Any recommendations? You tube channels, video aids? Or is this something best done by a dance instructor… and how much do they usually charge, anyone know?
Swing dancing looks like tons of fun, but it also looks complex. My wife can dance, she has rhythm, though she doesn’t dance swing. I, on the other hand have two left feet, so it’ll be difficult for me, I know.
I’ve tried some youtube stuff so far, but the video quality has been horrendous, ad it’s hard to make out the moves, which is why I come to you.
If there is a community college near you, check their course listings. Even if they don’t have a swing dance class specifically, a social dance class would probably include swing. That’s how I learned to swing dance (plus waltz, foxtrot, cha-cha, etc.) and it wasn’t too pricey. I met lots of fun people, too.
I shot on video quite a few swing dance events all over the country (primarily the style called West Coast Swing but many other styles as well) a few years back. It’s a pretty great atmosphere, very social and easy to meet people of all ages and walks of life. My suggestion is to attend an event and attend as many beginner workshops as possible. You’ll no doubt meet some “pros” and get a feel for which one might work best for you as a private instructor.
I got into this a little while ago and have since fallen out of practice. Actually my girlfriend (whom I didn’t know then) has expressed interest in learning how.
I strongly recommend finding local classes. If there aren’t group sessions (which are cheaper), then try dance instructors, at least at first.
I say this mainly since your wife has experience and you don’t, she’s going to have the urge to lead by proxy. The guy’s role is twofold: you not only have to know what **you’re **doing, but you have to learn how to lead: clearly communicating what’s coming next. So it might be helpful to have an instructor to help encourage the wife to suppress any impatience she may have and let you have the time you need.
It’s a good one for a clumsy sort, actually. Compared to more dignified dances like waltz or more graceful ones like tango, swing is brash and free-form; there’s a lot less formality and stiffness and more of a sense that if you can make something work, it’s perfectly acceptable. Swing was the first ballroom dance I learned, and it was a good one to start with. After a couple of years of dancing, my friends have told me that I’m still not “good” but I am “fun” to dance with because though I’m not especially smooth or formal, I have a large repertoire of moves, I can lead confidently, and I can teach a girl who’s never danced before quickly enough to have her enjoying herself dancing in one night.
You should probably pick either East Coast or West Coast swing, at least to start with. Both are great (West Coast can be done to more music, so you might have more opportunities, East Coast is maybe more like what you’ve seen in movies) but you’ll pick it up faster if you’re not learning both at the same time. Don’t start with Lindy Hop; it’s lots of fun but somewhat harder.
Where do you live? There are teachers and classes all over the place, there is idance.net as well as some good videos by some awesome teachers. There are workshops and dance weekends all over the world. I live in Memphis and we have 2 sets of intro classes a week, get togethers fairly often, a workshop in a couple of weeks and 5 dances/workshops within easy driving distances within a few weeks plus or minus of this weekend. prices vary widely. There is a workshop tomorrow that costs $45.00 for 4 classes and a Saturday night dance I have been to some that were closer to $200.00 but that was for almost non stop dances for 4 days in New Orleans. Private lessons seem to run $20 to $60 per hour depending on how well known the teacher is. I will say there is nothing like a private class with a good teacher to improve your dancing but also dancing with lots of other people is good too.
What kind of swing dance are you interested in… East Coast, West Coast, Lindy Hop, Bop? Personally I find all of these dances to be pretty similar and in fact have yet to find anyone who can give me a definative answer on the difference between them (the answers are contradictory) Bop tends to be an older crowd and seems to be more 50’s influanced. It seems quite similar to East Coast swing but a little freeer in interpretaion than the 40’s era East Coast. Younger people are certainly welcome to join in but I am 50+ and felt out of place young. West Coast seems to be danced to more modern music and is very similar to Lindy Hop. To me it seems have some latin influance to the moves but I have been told I am quite wrong about that. Lindy Hop, East Coast, Charleston and Balboa tend to be mixed together with other 20’s to 40’s era dances and tend to be danced to that era’s music (but not always)
If you can walk, you can dance. Doing simple dance steps very well is much better than trying to be fancy but not executing the steps well. To me a good swing out is a thing of beauty and like crack cocaine. Yes my name is Adhemar and I am a dance junkie. I however have no intention of recovering from my addiction. One of my heros said “as long as I can stand I can dance and when I cna’t stand anymore, I will dance in my chair” He was still dancing until a few months before his death just before his 95th birthday and taught a class just weeks before his death sitting in a chair. (we love you and miss you Frankie!)
No matter what kind of dance you choose it takes a bit of work and practice to “get” it. but I love it.
Please ask any questions you may have. If Lindy Hop is your interest, I am pretty sure I will know someone who will know someone close to your area to put you in contact with.
disclaimer: These are my personal opinions and observation and should in no way be taken as derogatory or disrespectful of any style of dance. If anything I said was incorrect in any way please let me know as I am always willing to learn more.