PSRDanceWorkshopNov222003

Dance Notes

Lindy Workshop w/Stephen and Virginie

August 17, 2003

Peter attended a Lindy workshop on November 22, 2003.

The classes Peter attended were about basic technique.

I just took down the most general notes.

Notes

• Be sure to collect your weight before each beat

• On compression and stretch

  • On 1 & 2, you tug the follow towards you via your right hip

    • (Or rather, your center instead of your arm)
  • On 3 & 4, the stretch turns to compression
  • This compression pushes the follow all the way around and out again
  • At the end of that rope, it turns to stretch again

• The beats

  • 1-2: Back, together

    • If you rock step back and forth, you're sending the follow an ambiguous lead.

  • 3&4:

    • Make sure you have lateral frame as well as forward-and-back frame

      • This should be like carrying a basket around
    • Note that the follow should take all four beats to reach you
    • By the end of 4 it should be obvious from your body language where you want the follow to go (the line of dance)

  • 5:

    • You are turning around
    • You are giving the follow the line of dance
    • You are not starting any turns yet

    • You end up squared off to the follow at -90º 1

      • But slightly staggered, of course, because it's closed position

        • Note that a properly staggered closed position means you

  • 6:

    • Five and six are really weight shifts -- don't travel.
    • This is where you start letting go of the follow

  • 7 & 8:

    • Let the follow go the rest of the way
    • Compression finally turns back into stretch

• If you get in a proper staggered closed position on 5 & 6, you can bring the follow in closer without collisions

  • This is good because it lets you more smoothly bring the follow in towards you while maintaining constant compression.

• On turns:

  • Do not lead a direction and a turn simultaneously -- it's too hard to follow.
  • The left hand should be a flat-palm-to-flat-palm connection
  • As with all compression, make sure that each turn goes as far as it can go before turning around.

  • Note that you do not lead the turn until 6

    • This is because you want to establish the direction/line of dance first.
    • You can change the handhold earlier, of course, to the palm-to-palm

  • Do nothing with your left arm except maintain the palm contact and keep it out of the way

    • i. e., make sure the leads are body leads

Footnotes

1 My own convention: the starting position for the swingout is 0º.