 |
|
Resources |
|
TEN WAYS TO
BECOME A BETTER
SWING DANCER |
|
|
Before proceeding to the "10
Ways" below, one overall piece of advice --
learn
the original swing dances:
Lindy Hop and
Balboa. In swing dancing, you can't separate the dance from
the music.
Learning and becoming proficient at Lindy Hop and
Balboa will help you connect to the music
and gain a much greater appreciation for the dance
itself.
|
|
Yes, it's true, at most
Hepcats events (and at lot's of other swing dances), the pre-dance lesson is
often a "step, step,
rock step" type of lesson.
But that lesson is designed to get those up on the dance floor that
have never danced before or that have very little
dance experience.
So as you progress, don't settle
for anything less than the original swing dances:
Lindy Hop and Balboa!
|
|
|
1. Go Dancing! Classes,
workshops, and practice are really important. But
those should be combined with lots of social
dancing, so got out dancing! Take advantage of
the Hepcats regular
swing dances and
events with live music. A swing dance
event with good live music can be an exhilarating
and inspiring dance experience. Go swing dancing
at other good out of town dance
venues. Experience different dance floors and dance
venues. Lindy exchanges are a good way to
experience different types of venues and swing dance
scenes. But take
note: you should not
attend Lindy exchanges in lieu of attending
workshops.
A good rule of thumb is that you should attend 2-3
workshops (both weekend and one day workshops) for
every Lindy exchange you attend. Most people
only have a certain amount of resources available
for swing dancing; so use a majority of those resources
to attend workshops! |
|
|
|
2. Seek Out and Take Opportunities To Learn. Attend
as many good workshops, both Lindy Hop and Balboa,
as possible. Take a
private lesson, learn from
good Lindy Hop and Balboa instructors. Lindy
Hop and Balboa should be seen as a journey, not a destination. Good
Lindy Hop and Balboa dancers are life-long learners. |
|
|
|
3. Listen To And Learn About Great Swing Music.
Being able to hear and interpret the breaks and
phrases of the music are essential if you want to be
able to dance to the music, rather than just dance.
Note that there is a lot of music
played in 4/4 time that people "swing dance" to, but
that doesn't make it swing music. (Go to a West
Coast Swing, Ballroom, or a Bop Club event.) Many
swing dancers say that the ability to physically
express and interpret the music you are dancing to
is what "ties it all together".
|
|
|
|
4. Try New Things. Sometimes
dancers find they seemed to have reached a
"plateau". If you find yourself at a
"plateau", do something different. Analyze
your basic steps and patterns and add something
different. Be innovative and get creative!
Don't be afraid to copy from other people,
experiment. If the new "thing" works for you,
great! If not, don't worry about it and move
on.
|
|
|
|
5. Ask Someone You Trust To Honesty Evaluate
Your Dancing. Evaluate how you feel and
look, not just your dance style. Leaders:
are you making your partner look good and feel
comfortable? Followers: are you letting
the leader lead? Are you dancing to the "beat"
of the music? Do you have good "pulse" in your dancing style? If
you enter contests (which you should), are you getting good marks from the
judges, are you making the finals (especially for regional and national
level competitions)? |
|
|
|
6. Don't Get the Big Head! Stay humble.
As soon as you become a barely competent dancer,
people will start telling you how great you are, don't believe it!
Sure, compliments are nice, and we all like them. But remember there are always better dancers
out there, and there is always
more you can learn. Besides, if you think you're
great, you won't be open to new ideas.
|
|
|
|
7. Develop Your Personal Dancing Style.
Everyone's body works slightly different. Learn to
incorporate steps and patterns into your Lindy Hop
and Balboa that make you and your partner feel
good and look good. Be yourself!
|
|
|
|
8. Don't Be Shy! No matter your
ability level, don't be
afraid to dance with different people. Remember
that the "beginner" dancer of today will some day
in the future be an "intermediate/advanced"
dancer. Conversely, don't be afraid to ask a more
"experienced" dancer for a dance. This applies to
leaders and followers! At swing dances, it's
quite acceptable for a woman to ask a man
if he would like to dance. (Of course, one always
has the option to decline a dance, either ladies or
gentlemen). Dance with everyone - don't limit
yourself.
|
|
|
|
9. Stop doing steps and patterns.
What? Yes, at some point, you'll want to move
from being a "steps & patterns" dancer to becoming a
dancer that dances to the music. Sure, we all
have to learn new steps and patterns. But
dancing is all about connecting to the music and
your partner. Take time to listen to good
swing music; feel the beat; become familiar with
swing music phrasing, etc.... It's really not
that hard and will make a world of difference in
your dancing!
|
|
|
|
10. Participate in Jam Circles -- Enter
Competitions -- Join a Performance Group.
One of the best ways to take your swing dancing to
the "next level" is to participate in "competition"
type activities (of course, friendly and fun
competitions). Participating in competitions,
be it a jam circle, a performance group, a couples
contest, a Jack and Jill contest, etc...gets the
competitive juices flowing and is often a catalyst
for individual improvement. Friendly and
healthy dance competitions also bring excitement and
enthusiasm to the swing dance scene, and often
inspire other swing dancers to take their dancing to
the next level! |
|
|
See you on the dance floor! |
|
|
Questions about
Hepcats
events? Contact
Mike Richardson, info@Luv2SwingDance.com
or 859-420-2426. |
|
|
Home
|
Classes |
Dance Events |
Calendar |
FAQ |
Resources | About
Us |
Contact
|
Performance Group |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Questions about
Hepcats
events?
Contact
Mike Richardson,
info@Luv2SwingDance.com;
or 859-420-2426. |
|
|
Why
Learn to Swing Dance
with the Hepcats?
We teach the original swing dances of the swing-era, accept no substitutes!
Already know some
swing dance? Move beyond
"step, step, rock step" and take
the challenge
to
be a Lindy Hopper!
Learn
Balboa! To be a well-rounded
and versatile swing-era swing dancer, you
need to learn - and embrace - Balboa! Plus
it's really cool to dance effortlessly to
200 bpm while other dancers just watch
and wonder how you do that!!
It's a great way to meet people.
Dancing will help you stay
physically active.
Men's Health
magazine named
Lexington the
least active city in the nation. Obviously they
haven't
been to a Hepcats event!
Learn from instructors with the
knowledge, experience and expertise
to get you out on the dance floor,
looking cool and
having fun!
The Swing Era = great dancing and great music! |
|
|
Hepcats
EMail!
Sign up and stay
in the know about swing dance events in
Lexington/central KY!
Note: we dont sell, lend or provide
email info to anyone! |
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
