and help them practice their English at the same time you might even be able to maximize your efficiency and income!
For marketing this, you could establish a niche for yourself as the only ESL instructor in Seoul whose lessons include learning to speak English Jive Dialect. You could use segments of films such as "Stormy Weather" and "Rhythm and Blues Review" as instructional aids for this, along with several recordings by Louis Jordan, Delta Rhythm Boys, and Basin Street Boys (especially "Satchelmouth Baby").
ALL REET! Gimme some skin, bro!
"A revolution without dancing is a revolution not worth having" - V
Quote I suppose it's possible even, to start a trend among young Koreans to have them speaking jive and sounding like Harlemites of the 1930's.
"Solid...righteous....look at that pound cake, gate; she's as fine as May wine!
To get the best effect, you should converse with your students exclusively in English Jive Dialect. Let them think that ALL Americans talk this way all the time.
Quote Once back in the day in Brooklyn a customer sat down to have lunch in a Jewish delicatessen. He was served by a Chinese waiter who spoke to him in perfect Yiddish and understood everything he heard spoken to him in Yiddish perfectly as well. After the meal the customer went up to the owner and expressed amazement that he was able to hire a Chinese waiter who was willing to take the time to learn to speak Yiddish.
"Shhhh!," replied the owner. "He thinks I'm teaching him English!"
"A revolution without dancing is a revolution not worth having" - V
Returning to the scene...
Hey, all. I haven't been dancing for quite a while, and figured I need to stay fit and have some fun doin' it. Just wondering what is going on these days- I learned Balboa, smooth style Lindy and Collegiate Shag from the Seattle and LA crews, mostly. I guess I'm not altogether interested in taking more lessons, 'cause I still dig the Dean Collins and Maxie Dorf sort of stuff, primarily. I was last hard core for dancing about five years ago.
What's changed since then?
Sweet & Hot ~ Jazz, Swing and more from of the 78 RPM era; Thursdays 10-Noon on CiTR 101.9 FM. Podcast: http://feeds.feedburner.com/Citr--SweetAndHot
Yehoodi Featured Topics
(17 items total, 30 per page)
Welcome back, RadioDJ!
Awesome Dance Movies Teaching Teens to Charleston is Awesome
"What's changed since then?"
Less drums.
"Style is originality; fashion is fascism.The two are eternally and unalterably opposed." - Lester Bangs
a lot and not much. Depending on what aspects you are looking at. I think there was a recent thread about 'new trends in lindy' or something that you might find interesting.
Welcome back to dancing!
follow my adventures at www.AppalachianToAlpine.blogspot.com!
Basically, the Savoy vs. "Dean Collins" style wars ended years ago. People like Justin Zillman who bothered to do the actual research into the facts using things like old film clips of Frankie Manning and Dean Collins proved that they both did the swingout basically the same way when each of them was in their 20's and 30's. The thing they both did resembles the "Dean Collins" side of the style wars more than the "Savoy Style" side (which, essentially, was how Frankie adapted his style to something he could do when he was in his late 80's and beyond without risking injury).
Best suggestion - don't worry about it. Just watch people on the dance floor. It's still the Lindy Hop (aka "Breakaway Charleston") - just a bit more authentic in relation to how it was done back in the day. Oh ... and most people recommend you "pull in" on 2. :)
As to Balboa - some lessons may or may not be in order. Around the time of the Style Wars, the basic step that most instructors taught back then wasn't exactly wrong as far as I know, but it's not the same as the most common basic step the original Balboa dancers did "back in the day". I believe it's a variation that most of the original Balboa dancers only did occasionally. Too complicated to describe the difference here. If you can pick it up just by watching dancers on the floor - once again, don't worry about it. Otherwise, you should be able to pick up the more authentic basic step in about an hour if you choose the right instructor.
"A revolution without dancing is a revolution not worth having" - V
Thanks, folks. I was aware of the style wars, and they certainly played themselves out where I was at. I don't worry about that stuff at all; waste of sweat.
Oh, and I've been pulling her in on the 2 for a long time. Even when I'm dancing after having a few.
The last time I was dancing they were doing something called "Harlem Style" with their legs darting back and arms flailing about. My gal and I got seriously shinhacked as if we were playing in a soccer game with some Crystal Meth addicts. I am hoping for the best, however.
Sweet & Hot ~ Jazz, Swing and more from of the 78 RPM era; Thursdays 10-Noon on CiTR 101.9 FM. Podcast: http://feeds.feedburner.com/Citr--SweetAndHot
Lindy - Although it's trending back to real 30s-40s classic jazz and swing, with style and technique to match, there's certainly no consensus. Anyway, everyone mixes with everyone, old-school near-Charleston style Lindy to 50s/60s strait-ahead jazz inspired groovy Lindy that's almost indistinguishable from WCS, and everything in-between.
Balboa/Bal-Swing - The entire scene, save for one or two hold-outs, has largely found consensus on technique if not style. The details are too much for a quick response post other then to say if you're doing kicks in a basic on 3 and 7, traveling far (or at all) in your basic, or leading the start of a transition step using a pelvic thrust (yep, people teach that...), you may want to take a brush up private lesson otherwise you're fine.
Collegiate Shag - The forgotten bad ass dance. There's a bit of a resurgence, but it's still rare, and if you can lead it reasonably well at all you'll be a dance god to all the shag follows (all five or six of them nationally ;-) Seriously, shag leads seem to always be in high demand.
And I'm jealous of your 30M. If it's in brushed silver plate your life may be in danger. ;-)
Oh, man - she's lacquered, but she's still a monster. I'll send you pic, if you like. My 1947 Buescher Aristocrat Alto is silver, though. I just bought it- she has this wicked Johnny Hodges tone.
So Collegiate Shag is back in favor, is it? God, I love CS. That is a badass dance; that will get me in shape double quick. Either that, or a frickin' coronary.
Sweet & Hot ~ Jazz, Swing and more from of the 78 RPM era; Thursdays 10-Noon on CiTR 101.9 FM. Podcast: http://feeds.feedburner.com/Citr--SweetAndHot
I'm over due for updating the website, but check it out: CollegiateShag.com
CollegiateShag.com
Good RadioDJ;
On a dark desert highway, cool wind in my hair...
You can't come back. I needed the excercise so I tried to come back. But after you've been around normal people for a long time, coming back into the swing scene is complete geek shock. I went to the 92nd street Y a few weeks back and George Gee sounded like he has changed over to a wedding band (you have to make your money somehow and the swing scene can't support live music anymore).
Then there were the dancers. I felt like the ghost of lindy past. A showdowy figure crept up to me, and squinted out of one eye and said, "You should never have left, see what became of them because you didn't stay."
He motioned to a tall geeky sweat monster still hopping up and down in a parody of dance. There was a woman in blyers and a dance skirt and spandex pants 'i'm a dancer' out fit. There was an old hunchback, an over-weight woman in loud flowers, and a young blond man showing off his spontinaity (they take class for spontinaity and once they practice it up they go spontanaityous and even snap their fingers).
I was shocked--I really should have stayed with the scene but then the good Witch appeared and said: "Don't worry barb, if you look closely you will see none of them have changed at all."
And then I saw a couple doing the swing out, over and over and over and over and over.
Last thing I remember I was running for the door. They are just prisoners there...Welcome to the hotel NYC lindy.
yours Barb
OMG, Barb!
Awesome Dance Movies Teaching Teens to Charleston is Awesome
So the next time I'm in NYC I'll come out with you and we can commiserate in the corner. I've seen some sights in my day too, but I'm coming back for the purely selfish reason of getting and staying in shape, and to dance. I have no great expectations. I plan on learning tango, too. It's all good.
Sweet & Hot ~ Jazz, Swing and more from of the 78 RPM era; Thursdays 10-Noon on CiTR 101.9 FM. Podcast: http://feeds.feedburner.com/Citr--SweetAndHot
Welcome back!
It's become the social norm to sneak up behind people and whisper softly in their right ear to request a dance. (tapping on the shoulder is optional)
The sweat-wicking-polyester-(UnderArmor)-shirts-tucked-into-tight-jeans look is now en vogue. (for ladies and gentlemen!)
The Jitterbug Stroll is the new Big Apple (or is that the old Shim Sham?).
Blues dancing has since further defined itself; there are now numerous workshops, competitions and nationally recognized instructors.
You're not considered a "rockstar' until you've taught in Korea.
Everybody is moving to New Orleans.
What's collegiate shag?
To live is the rarest thing in the world. Most people exist, that is all. - Oscar Wilde http://lindydandy.blogspot.com
So I suppose it might be possible to almost make a living as a better-than-average swing dj in Korea?
Sweet & Hot ~ Jazz, Swing and more from of the 78 RPM era; Thursdays 10-Noon on CiTR 101.9 FM. Podcast: http://feeds.feedburner.com/Citr--SweetAndHot
Yes you can. (That's the good news.) PROVIDED you also work there as a "native English speaker" ESL instructor. (That's the less good news).
If you combine the your knowledge of swing music/dance and fluent English skills together into one gig where you teach lindy to middle schoolers and help them practice their English at the same time you might even be able to maximize your efficiency and income!
For marketing this, you could establish a niche for yourself as the only ESL instructor in Seoul whose lessons include learning to speak English Jive Dialect. You could use segments of films such as "Stormy Weather" and "Rhythm and Blues Review" as instructional aids for this, along with several recordings by Louis Jordan, Delta Rhythm Boys, and Basin Street Boys (especially "Satchelmouth Baby").
ALL REET! Gimme some skin, bro!
"A revolution without dancing is a revolution not worth having" - V
I suppose it's possible even, to start a trend among young Koreans to have them speaking jive and sounding like Harlemites of the 1930's.
"Solid...righteous....look at that pound cake, gate; she's as fine as May wine!
Sweet & Hot ~ Jazz, Swing and more from of the 78 RPM era; Thursdays 10-Noon on CiTR 101.9 FM. Podcast: http://feeds.feedburner.com/Citr--SweetAndHot
I'm glad you caught that I was joking about most of my points. I was serious about Korea, Blues and New Orleans, though.
I think that moving to become a DJ/instructor of sorts would be fantastic.
To live is the rarest thing in the world. Most people exist, that is all. - Oscar Wilde http://lindydandy.blogspot.com
To get the best effect, you should converse with your students exclusively in English Jive Dialect. Let them think that ALL Americans talk this way all the time.
"A revolution without dancing is a revolution not worth having" - V
(17 items total, 30 per page)
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