Swing Dancing & Lindy Hop
An Undistinguished Introduction
Victor Sanches Portella
February 2020
UBC - CSGSA
"Is this going to be a dance lesson?"
No :(
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"
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
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
Open Position
Fundamentals - Technique
8 or 6 count basic step
Never stop bouncing!
Newton's 1st Law: Inertia!
Elastic Energy
Signature Move: the Swing Out
Classic moves: Turns and Circles
Classic moves: Turns and Circles
Part of the Fun: Dress Fancy
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
In the Roundhouse (Downtown)
Swing Kids @ UBC
Talk to me if Interested
Thanks!
Swing Dancing
By Victor Sanches Portella
