Jazz steps & fast dancing

This week we focused on fast dancing by working on individual as well as shared dance issues.  We learned a short sequence and then danced it to faster and faster songs.  Congrats to all of you for becoming more driven when the music became too fast, instead of being discouraged.  Great attitudes all around!We started the class with a round robin of jazz steps…but when no one could think of any, we decided to brainstorm them all together.  Here’s what we came up with (jazz steps, movements, and misc things):

•  Fish tails
• Spank the baby
• Shorty George
• Tacky Annie
• Jump Charleston
• Pushes
• Cross overs
• Helicopter
• Apple Jacks
• Stomp off
• Kick ball change
• Charlie Chaplin
• Itches
• Fall off the log
• Box step
• Knee slaps
• Camel walks
• Heel pop
• Boogie down
• Boogie forward
• Boogie back
• Tick tock
• Cakewalk
• “Blues walk” (strut)
• Lock step (& turn)
• Suzie Q
• Pickin’ apples
• Rocks
• Skates
• Shoe shine
• Corkscrew
• Ochos
• Lolly kicks
• Break a leg
• Pimp walk
• Pecking
• Gaze afar
• “Sumo”
• Eagle slide
• Scoot
• Swivels
• Runs
• Hitch
• Matrix dip
• Heel click
• Trucking
• Rusty Dusty
• Mess around
• Shimmy
• Low downs
• Charlie Brown
• Rubber legs
• Crazy legs
• Rocking horse
• Half break
• Thrusts
• Black bottom
• Crab walk
• Paddles
• Pushes
• Drags
• Sweeps
• Heel slide
• V-slide

This is by no means an exhaustive list of jazz steps, just what we thought of on that day.  We’re going to continue with round robins to keep these jazz steps fresh in our minds, and we’ll go over the more tricky ones to be sure that everyone can do them.  We’ll also ad to the list every week of course.  Yay, solo jazz rules! 

19 sept – Premier cours officiel

BIENVENUE à tous ceux qui se sont inscrits à LindyU cette session et merci à AlainF pour un excellent premier cours!

• Un petit rappel des nouveautés:
  • cette session nous ferons une rotation des profs de Cat’s Corner: Alain F., Sylwia, Ann et Alain W.
  • nous vous filmerons à diverses reprises (tough love!)
  • nous reprenons le projet des présentations spéciales de 5-10 min.

• Pour la semaine prochaine:
  • nous rapporter la fiche d’inscription si vous n’avez pas eu le temps de la compléter ce soir
  • nous soumettre d’autres suggestions avant que la session soit 100% planifiée
  • faire du bouche-à-oreille pour trouver d’autres membres (surtout des cavaliers!)… il n’est jamais trop tard pour s’inscrire

• Cette semaine nous avons travaillé le STYLE PERSONNEL:
  • discussion très intéressante:
    • son style peut changer selon le jour, son humeur, etc.
    • il peut être difficile de définir et/ou travailler sur son propre style
    • le style de nos jours est associé aux danseurs connus (style de Skye, Nina, etc.) et comment on peut les “channeler”
    • les origines et limites de son style (son corps, sa personnalité, etc.)
    • la liberté dans le style grâceà une technique solide
    • le style comme étant une combinaison: ce qu’on choisit de faire et comment on le fait (what you do and how you do it)
  • visionnement des Jack & Jill du Wicked Lindy 2007 à Boston; observations
  • exercices pour travailler son style personnel:
    • se forcer à faire du styling d’une façon différente
    • observer et être inspiré par les autres
    • emphase sur les contrastes (grand vs. petit, saccadé vs. moelleux, relaxe vs. énergétique, bras vs. pieds, etc.)
    • combiner style et musicalité
    • être fier de présenter son style et de l’assumer

I encourage you to reply to this blog, en français or in English, to get the ball rolling. Hurray pour un beau début de session!

~ Ann

Open Week Topics

The first week of LindyU went off without a hitch!

We laid out a four piece plan, although we managed to cover only the first three.

Class began with a rousing warm-up to The Boilermaker Jazz Band tune Let’s Misbehave.

The swing out was the first fruit of the day focusing on an easy and loose connection driven by our bodies moving away from each other. Two weights connected through our centers by a bungee cord. The figure was based around the origin of lindy hop — charleston; it kept the linear figure and highlighted the walk-like ease of it.

Our second piece was a contrast exercise. Our relaxed swing-out and its loose bounce was contrasted with a sharp and controlled exhalation on the seven of the swing-out. This removed our triple-rhythm and created an almost break-like feeling without stopping our momentum. It also highlighted how our breath allows us to connect more deeply with our core.

The last piece we managed to get to was a pair footwork variations, one for the lead and for the follow. Taking a basic kick-ball-change variation at 7&8 the leader dropped his weight towards his right and twisted on 8, 1, and 2; adding a touch of the “twist” to our dance. The followers used the same kick-ball-change variation but rather than kicking on 7, it was a slip out with the right on 6. Followers were then encouraged to play with the idea and create some of their own variations.

We finished off the class with some workshop time where the followers and leads cleaned up a variation or two of their own and showcased them jam style.

Stay tuned for the first official week of LindyU with Alain and Sylwia; I hear they have a good selection of topics including connection, a swing-out clinic, and more.

LindyU returns Sept. 12th

Come check out LindyU’s open house of the session Wednesday September 12th from 6:30-8:30pm at Cat’s Corner.

The regular twelve week session will begin the following Wednesday with Alain Fragman and Sylwia Bielec at its helm.