Started Lindy hop 2 months ago. It is going amazingly. Just came back from a social and they did a dance i did not recognise. I asked about its name and was told it is called Shim Sham. How do people learn it? Can u learn it on ur own? Is it always the same song? I am in love!

Hi everyone, title says it all, I’m looking for swing residencies. So a place where you can fully dive into the different swing dances. I’m mainly searching in Europe but whatever you know, I’m glad to hear about it :)

Im an intermediate country swing dancer and was looking for some songs i can fance to for some practice

I (26M) started swing dancing earlier this year. I've got good fundamentals and know the basic moves, but lately I've been feeling like I've plateaued as a lead. The social dances I go to teach beginner/intro stuff, but I'm ready to start taking the next step. I'm just not sure exactly how to do that without paying for private lessons. How do I develop more moves? Do I just have to try and figure it out while I'm dancing with people?

Hello all, anticipating a move in early 2025 to Charlotte North Carolina. I’ve danced mostly Lindy for the last 15 years in Europe, and I had occasion to see some amazing collegiate shag dancers and have loved the form, the early 20s up-tempo pre-swing jazz with the distinctive high arm position and the kicks, etc. Brilliant. I started scouting Meetup to find out whether there were any scenes or club nights. It’s my understanding that collegiate jazz originated in the Carolinas in the 20s.

I’m confused that the only shag I can find reference to in the area seems to be what I would’ve called West Coast swing. Dancers shuffling, soft shoe style in a tight slot position, lots of breaks and locks. The music seems to be anything from Bob Seger to Michael Jackson.

This isn’t what I was expecting. Does anyone know of a vintage, early-jazz Collegiate Shag scene that’s thriving somewhere in the Carolinas?

Many thanks in advance!

Hi all! I am not a very witty person, so I am hoping some of you are! I am going to be throwing a swing dance birthday party for m6 partner, and I was hoping to give out engraved fans to guests who come to the party. I was hoping that the community on here would eb able to help me come up with a cute phrase to put on the fans. If it helps... it's a 40th birthday party!

Last night I had my first barn dance with a group of friends and I had a great time but I developed 1 major concern.

Most of the stuff I was doing I learned on the spot but got the hang of it pretty quickly. And frankly, being in Highschool this was one of the first times I have ever had physical contact with a girl at all, let online dancing.

However later into the night we started looking into some more advanced stuff, (ex backflip, sweetheart flip, and one my friend called the black widow). These were great moves and we got through them with minimal failure. However when I was doing one of the harder ones, the black widow (it involves me holding her full weight for longer periods of time than other moves typically), I felt like I was barely holding onto her and barely able to toss her up when I needed too. (And I'm [as far as I know] seen as one of the stronger guys in the group) And it's not like them are particularly heavy but I was really struggling with holding them in these positions for lengthened periods of time multiple times in a row. And at one point I think I did drop one girl once (whether it was her fault or mine I don't really know. It was a complex move)

My concern is that I really would hate to drop any of my friends again (especially if I want to maybe go out with one of them someday). And also I would hate for not only my self esteem to be hurt when I can't lift one of them easily but theirs also.

So I was hoping that some of the more experienced leads in this server would be able to provide some insight on how to build up not only the endurance but also the strength to be more stable in these types of situations.

Any feedback here would be awesome!

Also I feel that I might need to clarify this after reading some feedback, FOR THE RECORD I AM NOT TRYING TO PUT SELF ESTEEM AND DATING OPPORTUNITIES ABOVE SAFETY. I ONLY PUT THAT DETAIL IN TO PROVIDE/ADD SOME PERSPECTIVE.

Maybe it sounded like that in the way that I wrote it above but I am clarifying here.

Also I did not know that this stuff was so dangerous thank you guys for your insightful feedback.

Also to clarify: we did not do any of this during the actual social part of the dance, the part mentioned above was practiced in an open area with grass, with no other people around to be in danger of injury.

I’d like to learn this move but I’m not sure what the name is. I’ve seen videos of the whiteys Lindy hoppers doing it, where the follow essentially jumps over the leads right shoulder and then kinda rolls over their back and over the leads left shoulder (The lead usually bends over halfway through so the follow can get over their shoulder/off their back.

I think it involves kinda locking arms at the elbow or something but I have no idea honestly. I just know it looks super cool and a friend and I want to learn how to do it.

I registered for my first M&M. I know I'm not going to win, I'm just doing it for fun, and for getting to know the feeling of how it is to compete. But I still want to do a good job of it. Unfortunately, I currently don't have a partner I could train with. Do you have any tips for a first time competitor?

KEEP IT SIMPLE!!

Four roommates went to Swing dance for the first time, so obviously they didn't know any 8 counts or advanced techniques. So I tried to keep it fun while also being limited to these 5 moves: (Sorry I don't know the names)

Triple Step Left, Triple Step Right Inside turn Outside turn Shoulder Pull Scissors (Both hands go up and cross like an X, lead lets go)

And they all enjoyed it!! ☺️☺️

I had a good time, and they had a good time! All four of them said I was best dancer they danced with because I kept it simple. Everyone else was trying to introduce different things they haven't heard of or done for. They enjoyed how easy I was to understand. I'm glad they had fun 😊

I'm going to challenge myself again. 5 moves max lol

I want to get some low heels (considering 1in, 1.5in, 3cm, or 4cm). I’ve been dancing for years, got some Aris Allens but they were too high for comfort. I’ve otherwise just used Payless shoes and Fuegos more recently. I want to finally get a decent set of low heels to explore the feel and style (plus I want them for balboa). I’ve been looking into brands like Balboa Zin, Chloe Hong, Harlem Shoes, and Saint Savoy. I’m in the DC area, and I’d love to have the shoes for an event in about a month, but that may not be possible for some of the brands. Still if waiting is what it takes to get something that will make me really happy, that’s what I’ll do. Does anyone have thoughts about these or other brands (or where I might go to try out some different shoes?) Any advice is appreciated!

Hello everybody, I'm teaching Lindy this weekend. 4 hours are already done, 4 more to come. Some students struggle to find the start of the beat. I never had the struggle and didn't have to "learn" it. Therefore no technique how to overcome that. Anybody who did overcome or has some tips how to achieve that? Much appreciated!

I have been dancing for a few months and I made myself (F) some shoes by using keds and gluing suede on the bottom. My partner (M) has started to dance with me and is wanting some shoes with the suede too as it’s way easier on the knees. What are some good lightweight shoes to do this with for someone with wide feet?

Gonna be in the area with a friend and thought it could be fun to go dancing, but I'm not plugged into the local scene at all as I live out of state. Anyone know of places near springfield that host weekly socials or something like that? Preferably in November.

As title says, I am absolutely horrible at doing “stops” (music breaks, and then you freeze and do a little wiggle thing or something). Most of the time I just dance through them because I know I suck at them. But I want to learn cause they’re really cool and can add some flavor and fun!

I think my main problem is I don’t know how to get into them and then what to do during them.

Oh, and I’m coming from a mainly east coast swing background (I’m learning the basics of Lindy veeery slowly whenever I meet someone at a social dance, but that’s not often. I’m a broke college kid and can’t afford to go to dances and definitely can’t afford lessons)

Hi! I've been taught something and I would like to know how is it called (in case it even has a name, that is). I've done quite a lot of reaserch into moves and haven't seen it yet, but I bet it can't be that obscure of a reference, since it's an easy thing.

It starts in open, handshake position. The leader leads as if he's going for a side pass with follower's turn (follower going to the right of the leader, under his arm). Then, once the follower has come out of the other side and made the turn (that is, during the second triple-step of a 6-count pattern), the leader closes the distance by triple-stepping backwards and places himself to the right of the follower, looking to the same direction as the follower does, connecting to her via his right hand on his back and his left hand placed up-ish palm forward.

The leader's left hand here feels quite like the follower's left hand in sweetheart. The leader's right is different, though, since it goes behind his back.

Then we'd walk forward (indefinitely) in this position, by pivoting outwards and inwards in triple-steps, and come out into closed position whenever we felt like it.

Does anyone have a name for this? (the move towards the position, the position itself, or the walking thing). Thanks a lot!

There's 3 main communities I feel. Swing, country and Latin. I suppose there's ballroom within all that...but I'm a social dancer so mainly talking about that.

My first day I took a lindy hop lesson, the group of people invited me out to sonic with them. They were all very friendly and not a single person turned me down for a dance. I knew a bunch of moves and had some musicality but just didn't know how to put them in all in lindy hop form other than mimicking WCS so I wasn't that good. I'm a guy who also follows so I asked several of the guys to dance to better understand the style (as well as have fun obviously) and they were all super cool. I could pretty much fake knowing ECS because some older people I dance with like to do it sometimes and it's pretty easy to just teach to yourself....so I mostly did that (the people there did a lot of ECS too)

Prior to that, I had been dancing country for about 2 years and WCS for one year. Nobody had ever invited me to anything. I'm talking like i went dancing 7 days a week, 40 hours a week with no breaks. If you went out dancing, you knew my face and it was a familiar one. I pretty much quit my job to social dance for fun. Most people considered me gay because I danced with everybody male/female and liked to dance both roles. Not super normal in the country dance community (or wasn't when I started). So not a whole lot of people talked fo me. It was OK. I found lots of people to dance with and over time you obviously learn who everyone is. I started at a country dancehall (no alcohol) and almost nobody would turn me down but once I got to country bars I had to learn who the cliques were and who the friendly people were. I didnt know people were so mean, had so much drama...its insane at country bars. I try to avoid it now because it makes me uncomfortable being around people that i know have done bad things. Now that I teach and most people know me I guess they get nervous when I ask them to dance, so I get a lot more no's than when I started but I can still fall back to the regulars and have a good time.

Today I went to a Latin dance night for the first time. It was the worst dance experience I've ever had. Funny enough, the opposite for my girlfriend. She could barely walk off the floor before another guy would pop up and ask her to dance. Meanwhile, I pretty much had to beg people to get a dance when i asked. Almost everybody said no to me and the ones that did, weren't exactly excited at first. Once we danced, they realized I wasn't terrible or a creep so it ended good. But the journey just to get there was exhausting and not something i want to do again. The people hadn't really seen me dance much, so it's not like they would've assumed I was bad/hurtful or anything. I was dressed casually and didn't smell...looked like a regular white dude in the room. (Granted most people were hispanic/black/mixed) I couldn't figure out why these people were so unwelcoming and unfriendly. I won a championship In a style that is basically country bachata, so I'm pretty confident in at least doing those songs. I initially went to get better at salsa though. While I was there I learned what merengue was, which is super easy to do as long as you've done any dancing ever. They also played chacha which I'm also familiar with as well. So the whole night wasn't exactly brand spanking new, it's just the people were.

My experience in west coast swing (other than country, wcs is my main style) is inbetween country and the lindy hop community. There was a clique, but you can easily ignore them and there's a lot of cool people to dance with. Most people won't turn you down and most socials I go to, I can ask a leader to dance without getting laughed at (which happens a lot in country). It's always a great time. My only gripe with west coast right now is the music, not the people. They always play zouk music where I live at most west coast socials and I hate it.

So why are swing dancers so friendly in comparison? Or is it just where I live...

Hi, I've been dancing Lindy Hop for almost a year now and I'm still looking for good pants to wear. Anyone got any recommendations on their favorite type as well where to buy them? I'm pretty tall 1,93m and have wide legs.

Thanks in advance.

Hey dancers - I'm curious to know what your experiences are with dance schools teaching blocks vs. drop-in classes and whether this has any effect on supporting a connected, inviting community.

Naturally social dances are the best way to get the community socially connected, but weekly classes are the most frequent interaction many dancers will have, especially while learning the basics.

Where I dance runs drop-in classes for beginners followed by an intermediate class for more seasoned dancers. Those who attend the intermediate class can attend the beginner class for free to encourage newer dancers to get familiar with those who have been around for a while. It also helps give newer dancers more chances to learn and practice while partnered with more seasoned dancers. We are a relatively small scene, so splitting people up to have manageable class sizes wouldn't make sense.

Keen to hear your experiences of blocks vs. drop-ins from a community building point of view :-)

Hello,

I have noticed that while i dance, followers would come sit near my dancing area and look at me. I did notice leaders looking at me too, but they would never go out of their ways to come sit where i dance. Usually when this happens, i try my best to change places and continue dancing.

A shower tought came to me today: "these followers want me to ask them to dance with me" as i realize that only male followers and very "strong-minded" women would directly come ask me to dance. Now my question: is that true? Is there a high possibilty that a woman follower coming, sitting and watching someone dance a high indicator that they would liked to be asked to dance?

Thank you

I’m curious how comfortable do you feel asking instructors or advanced level lindy dancers for a dance at your local scene’s social dances?

My local scene has multiple classes/socials each week so there are a lot of local teachers who come to socials (even if they are not teaching that month).

I also like dancing with my friends/people I know so I understand why there may be a tendency for an instructors corner (where they all hang out on the dance floor) to emerge, but it makes it intimidating to go over and ask.

This past year I have gotten a wide range of vibes from asking advanced partners (look of boredom/annoyance to smiling/welcoming energy). I am curious what everyone else’s experience has been.

I’m planning a ‘choose your own adventure’ evening. Instead of a traditional class, students can work on whatever they want to, with teachers there to answer questions and provide guidance.

We did this for the first time a couple of weeks ago and it was a big hit, so we’re planning another. It will fall on Halloween so it would be nice to add a little nod to spooky season.

At the last one I made inspiration cards for those who didn’t have something specific they wanted to work on (eg add an extra turn, include a different rhythm, focus on linear moves). Maybe for the next one they could be trick or treat cards…. but I need ideas! Any help would be very much appreciated.

Hi there, This is a freaking long shot but I’m curious. I need a dance partner located near or in COS. I really want to learn Swing. I was taking classes but it got too expensive and they were making me learn dances of all types which I eventually want to do and understand the reasoning behind it. However right now I’m looking to learn swing and need a partner who can teach me. I’m a quick learner and I have history with clogging (in elementary and middle school) so it’s been awhile. I also took some ballroom classes about 6-months ago so I also have some experience with that. All in all I really miss dancing and I’d love someone to practice and enjoy dancing with again. I know this is a long shot but never know until you try. Thanks ✌️

The spreadsheet linked in this blog post still needs some work, but I finally made my airstep list publicly accessible rather than just for me. It's linked via my blog with two tabs - one with names as I known them with youtube links and timemarkers | second tab with resources. It will continue to be a work in progress as I first created it in 2014 and rarely modified it.

I think there are 159 airsteps and tricks listed (mostly airsteps)

I'm just learning Lindy Hop, and last night I went to my second social dance ever. The etiquette is all new to me, so I have maybe a silly question...

But last night, I noticed two other follows in my class, talking. They might've been friends from before the class. I wanted to ask for a dance, but wondered...would it be weird to say "Would either of you like to dance?" Somehow that seems kind of dismissive, less respectful to me? Should invitations to a dance always be direct towards an individual, or can they be to a group?