Swing Dancing & Lindy Hop
An Undistinguished Introduction
Victor Sanches Portella
February 2020
UBC - CSGSA
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"Is this going to be a dance lesson?"
No :(
![](https://s3.amazonaws.com/media-p.slid.es/uploads/909116/images/7065719/clean-carpet.jpg)
WHY CARPETS???
Goals
Show what is Lindy
Talk about why it is like this
Inspire you to try dancing
More on dance lessons at the end :)
What is Lindy Hop?
"It don't mean a thing if it ain't got that swing"
![](https://s3.amazonaws.com/media-p.slid.es/uploads/909116/images/7047706/i-wingman-successfully-leonardo-dicaprio.gif)
![](https://s3.amazonaws.com/media-p.slid.es/uploads/909116/images/7065731/great-gatsby-party.jpg)
![](https://s3.amazonaws.com/media-p.slid.es/uploads/909116/images/7065730/greatgatsbyparty_2015_jkratochvil_7882_.jpg)
![](https://s3.amazonaws.com/media-p.slid.es/uploads/909116/images/7065729/PartyGatsby-2013-1.jpg)
What people think
How it really is
It may get a bit fast sometimes
It might get too fast sometimes
(A bit of) History of Lindy Hop
1920's US, Harlem - NY
African American Community
Vernacular dance: developed naturally
Traces from African Culture
Start of Swing Jazz
MAIN GOAL: HAVE FUN!
Super Traditional: Waltz, Ballroom
Traditional: Foxtrot, Charleston
Swing Dances and Lindy Hop
More bouncy
Aerial moves!
Improvisation is a big part of it
Swing Dance Feeling
![](https://s3.amazonaws.com/media-p.slid.es/uploads/909116/images/7065839/Screenshot_from_2020-02-13_23-22-54.png)
More things:
Post WWII Era - Decline Era
1980's: Revival - Original Dancers
Fundamentals
Fundamentals - Roles
Lead
Follow
Proposes moves
Planning
Communication
Reactive
Energy Keeper
Can "Back-Lead"
NOT RELATED TO GENDER
SWITCH?
Closed Position
![](https://s3.amazonaws.com/media-p.slid.es/uploads/909116/images/7068217/46508020_855126684662477_1293139087170994176_o.jpg)
![](https://s3.amazonaws.com/media-p.slid.es/uploads/909116/images/7068221/46516098_855134984661647_1783371735282745344_o.jpg)
Open Position
![](https://s3.amazonaws.com/media-p.slid.es/uploads/909116/images/7068225/46501402_855128507995628_3995664451209527296_o.jpg)
Fundamentals - Technique
8 or 6 count basic step
Never stop bouncing!
Newton's 1st Law: Inertia!
Elastic Energy
Signature Move: the Swing Out
![](https://s3.amazonaws.com/media-p.slid.es/uploads/909116/images/7068167/9d3d3efbe3391a93d201434a5b6aee96.gif)
Classic moves: Turns and Circles
![](https://s3.amazonaws.com/media-p.slid.es/uploads/909116/images/7068760/RealisticSoftDrever-size_restricted.gif)
Classic moves: Turns and Circles
![](https://s3.amazonaws.com/media-p.slid.es/uploads/909116/images/7068761/Lindy-hop-Aurelia-Guillaume.gif)
Part of the Fun: Dress Fancy
![](https://s3.amazonaws.com/media-p.slid.es/uploads/909116/images/7068236/46768344_857384851103327_3478511957403762688_o.jpg)
![](https://s3.amazonaws.com/media-p.slid.es/uploads/909116/images/7068235/46714365_855127647995714_9004636245892005888_o.jpg)
Mostly in festivals
About Social Dancing
Styles I have Tried
Lindy Hop
Tango
Rockabilly
Blues
Shag
Samba de Gafieira
Forro
Birthday Party
Kept going for 1 year
Boogie Woogie
Bachata
What Hooked Me?
Normal party: You are lucky if you meet one person
Total strangers dancing with each other
NO second intentions
Dancing party: Hard to spend the night without talking to someone
A Conversation
Each person has a different way to talk
Dance is a conversation with a given topic: the music
Each person has a different way to dance
Learning about some is AWESOME
An unique Experience
Lindy Hop in Vancouver
Hot Club Swing
1st and 3rd Saturdays
Live band! (Usually)
Drop-in beginners lesson
![](https://s3.amazonaws.com/media-p.slid.es/uploads/909116/images/7068269/82063732_2718761398178458_650409158448775168_o.jpg)
In the Roundhouse (Downtown)
![](https://s3.amazonaws.com/media-p.slid.es/uploads/909116/images/7068276/Screenshot_from_2020-02-14_12-21-24.png)
Swing Kids @ UBC
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Talk to me if Interested
![](https://s3.amazonaws.com/media-p.slid.es/uploads/909116/images/7068292/NaughtyAccomplishedAmurratsnake-size_restricted.gif)
Thanks!
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Swing Dancing
By Victor Sanches Portella
Swing Dancing
- 482