January 2012
2 posts
Anonymous asked: Hej! I also stopped dancing once because of my "friends", but that shouldn't really matter. I am doing it for myself now and to make my partner look good on the floor. Just find a good partner and swing on...
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I think it's time to openly discuss why I really...
A couple of friends finally got the real reason out of me the other night and I realized I owe the followers of this blog that explanation so maybe it won’t happen to them. I guess you could say I was in with the “cool” dancers. At least, that’s how others saw it. I didn’t really see it that way, but I digress. Anyway, I suppose I’d gotten in with the cool...
December 2011
11 posts
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I suppose it's time I make it official
There’s a reason this blog has become so inactive and I suppose it’s time to tell all the faithful followers of this blog. I’m taking an extended break from dancing. Everytime I say I’m not dancing anymore, someone tells me not to think of it as starting or stopping, but to think of it as taking a break. It stopped being fun for me and I have another hobby that I love...
Men Following & Women Leading in Lindy Hop
tangledletters:
dancequeer:
http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLF63E8D051C4BE683
A playlist of excellent lindy hoppers, where women act as the ‘lead’ and men the ‘follow’. They are all same-sex dance partnerships - videos of women leading men seem to be harder to find.
amazing!!
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I think I might have beaten the plateau blues once...
Here’s what I did to beat them: -I stopped getting so frustrated at myself everytime I made a mistake. I started realizing that mistakes are important and that they’re milestones. Everytime I make a mistake, I’m less likely to make it again. -I force myself to laugh when I mess up. If I laugh, then it becomes no big deal to both me and the lead and both of us feel more...
200 followers!
Sorry for the lack of posts guys. Thanks for not unfollowing! I’m currently in the middle of finals week so frequent posting will resume soon as I finish all my finals.
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dashdotuniverse asked: So, I've been a lead for a year and have attempted to follow (it's amusing how really fun it is), many times for instruction on what to look for and it's helpful. However, I'm trying to find follows who want to lead and they're there, because of the ratio of more women than guys - do you have any advice for me?
Anonymous asked: Tumblr erases my answers to you: Dance more with people that know less. They have fun and it's contagious. Also it's good to take responsability for your moves. More advanced dancers might correct their dancing to cover your faults. Last thing, newer dancers might improve to be great, and they might remember those who shunned them.
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Inspiration comes and goes but unrealistic...
There are times when I feel like I should take a break from dancing. Even though I love it, it is all too capable of reducing me to tears in the confines of the nearest private place I can find. I lose sight of the fun and think too much on how good or bad I’m doing. Every mistake is a big deal to me. Every swingout has me worrying about how light or heavy my connection is and whether...
November 2011
27 posts
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Anonymous asked: Any suggestions on good music to swing to?
Confessions of a Lindy Hopper
urbanmarinade:
Well here we go again. My usual once-per-year rant about Lindy Hop, the partner dance I am still (reluctantly) in love with. The truth is, most of you don’t know me as a dancer. I was talked into learning this type of swing dancing while living in California. I continued to learn it when I moved to DC because it was something to do and an easy way to meet people. I got better. I...
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xsimplymimix asked: Do you have any links to solo jazz/charleston routines?? :) I can't seem to find any on Youtube. Merci!
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I think I've got my inspiration back
I’ve been so frustrated with my dancing lately that it’s felt more like a kind-of enjoyable chore rather than something I love. The focus has been too much on fixing all issues and less on the fun, making me frustrated night after night. I’ve been improving tons each week, but that hadn’t been good enough for me. I was honestly questioning why I was still doing something...
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Rockin' in Rhythm: In defense of Apache’s post on... →
blameitonthemanthatdances:
In defense of Apache’s post on Tumblr…
Let’s look at it objectively - for all the hooplah and negative response rising up around this one post, there are only two negative comments made in comparison to positive. Frankly, those who take offense to a simple word-of-warning are simply mistaken…
What she said! I didn’t start swingitout to become an influential...
Anonymous asked: Same anon as before... That advice REALLY helped! My instructor noticed and said I was improving. Who knew looking up/trusting everything would make it so much better! Sorry for another dumb question.. But what is pulse? I can't find any videos and your posts make me feel like I should know this! Lol :)
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Any advice?
So I’m trying to keep my follow light (when you’re successful, you’ll never feel a clearer lead or follow better), but I’ve found one particular area that normally throws me off for at least part of the rest of the advice. I know I need to keep my weight forward over the balls of my feet and my core engaged to stay light, but I keep almost falling back onto my heels with...
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Swingout technique notes
-pulse needs to be throughout- including the rockstep- and needs to be fluid -keep your rockstep moderate sized, right behind you, and don’t move your other foot anywhere. You’re picking it up and then putting it down. -step directly into the lead and keep your triples straight -weight forward, on the balls of your feet, butt out -you want to feel a stretch, but not a heavy one: you...
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Anonymous asked: Thank you :) that really does help. My instructor is always telling me to look up! And I hope that one day I'll be able to go to a lindy event and feel confident! I'm happy to know that most advanced dancers also just want to have fun and will dance with me. A little less pressure :) thanks!
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Anonymous asked: Hello! I love your blog! Well, I am a beginner at lindy, and discovered that I am in love with swing dancing! I wish I could dance all the time. But, I am not very confident at all, and recently turned down an invitation to a really fun social dance out of town because I was afraid I'd just look stupid or no one would want to dance with me. Do you have any tips for beginners to become more...
Anonymous asked: Hey do you happen to remember the link for those drawings someone did of swing dancers? I think you reblogged it once (if not I'm sorry for this random message!)
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That amazing moment when a really good dancer you...
And then proceeds to comment on how much you’ve improved and then dances with you multiple times that night. I love moments like that.
I WILL NEVER STOP POSTING THESE
lotusmika:
My goodness they’ve just combined Harry Potter, Mean Girls, and lindy hop.
What am I going to do.
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Help with my swivels?
nooneneedknow:
I’ve never been very good at them, but suddenly, they are just terrible. Any suggestions?
Some of my past notes on swivels:
-stay on the balls of your feet, it makes you lighter and makes your swivels work better -prep on the 7&8, your actual swivels are on the 1&2-you’re using your triple step to prep -keep your core engaged and make sure your swivels are coming...
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Mora’s Modern Rhythmists- Black Coffee I...
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Workshop notes
-three sets of swivels before the triple step (generally of course) -don’t come forward with your swivels but keep them under you and in place until you feel the pull (not the stretch!) -go as soon as you feel the cue to- don’t hang back and make the lead do all the work -stay relaxed and just follow -make sure your hips are moving with those swivels. The main focus should be the...
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Anyone have/ know of any exercises I can do?
So I definitely need some exercises to help me engage my core better. I feel like I keep forgetting to engage it and the only time I remember to is when I’m in my head telling myself to remember to keep it engaged. When I’m not doing a good enough job with this, my dancing feels like crap (mainly because I remember how much smoother and put together my dancing looked and felt). Does...
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The core is they key to all
I know everyone says that engaging the core is super important, but I didn’t realize just how important it was until tonight. My instructor from summer worked with me on engaging my core and I finally got it. I’d been hearing the same thing for a while, but he was the first person to put it in terms that just clicked with me. It was amazing and did SO MUCH for my dancing. All those...
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Back to work for me
As several of you suggested, I let myself have a night off. I know I was not technically good and I know I fell back into some habits I’d been working on breaking. That being said, I had fun last night. Even at the end of the night when I was told what to work on and what I’d been doing wrong (as I encourage people to tell me, of course, so I know what to work on so I can improve),...
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I'm losing sight of the fun
I love Lindy Hop and I absolutely couldn’t imagine ever stopping (I’m hopelessly addicted), but lately I realized I’ve lost sight of the fun. I’m working too hard on improving all these technical aspects of my dancing (I’m doing terrible at the one-thing-a-night rule) and losing all my creativity. I stopped making things up and improvising in favor of improving the...
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Things to practice
-matching pulse -connecting with the core -keep your weight forward over the balls of you feet, makes you lighter -stay at the same level during your swingout. If your swivels look good low, stay low throughout the whole swingout -drag more in Balboa. Don’t hold- takes too much energy. Instead, just bring foot in. Also, lean into the connection.
vernacular jazz dance: Overcoming my dance funk. →
fuckyeahswingdance:
I know this is hardly revolutionary, but: sometimes dancing with beginner dancers can remind you why you fell in love with dancing in the first place. Not the ones who are self-conscious and afraid of looking silly. Those beginners who are almost bursting with excitement because they love it so…
October 2011
24 posts
pervyanon:
You guys sometimes I go to the swing dance meme page and I just laugh and laugh and now there are honestly tears because it’s just so funny I can’t I can’t.
You guys there are swing dance memes and they are...
pervyanon:
Read More
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NOTES from social dancing
-keep those swivels underneath you -if you lean back, you’ll be heavy and be on your heels. Lean forward and you’ll be super light and on the balls of your feet -when you turn, keep focus on elbow. Don’t let your elbow get past your back. You want to always keep your frame. -Match the pulse of the lead Balboa notes: -back, together, front, back, together, front alternating...
Aris Allen -- Sales and New Shoes!!
lotusmika:
I don’t know why I’ve decided to post every time Aris Allen has stuff going on; it may just be because I’m so freakishly attached to my own pair — but before you ask, Aris Allen is not paying me to promote them.
(And if they were paying me, I’d probably use that money to buy a new pair…Don’t judge me.)
What’s Happening:
- Shoe clearances!
- NEW shoe releases (including WIDE Captoe...
I've seen this discussion before, but it's time to...
ima-gina-ation:
Aris Allens…are they worth it?
Absolutely
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Post-social dancing notes
-keep swivels underneath you -stay forward on the balls of your feet, butt almost sticking out -keep arm relaxed -pulse -third swivel come straight forward- chest pointed toward lead
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Lindy Hop abroad?
What European countries have good lindy scenes? What cities within these countries? I’d really like to study abroad, but a decent lindy hop scene is an absolute must for me. I couldn’t imagine three plus months of little to no dancing!