Swing Dancing

By on July 27th, 2008

Currently I am sitting in front of a tavern in downtown Lexington, historic old court-house across the street, blues music riffing through the outside speaking, enjoying a bourbon, dog at my feet. Life is good if not for being so hot. Of course, I might not be so hot if I had not just come from a swing dance. I had no idea how hard that would be for me nor how much energy it would use over the a couple of hours. This was something that had been planned for a bit as it is something that I want to do and it is also something I know that some other people I know enjoy on a regular basis. Actually they are apparently a bit of regular with it at this place up around D.C. that is pretty much a historic site straight out of the 30′s or 40′s itself. How awesome would that be? So I had seen this some time ago and had planned to go as they give a mini quick lesson before they start so you can at least give it try. I admit that I was full of trepidation about the thought of it. I don’t know, my feet when it comes to dancing just seem to either get all off in their own little world and forget that they are supposed to move to the beat or conversely they get confused as to which is the left and which is the right and manage to stay to the beat but one half out of synch. This is especially true with things like English country/court dancing where everything is like a picture from above as the various dancers move. However, I thought this would not be as obvious with swing dance. Was I ever wrong about that one. See, the thing I was missing was that as the guy in swing dancing (and I had warning) I am not only suppose to be the frame for the lady who is my partner but also suppose to be the lead. Well of course I am going to have compare it to horse riding. After all, how the heck can I ride a horse at a gallop, catch a ring that is two inches in diameter at the tip of an eleven foot stick that is does taper to a point, but that is 1.25″ in diameter past the tip and not be able to keep my feet going left, right, rock back on a 2 beat count consistently? I don’t know the answer to this myself but I have a theory. I think it has to something to do with fear. I basically have no fear when I get on a horse – after all everyone has seen the nut that I have been riding the last year. When I get on the dance floor trying to do something I suppose I have a fear of looking like a fool knowing my inability to keep time through an entire three-minute song and the fear makes the problem become amplified. I will take it one step further with the analogy. Dancing is the letting your hair down and moving. This is seems to be especially true with swing dancing. Don’t get me wrong, you don’t exaggerate the movement, but it has to be a clear movement that is easily seen to anyone who has ever seen swing dancing. Of course with riding horses, the more subtle a movement to the point of not of being noticed is the preferred method of getting the horse to do what you want. So, after years or riding I have started to finally get that lack of exaggerating movement to accomplish what I want – subtle queues with hands and leg will most of the time get me what I want. I do have to say though, from what I did manage to learn, the subtle queues are exactly what the leader actually needs to have to communicate to the his partner. However, once has to be able to actually do the dancing himself before he can lead someone else. Right now I am so focused in my head of left – right – rock back that I forget all idea of actually leading the partner through a change to an open position or side kick. And then of course the extra movements required on my part aside from the subtle queues to actually accomplish the movement just get me all out confused. I do have to look at the bright side though. There are indeed at least three of those that come to mind immediately though there may be some others that I do not have on my mind at present.

  • The exercise is just awesome – even if you are not doing it right you burn calories just trying and I suspect if you get it right and dance more (which I think I would if I had it right) you would burn even more.
  • The foot work that I am getting out of this will help a lot with my ground fighting technique that I have recently started to work on in a serious way (going back to the horse, my upper body stuff is good mostly, but the foot work is subtle movements to get the horse to move for you). One more note here, holding your arms up in the somewhat rigid position will develop additional strength there for swords, lances and shields that I have so gotten out of practice with of late.
  • There are good-looking ladies with which to dance and the ratio seems to be in favor of the men most often from what I gathered.

Now I am just blown out of my mind. As I am writing this, the guys and lady sitting at the table next me are talking about the Lindy Hop which is I think the style of or the original swing dance. Turns out they are part of a dance troupe that does mostly 19th century and early 20th century dances. Obviously waltzes, ballroom stuff, quadrilles on up through things like the Foxtrot, but stopping apparently just short of the Lindy Hop. One last thing (and yes, this was an edit done later that was originally forgotten), the rock step part of swing dancing is a bit different. Different at least from the rock step that I somehow managed to learn way back in when as a teenager (or maybe before) I took some clogging lessons and such. As I had noted to the person that was telling me about the rock step before I really learned what it was in a swing dance, in clogging the you have a toe shuffle, rock, and step as part of the basic movement – which is done with each foot (and I am saying this on 30-year-old memory too so I could have things wrong). Anyone who has ever swing danced probably knows, but the rock step here used apparently mostly with the lead (left) and is that back that I had in the left – right – back above, but the heel should not plant, it rocks back 2 beats and then moves to start the sequence over with a step left. Anyway, I think I have said about all I was going to about this and I am thinking another sip is in order here shortly. So here is it swing dancing in the future! P.S. I did enjoy myself though I did leave before it all done as I think I need a lot of practice. I am going to another one next weekend that I was invited too and sometime late next month they start an actual six-week class for a reasonable fee. I think I am going to be game for all those until I conquer this.


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  • Original AZ Girl

    I admire you for trying something new, so many people are paralized with the mere thought of it. You are already a dancer and yet you don’t know it yet. Your fear of failure is what is making it hard for you to accomplish. But remember, when you are dancing it is merely becoming one with the music, letting it infiltrate your being. When you ride, you become one with your horse, moving together fluidly as one to accomplish one goal. You, your dance partner and the music are trying to accomplish the same thing. Let go, feel it reach into your soul then let your body do what comes natural. Move with the beat, and don’t overthink it.. You are not out there to compete, you are there to have fun.. don’t take your self so seriously. That’s my advice when it comes to dancing. My husband and i are self-taught swing dancers and it’s all about fun…

  • http://www.mephistos.com/ rcornish

    All I can say is once again you just amaze the heck out of me. To self teach yourself something like that is just awesome. Though, I know from talking to others that it is something a few do – just great. You sure you don’t have a sister that is available somewhere?

    Anyway – I think that is my problem about it. Sure, I can sort of become one with the horse and we do pretty much act as one unit. But with that it is something to prove. I tend to be very competition oriented. So with the horses, I got my but handed to me back when I started and while I may not look the best, I know with what I am doing with horses I am among the tops of doing it – ack – that sounds to over the top. When I am trying swing dance, you got it – fear of failure or at least looking the fool, drives me to focus so much on what I am doing – that I then make it a self fulfilling prophesy. Of course, it doesn’t help that I am the musical ability of a gnat or something even smaller. I can barely keep time to a beat just clapping my hands. But I will keep up at it – though I think this weekend I am suppose to go see the Legends play on the night I could go to a different swing dance. August 6th though I will be back.

  • Original AZ Girl

    I know you are going to think I am a complete nutball, but hey, who cares right… so, stand in your kitchen throw on some big bad voodoo daddies and close your eyes. Let the music in and move around the kitchen floor..your own personal dance floor. It doesn’t matter if it’s right, just let the music move you to do what you want! Who’s gonna see it? Let go….. You’ll get it

    On a side note, if my husband and I are dancing and we mess up.. we stop.. do a funky little off beat jig and start over, all the time laughing… everyone gets a kick out of it. It lets people know you don’t take yourself too seriously and breaks the tension of missing a step or the beat… lol This mostly happens when he spins me and I get a little lost.

  • http://www.mephistos.com/ rcornish

    That dancing around in the kitchen is what I have been thinking about doing to get a better feeling for things and to hopefully make me feel little less self-concern about it all. My problem is I have NO swing type of music in my musical collection (as eclectic as it is that is hard to believe). Anyway, I went looking for some and was unable to really find any at the used record store. I am going to have to do some searching. Do not get me wrong – love the music – just generally not that familiar with who and what I am hearing when I do hear it.

  • http://www.mephistos.com/ rcornish

    P.S.S. Remind me if I write again when I am drinking to check my spelling more carefully. I was going back through this, over a month later and how painful it was.