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The attempt of this blog is to bring a little clarity to the various naming conventions around dances of the swing era. Often when starting out, there’s confusion around the names of dances, which is understandable, since there are cross-pollinating…
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Ok, ok, the title of this blog is a little over the top… dancing, by itself, probably won’t cure all the world’s woes, but it can bring lots of people a lot of happiness. I want to talk about creating…
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This is a blog about what do about dance scene creepers, or people that make others uncomfortable with their words or actions. From solid criteria about what constitutes creepiness, to how to have conversations with people in your scene, this…
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First off, I want to start this blog with a tip of the hat and great honor to all the teachers that came before me. From the people that taught me my first swing outs, to my tap teachers, African…
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Registration? Check. Time-off work? Check. Place to stay? Check. Excitement over spending the next 72 hours in Lindy Hop bliss? Triple check. Next, you read through the upcoming dance weekend’s schedule and you realize that one of the first items…
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Have you ever found an old video clip that you wanted to recreate, or just learn something from? Have you ever wondered where teachers get their ingenuity to present new material year after year? Are you looking for a new…
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In this installment of my team series, I’d like to talk about 10 small things I’ve used in the past that can make your team shine. 1) Four Corners When doing run throughs, it’s easy for the brain to become…
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Sometimes I think about what would happen if I could turn back time and start over as a beginner. What would I do differently? How could I have made my own progression faster, easier? Other times, while teaching a beginner’s…
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The Trankey Doo. Not just one of the best routines for punning about (Trankey did it, etc) it’s also one of the richest choreographies for movement and technique. The story goes that it was originally choreographed to Tuxedo Junction, though…
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Tips for breaking down old clips
Why swing dancers should learn to play swing music
Swing dance in the 90’s and early 2000’s
Dance Vacation :: Seattle
Snap moments, inspiration and perspective
Running a Swing Team. Part 1 – First Stops
Running a Swing Team Part 5 – Dean Collins Shim Sham
Styling, a Personal Exploration
Remembering what you learn in class. Notation and Organization
The ingredients of a great event
Running a Swing Team Part 4 – The California Routine
Running a Swing Team Part 10 – Book Club
