West Coast Swing

wow... i so enjoyed the two benji vids, and the john lindo/blake hobby video... wonderful!

thanks for sharing, gjb... inspiring, fun, joyful, and great energy!
 
Samina, glad you enjoyed! There have been posts in the past about WCS and Hustle and some people said they don't like or get these dances so I thought I'd post some good examples.

BTW, John Lindo regularly DJs in NY and NJ so you can catch him in action. And, Blake is awesome. I love to dance with her.
 
It was especially impressive to watch the Jack & Jill's. I wish we had those more in ballroom (though I would find it terrifying).
 
waltzgirl said:
It was especially impressive to watch the Jack & Jill's. I wish we had those more in ballroom (though I would find it terrifying).
Click to expand...

I usually like the improvisational divisions (Jack & Jill and Strictly Swing) better too. And, I would love to see a Pro Latin Jack and Jill !
 
GJB said:
BTW, John Lindo regularly DJs in NY and NJ so you can catch him in action. And, Blake is awesome. I love to dance with her.
Click to expand...

yeah, these two so impressed me... still thinking about them. that's *dancing*
 
only watched the first set... will have to watch the rest that you posted.

i just spent 40 minutes reviewing these (and a few others) with my colleague, a longtime competitive wcs-er (he can name everyone in the background of the videos, along with their personal histories & idiocyncracies *lol*).

the only thing i know about wcs are the basics he taught me (without dancing them with me) a couple months ago, and maybe the 5 minutes i've danced it with BF, but he posed a technical question about WCS foot movement and we had fun looking at the vids & sorting things out.

what a resource this thread is for wcs-lovers. :)
 
Glad you are enjoying. At least watch the first two of the last set - Deborah can improvise !!!
 
There is ALWAYS improv in WCS except for Classic/Showcase routines. Both the strictly swing (known partner, unknown music) and Jack and jills ( unknown partner and music) are extremely muscially itnerpretive and improvisational. That is one of the main goals of WCS - to hit breaks, slow down, speed up with the music, to interpret with your body (yes, your entire body!) what the music does, etc.

Yes, Deborah is pretty good at hitting music but they all are. Tatiana is amazing at it. So are Melina and Melissa, they all are. When I went to Swing Diego a few weeks ago I saw them all dance and let me tell you - I wish ballroom could sometimes be like that - so free and musical. But alas, it's only one dance, ballroom has many and all are so technical only the best dancers in the world can hope to interpret music on the fly like that...
 
Ithink said:
There is ALWAYS improv in WCS except for Classic/Showcase routines. Both the strictly swing (known partner, unknown music) and Jack and jills ( unknown partner and music) are extremely muscially itnerpretive and improvisational. That is one of the main goals of WCS - to hit breaks, slow down, speed up with the music, to interpret with your body (yes, your entire body!) what the music does, etc.
Click to expand...

Yes, I know. The last group of videos I linked to where I mentioned improvisation were all Jack and Jills or Strictly Swings. I wouldn't say they/we are all good at it. But, it's something everyone strives for from the beginning.

Thanks for your explanation. It verbalizes what I hoped the videos would demonstrate to those who have not had exposure to WCS as it is danced on the NASDE circuit and socially as well.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Dance Ads

Advertise on Dance Forums Reach dancers, teachers, studios, event organizers, and dance-friendly brands. View ad options
Back
Top