Here’s your weekly dose of helpful social dance etiquette tips! So exciting. Social dance etiquette is all about the ways we can be super cool to our fellow dancers and make the social dance floor a better place to be. New tips each week because there’s so many tips!
Our last Rhythm Lounge was a fantastic effort to raise money for the Asylum Seeker Resource Centre. We had a huge turn out and all proceeds went to ASRC plus all proceeds from the fantastic bake sale we had on the night! In total we raised $850 and couldn’t be more proud. Our wonderful community came together to help those in need. Great stuff.
Last year I was a choreographer for the opening of PIAF 2016. My team, Savoy Stomp, performed before a crowd of more than 50,000 people. I couldn’t have been more proud. Well, I’m happy to say that PIAF have asked us back for 2017 and myself and Savoy Stomp will be performing with the Evan Sherman Big Band at the Chevron Gardens. If you get the chance, come and check us out. — Shane Evan Sherman Big Band Event Page
I was very honoured when PIAF approached me to be the choreographer for an original piece within the opening of the Perth International Arts Festival 2016. I was even more honoured when I learned that piece would be highlighting a significant moment in Indigenous history in Australia. As we’re a week out from the opening I won’t give too much away but I will say what a thrill it’s been. Working with six very talented Noongar dancers alongside members of my highly trained Swing It performance team has been extremely creatively rewarding. All of the dancers have been pushing themselves hard...
Shoes! Oh, Man. Shoes. Such a glorious topic when it comes to dancing. What sole is good? What shoe looks good? What is the “right” shoe? I honestly think, when it comes to Swing, there’s no “right” shoe, there just isn’t. There’s certainly preferred shoes and preferred soles but, in the end, it’s all about preference. With this in mind, Fellas, I’m going to tell you all about the shoes I’ve trialled, the ones I prefer and why. Chuck Taylor knew where it was at…sort of.
One of the most common questions I get is, “What shoes should I wear?” Some dances have specific shoes that must be worn but, really, Lindy Hop isn’t one of them. Sure there’s certain kinds of shoes that a lot of people wear but we really don’t have one shoe that’s THE shoe in Swing dancing. If there was one though, if Follow’s had one shoe that could be referred to as the “shoe of choice” it would have to be Keds. Nothing says “Lindy Hopper” like a scuffed up, dirty pair of Keds…
Often when we’re learning to dance we neglect a really important part of all of this…the music. We’re so caught up in the footwork, the moves…leading, following, triple steps…there’s a lot to take in and we get distracted!. The thing to remember is, at the heart of all of this, is the music. Music comes first, dances come second.. No-one sits around creating an entirely new dance style and then wonders, what kind of music would go with this?. A music style is born, people listen to it and, before long, they’re moving to it in a very particular way. When you’re learning...
Today I’m going to chat about a concept that’s SO important the Travelling Wilburys wrote a song about it: the end of the line. You’ll hear us talk about the end of the line in class.. A little in Level 1 but then a whole lot in Level 2 and 3.. What are we even talking about when we say this?. What’s the point of it all??. In a nutshell it’s about keeping the connection alive between you and your partner by maintaining a little energy in opposite directions. The line – The line itself can be seen as two things.. The line a follow...
“Practice makes perfect” is of course a complete crock. Perfection is an elusive, frustrating ideal that often stands in the way of artistic progress and enjoyment. However “practice can lead to deeper enjoyment and also means spending more time doing what you love”, well, that’s something I can get behind. As adults we often equate practice with homework.. Practice, like homework, is something you HAVE to do outside of class if you want to improve and it’s usually something you leave till the night before, you cram, you stress and you end up fooling no-one when it comes to crunch time. Man, I...
There’s a lot of things we need to be aware of when we dance but sometimes we get SO caught up in our own experience (and obsession with technique…HOW WEIRD IS MY FRAME???) that we can forget other people on the floor.. Welcome to the start of a regular (semi-regular…regularish) feature of the site… THE WORLD OF FLOORCRAFT. Today… Smashing Into People 101 Endorphins are a great thing, MAN they feel good.. Sometimes though, when we’re in the moment and the music has “taken” us, we can lose control and bump or kick or smash into those around us.. Sometimes that triple step...
It’s Tuesday so, OH YEAH, it’s Beginner Tip Tuesday time.. Today the advice is simple, less is more.. This is advice that everyone should take into account throughout their whole Lindy Hop life but it’s especially helpful when you’re starting out. In the beginning you’re learning new moves and new variations and it’s all very exciting and, of course, overwhelming.. You’re desperate to try out new things and often feel like you have to impress or not bore your dance partner on the floor.. Because of this you’re likely, as a lead, to try and lead a lot of moves and as a follow...
I want to start dropping some knowledge, TRUTH BOMBS if you will.. There’s a lot to pick up when you’re starting out and sometimes you pick things up in class, sometimes you’re so scared all you hear is white noise and sometimes the weird person next to you won’t stop talking so you can’t hear what the teachers are saying.. Every Tuesday I’ll post up some basic tips to help those of you just starting out.. Today, it’s about the hand hold. A lot of the connection in Lindy Hop is with one hand (in the open position).. The best thing to do with...
