How did you learn to swing?

[megamoose]

Just wondering how you all learnt to swing. I am thinking of starting it up but don't know whether to just follow instructions o na website or actually get proper lessons.

So how did you all get into it and learn?

Mark

[It's Wonderful]

I'd start with lessons from a decent instructor (talk to their students and watch them dance, if possible), and get out social dancing for the practice and the motivation. Starting with videos can be very frustrating, because you just don't know if you're doing what the video is telling you to do, and you don't have the camaraderie and support of a class.

I started dancing in a group class, and loved it right away. Then I graduated to intensive workshops and occasional privates in addition to the regular group classes. I have only ever used video to learn new moves. It can be challenging to pick things up from videos if you don't already know some of the technique that is required to make them work.

Do you know what kind of swing you'd like to try? What kinds of music do you like?

Have fun, swing can be quite addictive, so watch out ;)

[kayak]

I find that videos are pretty good at reminding me of things I learned in a class, but I have a hard time learning from them. For myself, I like group classes for getting started. Try to pick a group class that is not too huge.

[Vince A]

I learned to swing one day when my Dad took me to the park, sat me down, pulled back on the chains, let go, and said, "Fly."

Just kidding, I know what you mean, but I can correlate . . .

It was actually my Mom. She was a two-time New York State Jitterbug Champion - don't ask me when! Anyway, shortly after I turned 12, she took me out on the the living floor, turned on some 'swing' music, took me by the arms, and said, "You've been watching me for years . . . Fly!" I've loved dancing ever since.

I wish she were here so I could dance with her just one more time . . . "Thanks Mom."

I may not be the best swing dancer out there . . . don't wanna be . . . but I certainly do have fun on a dancefloor!

[motardmom]

I took a social dance class in high school, that was my first exposure, and where I learned the basic. Later, I took a dance class with a guy I knew, the class lasted maybe 6 weeks...? Then I went out social dancing every weekend for several years.... lol I'm still "learning" to dance. ;)

[Dancelf]

Just wondering how you all learnt to swing. I am thinking of starting it up but don't know whether to just follow instructions o na website or actually get proper lessons.

So how did you all get into it and learn?


Step 1: make a fool out of myself attempting to impress a girl at a Zydeco party, within eyeshot of two friends of mine who were president and secretary of the ballroom dance club.

Step 2: join the club, taking all the beginner classes in god only knows how many social dances (american standard, american latin, country and western I think it was)

Step 3: spend a summer in Ithaca

Step 4: return to Texas, only to discover that while I had been working on east coast swing and Lindy, the folks who had stayed home learned Whip. Oh, that's the dance I should have been doing...

etc.

I strongly suggest skipping step 1.


My recommendation would be to search around to see if there is a big public dance with a introductory lesson in front of it somewhere within easy reach.

If you were in the Boston area, I would recommend the BSDN dance (http://www.bostonswingdance.com/dances.html) as a starting point. So you might surf that website to get a feel for what the right sort of venue sounds like, then look around to see if you can find a match near you.

If that gets you hooked, you'll see some dancers who are much better than you would become just by taking introductory lessons. Politely ask one of them what the other local options are for instruction. (You could also ask the teacher of the introductory lesson).

[Spitfire]

Mainly from group classes.

[Heresy]

Originally, I was coerced by my then girlfriend to do this choreographed dance routine for her friend's dance troupe for their summer show. Her regular partner was doing some gig in LA; so, I was stucking being the good boyfriend. I learned most of the moves pretty fast, but it was a horribly loose routine that continually changed every day. Somehow, we managed to pull off a three minute dance in front of an auditorium full of a few hundred people without any negative comments.

After that I left to college for fall semester where I took a once a week group class that focused mostly on ECS and lindyhop with a little balboa thrown in. I never danced socially afterwards and most of the connection part was lost, but I managed to look good at my girlfriend's senior prom. When we broke up that fall semester, I just stopped dancing completely for two years.

Blah blah blah. Two years later pass, and I decided that I actually enjoyed dancing with swing being the only type I knew anything about. However, I had no clue about WCS which was the only well advertised swing demographic around. I started taking WCS group classes twice a week and pretty much have been doing that for about a year and a half now. I sporadically take private lessons, but the starving college student thing cuts down on those. Still, the initial two dozen or so privates I have had over the last 1.5 years really helped smooth out problem areas that group lessons couldn't.

[kfineyouw1n]

At the local community center.

[huey]

Just wondering how you all learnt to swing. So how did you all get into it and learn?Mark

I got into it after I saw a group of people dancing, and it looked like fun. I learned from going to group classes.

[Spitfire]

I got into it after I saw a group of people dancing, and it looked like fun. I learned from going to group classes.

Huey, how popular is WCS in the UK?

[huey]

Huey, how popular is WCS in the UK?

It's virtually unknown. As far as I know, there's only one regular place in London that has West Coast Swing ...

http://www.fusiondance.freeservers.com/custom.html

[Sagitta]

Step 3: spend a summer in Ithaca



Interesting. We probably never met as yesteday I went to a swing dance after a very long time. But, I'm happy to see that Ithaca appears on df now and then. (That's where I live/work.)

[Sagitta]

I learn the basics via a swing class. I learnt to dance through listening to the music. ;-)

[DiscoBandit]

I found swing by accident.. Actually I was motivated by Swing Kids the movie when it came out. My friend and I watched the film over and over trying to learn how to do the dance.. I had no Idea that other people were still doing this!

When I got to college, I took a group ballroom dance class, and fell in love.

If you're looking to learn, Group lessons are great, but there's really no substitute to just getting out there and doing it as much as possible!

[RedHotLindyHop]

If you're looking to learn, Group lessons are great, but there's really no substitute to just getting out there and doing it as much as possible!

I concur

a basic lesson is a must, classes are great, but once you have a few of these things there is nothing quite like getting out on the floor and just trying a little bit of everything you've learned

find a group you can hang out with & learn from as well as taking lessons

don't think much of lessons online or on a video

you've just got to do it yourself, preferrably with some formal instruction, if you ever want to get better

[luh]

I'd start with lessons from a decent instructor (talk to their students and watch them dance, if possible), and get out social dancing for the practice and the motivation. Starting with videos can be very frustrating, because you just don't know if you're doing what the video is telling you to do, and you don't have the camaraderie and support of a class.

I started dancing in a group class, and loved it right away. Then I graduated to intensive workshops and occasional privates in addition to the regular group classes. I have only ever used video to learn new moves. It can be challenging to pick things up from videos if you don't already know some of the technique that is required to make them work.


pretty much the same. i started in group classes, (college), than group classes with very good instructor, , than added privates and intensive workshops (about 1 a month - can't afford more). i always watched many videos. i think they changed my view on many things. by now i pick upmoves from videos as well (especially in balboa - if you know lidny technique, most balboa-moves seem like cake) i also do videos to keep me reminded of what i did at workshops. And i'm sure that all parties that i do help me learn as well. especially parties at workshops. there are some dancers that at which i can look and say wow - "that's a nice way to move" or something similar. A week in southern france, with all those good dancers increased my ability to learn and dance a lot!


luh