Hello Dancers!
We had a great turnout at practice last night, AND (drum roll please)we were EVENLY matched between leads and follows. WOO-HOO! Here's what went down:
Beginner/Intermediate: We combined forces for the first hour to give everybody a chance to work on some great foundation technique. Triple-step drills and 6 count pass vs. swingout drills gave us all a chance to work on the things that make our Lindy Hop work. Evan also introduced a couple of moves: the crash, which many of us had seen before, and what I'll call the "double crash," which was brand new.
Advanced: A theme of "arm catches" drove the advanced lesson, including several variations on the basic 6 count move that preps the lead to catch the follow by the back of her arm. The first variation was a free spin ending in closed, then a free spin ending in open, and then a third one where the arm catch is merely the prep for a second and THIRD arm catch which transition nicely into Collegiate Shag, Charleston, or back into Lindy Hop.
Videos from this week feature the instructors you can expect to see at Swing on This, the Lindy Hop workshop at Old Town Ballroom on April 24th:
Oscar Hampton:
And Evan Borst: (conveniently located behind the dancers in the foreground)
We also got a sneak preview of the instructors we'll have at Sunflower Swing, Kim Clever and David Frutos:
ONE MORE THING: It's the end of March. If you haven't paid Evan for this month, PLEASE do so! And be ready to pay for April next week. OH and that reminds me, auditions for the Advanced group are next week at 8:30!
Bye for now!
~Chelsea
Tuesday, March 30, 2010
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
March 22nd Lesson Recap
Hey everyone! Here's a quick recap of our classes last night:
Beginner - Austin was nice enough to teach, and worked on basics and fundamentals. (You'll notice this is pretty much the same for every week)
Intermediate - Evan taught Jig Walks, a Promenade ("pecks" styling optional), and a footwork/connection variation for counts 1&2 of a swingout.
Advanced - "Musicality to Save Your A--", or how to use your musicality as a tool to make fast dancing smoother, easier, and better-looking.
Wouldn't it be great if we could post actual video recaps each week? It sure would! Evan and I have been toying with the idea of buying the group a little camera for just such a purpose, but you know what we would need in order to buy the camera? Money in the bank. So dancers, keep recruiting! We had more leads than follows AGAIN last night, so this is the perfect opportunity for you guys to talk your lady friends into coming. With a few more members and a successful event or two, we might just go beyond breaking even each month :-)
Hope to see you all at The Shadow tonight for some dancing in about. . . SEVEN MINUTES! (Sprinting out the door!)
~Chelsea
Beginner - Austin was nice enough to teach, and worked on basics and fundamentals. (You'll notice this is pretty much the same for every week)
Intermediate - Evan taught Jig Walks, a Promenade ("pecks" styling optional), and a footwork/connection variation for counts 1&2 of a swingout.
Advanced - "Musicality to Save Your A--", or how to use your musicality as a tool to make fast dancing smoother, easier, and better-looking.
Wouldn't it be great if we could post actual video recaps each week? It sure would! Evan and I have been toying with the idea of buying the group a little camera for just such a purpose, but you know what we would need in order to buy the camera? Money in the bank. So dancers, keep recruiting! We had more leads than follows AGAIN last night, so this is the perfect opportunity for you guys to talk your lady friends into coming. With a few more members and a successful event or two, we might just go beyond breaking even each month :-)
Hope to see you all at The Shadow tonight for some dancing in about. . . SEVEN MINUTES! (Sprinting out the door!)
~Chelsea
Saturday, March 20, 2010
Lindyfest 2010
Hello Lindy Bombers!
I'm proud to say that the Wichita dance scene was very well represented at Lindyfest 2010 in Houston! A handful of our very own Lindy Bombers made the 10-hr drive to and from the event, including Lance, Dave, Cassandra, Peter, Elaine, Ryan, Adam, Andy, Austin, Ashley, Phil, and myself. Not too shabby! I think I can speak for all of us when I say the weekend was AWESOME! If you've never been to a big event like Lindyfest, allow me to give you an idea of how it goes down:
You arrive in the destination city on Thursday or Friday evening, just in time for a welcome dance. Get checked into your hotel or situated with your hosting local dancers, and try to rest up before an eventful weekend!
For the next 2 or 3 days, you get up at 9:00 or so and attend anywhere from 4 to 8 hours of dance classes, taught by some of the best dancers in the world. There are usually 2 or more "tracks" of classes, depending on your experience and skill level. So, if you're a newer dancer, you can take beginner classes, and if you're more experienced, you might move up to intermediate or advanced.
Every night there's another dance, and each one may include a live band, performances, and dance competitions.
All the while, you have a golden opportunity to dance with OUT OF TOWN dancers! This is the true test of your ability to socially lead/follow on the dance floor. It's also a great way to pick up new moves and techniques.
Anyway, the classes and dances at Lindyfest were A-MAZING! Expect to see some pilfered moves and drills over the next couple of months on Sunday and Monday nights :-)
Just in case you don't know, there are two events coming up right here in Wichita where you can get a taste of what these dance workshops are like:
Swing on This: April 24th, at Old Town Ballroom. Instructors Evan Borst and Oscar Hampton will each be teaching 4 classes Saturday afternoon, and we'll have a dance for everyone in the evening! It's a one-day event, and the cost (including classes and the dance) is just 30$. For details, click here
Sunflower Swing: July 16th-18th, The Wichita Swing Dance Society is turning 10, and we're celebrating in style with a weekend-long conference! We'll have a handful of VERY talented instructors from all over the country, classes to suit any skill level, and swingin' dances all three nights! Cost for the WHOLE WEEKEND is only 40$ for the first 25 registrants (55$ if you're not a WSDS member), and after that the price starts to go up! By the time July rolls around, it'll be 70$ (85$ non-member), so get registered ASAP if you want to come! Learn more here.
I hope to see ALL of you at one or both of these local events, and hopefully at some out of town events also!
-Chelsea
I'm proud to say that the Wichita dance scene was very well represented at Lindyfest 2010 in Houston! A handful of our very own Lindy Bombers made the 10-hr drive to and from the event, including Lance, Dave, Cassandra, Peter, Elaine, Ryan, Adam, Andy, Austin, Ashley, Phil, and myself. Not too shabby! I think I can speak for all of us when I say the weekend was AWESOME! If you've never been to a big event like Lindyfest, allow me to give you an idea of how it goes down:
You arrive in the destination city on Thursday or Friday evening, just in time for a welcome dance. Get checked into your hotel or situated with your hosting local dancers, and try to rest up before an eventful weekend!
For the next 2 or 3 days, you get up at 9:00 or so and attend anywhere from 4 to 8 hours of dance classes, taught by some of the best dancers in the world. There are usually 2 or more "tracks" of classes, depending on your experience and skill level. So, if you're a newer dancer, you can take beginner classes, and if you're more experienced, you might move up to intermediate or advanced.
Every night there's another dance, and each one may include a live band, performances, and dance competitions.
All the while, you have a golden opportunity to dance with OUT OF TOWN dancers! This is the true test of your ability to socially lead/follow on the dance floor. It's also a great way to pick up new moves and techniques.
Anyway, the classes and dances at Lindyfest were A-MAZING! Expect to see some pilfered moves and drills over the next couple of months on Sunday and Monday nights :-)
Just in case you don't know, there are two events coming up right here in Wichita where you can get a taste of what these dance workshops are like:
Swing on This: April 24th, at Old Town Ballroom. Instructors Evan Borst and Oscar Hampton will each be teaching 4 classes Saturday afternoon, and we'll have a dance for everyone in the evening! It's a one-day event, and the cost (including classes and the dance) is just 30$. For details, click here
Sunflower Swing: July 16th-18th, The Wichita Swing Dance Society is turning 10, and we're celebrating in style with a weekend-long conference! We'll have a handful of VERY talented instructors from all over the country, classes to suit any skill level, and swingin' dances all three nights! Cost for the WHOLE WEEKEND is only 40$ for the first 25 registrants (55$ if you're not a WSDS member), and after that the price starts to go up! By the time July rolls around, it'll be 70$ (85$ non-member), so get registered ASAP if you want to come! Learn more here.
I hope to see ALL of you at one or both of these local events, and hopefully at some out of town events also!
-Chelsea
Monday, March 15, 2010
3/15 Preview
Hey gang, it's open floor night tonight! Many will be coming back from Houston, but for everyone else it's a great chance to get some practice in.
Remember, this is a great chance to work with the other dancers on whatever ails you:
Pick up a new move
Adjust some technique to help the dance feel better
Add a styling or two
Up your speed rating a bit
Whatever you want, people will be there, including me. Hopefully you'll be there too......
Evan
Remember, this is a great chance to work with the other dancers on whatever ails you:
Pick up a new move
Adjust some technique to help the dance feel better
Add a styling or two
Up your speed rating a bit
Whatever you want, people will be there, including me. Hopefully you'll be there too......
Evan
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
Lesson Recap
Hey Lindy Bombers!
Last night Sonya was nice enough to teach the beginner class (and we have a new beginner! Yay for Jill!) while Austin taught intermediate. During the intermediate hour, we spent some quality time on triple step drills and then learned a few variations of the Texas Tommy. We also learned a nifty footwork variation for our swingouts.
Evan taught the advanced class and focused on making dance more than just a string of moves. Working with a variety of music, we all worked on bringing more personality and expression to our dancing, instead of relying on complex technical patterns.
Videos we watched today:
Next week is a GREAT WEEK to come to class, particularly for beginners. A lot of the regulars will be out of town for Lindyfest in Houston, so anyone who DOES come will have plenty of attention from the instructors.
See you all on the dance floor!
~Chelsea
Last night Sonya was nice enough to teach the beginner class (and we have a new beginner! Yay for Jill!) while Austin taught intermediate. During the intermediate hour, we spent some quality time on triple step drills and then learned a few variations of the Texas Tommy. We also learned a nifty footwork variation for our swingouts.
Evan taught the advanced class and focused on making dance more than just a string of moves. Working with a variety of music, we all worked on bringing more personality and expression to our dancing, instead of relying on complex technical patterns.
Videos we watched today:
Next week is a GREAT WEEK to come to class, particularly for beginners. A lot of the regulars will be out of town for Lindyfest in Houston, so anyone who DOES come will have plenty of attention from the instructors.
See you all on the dance floor!
~Chelsea
Monday, March 1, 2010
New Pics on the Meet Us Page
Hey Dancers! There are four new pictures on the Meet Us page, a small sampling from the epic SOUL NIGHT which took place last Sunday. If you weren't there, you missed out! Check out the pics for a tease, and COME NEXT TIME to satisfy your dancing needs!
In other news, we had some great classes tonight on basic technique and musicality. Thanks to Evan for teaching!
See you next Monday!
-Chelsea
In other news, we had some great classes tonight on basic technique and musicality. Thanks to Evan for teaching!
See you next Monday!
-Chelsea
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