Swing Dance Basics
LEARN TO SWING DANCE > Swing Dance Basics

Swing Dance Basics

INTRODUCTION:

 

Anyone regardless of previous experience can learn how to do street style Swing Dance. The beginner basics with single time  Swing are FAST FUN and EASY. Progressive classes are a supplement to the Swing Dance. They are not a replacement. Students are expected to practise each week at a Swing Dance what they are learning in the progressive classes. See the list of local places to dance here. Sweet Swing students begin learning to swing dance with Single Rhythm Lindy Hop Basics in the form of 6 ct basics.  They progress thru a series of classes. Usually after 2 months of classes  students are ready to begin 6 ct triple rhythm Lindy Hop basics. The same patterns are taught for the single and triple rhythm basics. After 2 months of triple 6ct basics most students are ready for 8ct rhythm Lindy Hop classes. In the Intermediate classes students learn to mix 6 and 8 ct triple rhythm patterns. At the social dances a beginner can comfortably dance 6ct single basics with a more intermediate dancer who is doing the same basics in a triple rhythm. 

FOUNDATIONS OF STREET STYLE SWING DANCE:

There are no rules in street style swing dance as there are in Ballroom. However, there are foundations that every student must build on to learn how to comfortably dance with a partner. (There are also essential Rules of Ettiquette that apply to all forms of partner dance. Follow these rules to make swing dancing fun for everyone! Read the rules on the Ettiquette page.)

FOUNDATION#1 Principals of Leading and Following:

It is permissable for a guy or a girl to initiate the invitation to dance at a swing dance. Next, it is necessay to establish who is leading and who is following. The lead`s job is to initiate the dancing and to spontaneously create the order of patterns or moves wanted. Usually the best way for a lead to take charge is to start the dance in closed position where there are more points of contact to lead the follow. There are 2 basic positions for swing partner dancing: closed and open. The lead generally comes from the hand on the follow`s back in closed position. If the lead uses the correct connection with his partner and focuses on a smooth body lead, the follow will not feel uncomfortably pushed, jerked, pulled or squeezed. The follow must not anticipate but rather use the points of connection to repond smoothly to the leads that are initiated. 
Several connection exercises are given in the first classes to lay a good foundation for leading and following. The follow learns to be sensitive to all the points of connection by closing their eyes to concentrate on the leads that are initiated. The follow`s job when dancing is to mentally focus on the leads being initiated, shutting out all distractions. In open position the lead is established by squaring up with the shoulders and hips to the partner to maximize the effectiveness of a body lead even though the only connection may be with one hand.  A follow must remember at all times to continue in the basic step pattern regardless of the direction they are being led to move. The lead should continue with his basic footwork even when giving the follow a turn.  A follow does not like to be started in a basic pattern to be cut off early by a lead who lost track of their footwork and who forgot to finish the count for the pattern. To summarize: In a well led and followed dance, all body movements will look and feel natural not stiff or jerky.

FOUNDATION #2: Musicality

The dance is intended to compliment the music in mood and rhythm. In the beginning stage it is more essential for the lead to have musicality than the follow. The follow`s job is to follow the beat initiated by the lead; not the music. If they are dancing together off beat to the music then it is the lead`s fault. A follow may tell the lead they are off beat if the lead does not notice it. The lead can always stop and restart on beat. To get on beat the lead needs to have a basic understanding of swing music. Listen to swing music and you will clearly hear a down beat immediately followed by an upbeat. A variety of swing music is used in the dance classes to give the leads lots of practise finding the up & downbeat. Lindy Hop is a downbeat dance style where emphasis is placed on the downbeat. It starts on the upbeat. Counting the beats in swing music can be simplified to 2 beats: 1 is the upbeat and 2 is the downbeat. Leads will want to start all their basics on the upbeat or 1 ct. Thus restarting a dance after stopping is as easy as counting to 2. It is musical ettiquette to begin a partner dance after the intro to the swing tune is done. You can mess around on the intro. Beyond this basic musicality there is no right or wrong with swing dance moves the lead chooses to do. A lead can create their own idea of having fun to the music as long as they stays on beat! Doing a move or combination of moves inbetween lots of basics gives the lead enough rest time to keep on the beat. Listening to lots of swing music will improve the musicality of both lead and follow. The music has breaks that can be used by the lead for a flashy move or a follow shine.  With practise a lead will sense when a song is coming to a close. A good lead matches his dance to fit the mood of the music. A dramatic ending calls for a dip or at the very least a return to closed position. Faster music calls for more kicks and faster single rhythm footwork.  Slower music calls for smooth triple rhythm to fill it out. Regardless of the speed of the music street syle swing wants to be circular. Even a lead doing beginner basics will look good on the dance floor if he keeps the dance circular and dynamic-not static in a slot. More advanced musicality is taught in the triple rhythm classes. 

LEARNING BASICS WITH SWEET SWING:

Our classes are very friendly and a lot of fun. We demo, teach, review, provide class notes, dance with you at the local weekly swing dances and with your goals in mind, help you to evaluate at the end of each 4 week series what is the next step for your swing dancing. East Coast is recommended before Lindy Hop. Sweet Swing aims to preserve the origins of swing thru Lindy Hop and all our students are encouraged to pursue this true essence of swing dance. This improvisational partner dance style is easily achieved after 4- 6 months of East Coast instruction! Not only is East Coast fast, fun and easy, but after 1 lesson you will be out on the floor dancing. Why East Coast first? I use East Coast to communicate the rhythms of swing music to my students. Without understanding the rhythms it is hard to dance to the music and keep on the beat. It is very important for a lead to have some basic musicality before stepping out on the dance floor. Girls really appreciate a guy who feels the beat. After musicality, lead and follow communication is the next important ingredient. I use East coast as a swing form that strips all the frills away to focus on your basic lead and follow skills. Professional swing dancers regularly take time to work on the above principals of musicality and partner communication with the very basics. Lindy Hop is an achievable goal when you start learning swing dance with East Coast. Students are encouraged to practice swing dancing 2 minutes a day listening to swing music- feeling the pulse. Practice immediately after each class and retain 90% of what you learn! Practice doing the basic step without a partner- keeping the weight slightly forward on the front part of the feet. When practicing with a partner-remember it is not just about the hand connections- it`s mainly a body weight connection!

FOLLOWING TECHNIQUES:
   
 Relax the hand and arm in a turn. Relax the shoulders. Keep the shoulders back using the muscles in the back- knees slightly bent. Follows follow (with their body) the hand that is connected to the lead. Keep the hand in view at all times. Consistent Arms on every axis (x,y and z), Don’t Anticipate – Feel the change and respond, Keep your feet underneath you, Plan to take small steps and allow the lead to determine how big they become, If a lead gives you momentum in a direction, keep that going until you feel ot herwise, even if he turns you..(Don’t stop and turn…turn while moving). Try to be sexy…it takes the attention off the lead.

LEADING TECHNIQUES

Leads don`t squeeze her hand! Clear leads, (strong but not jerky) Keep the upper body quiet (quiet hands – cut out excess movement) Try to have nice lines with your arms. Adjust your dancing to your partner, be flexible Know your footwork so you can focus on your strong clear and smooth leads. Try not to be too flashy let your follow shine…they will be watching her anyway. If something goes wrong…..it’s your fault.

LIST OF CURRICULUM USED FOR SWEET SWING CLASSES:

  • EAST COAST Single Time 6ct Beginner Basics Series 1-4 Stevens Sisters
  • LINDY SMOOTH Nathalie Gomez Triple Time 6ct Intermediate Basics Series 1-3
  • LINDY SAVOY Frankie Manning Triple Time 8ct  Intermediate Basics Series 1-3
  • LINDY SMOOTH Sylvia Sykes Triple Time 6 & 8ct Intermediate Basics Series 1-7
  • and Advanced Series 1-2
The Bounce is an integral part of swing:

Try these or make up your own bounce move and send it to me.

LIST OF BOUNCE MOVES FOR THE SWING DANCE LESSON

BREAK A LEG

CRAZY LEGS

FISHTAIL

ITCHIN

KNEE SLAP (combo with CHERRY PICK)

LAWNMOWER

MESSIN AROUND

PECKING

RUSTY DUSTY

SHIMMERS (Shimmer hands and twist the knees)

POSE (with a perner link R elbows-follow pose with a skip)

BRIDGE with back siscor kicks

TRIPLE STEP (Trip step step)

BACK KICK RUNS with claps and a wave (clap 8+1 wave 567)

LOCK TURN

DIGS (same elbow and hip up on the side hold - then reverse)

SHORTY GEORGE

SKATE 

SPANK THE BABY

TIC TOC

DUCK WALK

JIGS

ROCK STEP KICK X

CRAZY KNEES and WINDMILL

SHIM SHAM

PUSH AND X OVER

TACKY ANNE

BREAK

HALF BREAK

SUZY Q

CHARLESTON

SLAP CHARLESTON

JUMP CHARLESTON

20`S CHARLESTON

MOON WALK

APPLE JACK

CLAP BOOGIE

BOOGIE UP

SHORTY GEORGE

JUMP BOOGIE(Clap on evens circling hands down)

GAZE AFAR

FISHTAIL

BREEZE THE KNEES

RIDE THE PONY(Guys jump boogie back while girls CAKE WALK)

FALL OFF THE LOG

KICK BALL CHANGE

TAP BALL CHANGE

BLACK BOTTOM STEPS: BASIC STEP -Swim slow slow and Quick Quick slow,

BOX,

STOMP OFF,

HIPS DOUBLE AND SINGLE,

KNEE SLAP,

TWIST DOWN

DOUBLE BASIC

SINGLE BASIC

X OVER

LOW DOWN

SHUFFLE STEP UPS

DROP IT DOWN

SHIMMEE

TRUCKIN

SLIP SLOP

HEELS

KICK AWAY

BUTT ROLL

X AWAY

STOMP OFF

POINTS

SCISSORS