Tips & Tricks Thursday: The Hard Stuff with Nick Williams & Kate Hedin
This one’s interesting. The lead-in for both of the moves taught in this video are deceptively simple. The trick is in finding new things to do once you’re in a certain position after the initial lead in.
It’s always awkward trying out a new trick after you’ve first learned it, especially with a follow who wasn’t in the same class as you/may not have learned the move in the past. Sometimes you do get the response you’re looking for (although, more often than not, it can also devolve into a quick break in the dance and laughing about it, then continuing). What’s interesting about these two moves is that the way Nick and Kate teach it, it seems impossible not to follow the lead.
Tips & Tricks Thursday: Moves Like Grandma Used to Make, Nina Gilkenson and Bobby White, Jam Cellar (2007)
Happy Thanksgiving everyone who celebrates Thanksgiving! If not, then … hi! Hope you’re all enjoying your day of feasting and spiking America’s obesity statistics. But that’s okay, because you can burn it all off with dancing later. In the meantime, I chose a video from the “Moves Like Grandma Used to Make” series because I hope to enjoy food like my grandma used to make today. Although. I don’t recall her actually ever making Thanksgiving dinner before…
Anyway.
The Jam Cellar instructional videos were one of the things I sat down with for hours on end a few years ago just wishing that a. I lived in D.C. and b. I could do these moves. Well, now that the fundamentals are better hammered into my body, more and more of these lessons actually make sense to me. The “Moves Like Grandma Used to Make” series is awesome for finding ways to bring old school Savoy-style moves into modern Lindy hop. It’s odd how I’ve done S-turns so much recently but forgot all the wonderful other uses it has. Although, after taking classes with Mike Jagger, I’ve come to call it “the chase” instead of an S-turn.
Tips & Tricks Thursday: Kidukidu with Skye Humphries and Frida Segerdahl (2010)
I believe the lesson for this was combining jazz steps with your social dance moves. Skye and Frida are masters of this, as evidenced by their 2007 “24 Robbers” routine, which was even referenced in Andrew & Karen’s amazing “The Evolution of Lindy Hop” performance from this year’s ILHC.
This is a pretty good Charleston routine that could serve as warm-up to your dancing or even as improvisation to toss in during your social dancing. The 20s Charleston basic is something I use with alarming regularity, either with a partner or solo. The footwork variation around @0:16 looks super complex but I think, breaking it down to scat, follows a kind of whoom-whoom-PAH!-pah-di-dah and then back to normal. Skye & Frida taught something similar when they were in New York about a year or so ago. And God they make it look too easy.
Tips & Tricks Thursday: The 8-Count Butt Kick
Yeah. I don’t really have too much to say beyond that except enjoy, and ONLY DO THIS WITH A FOLLOW THAT YOU KNOW, ARE COMFORTABLE WITH, AND CAN BE SILLY WITH. I am not responsible for any drinks tossed into your face, lost date opportunities, or kicks to the groin.
Tips & Tricks Thursday!
Washington, D.C.’s Jam Cellar is one of the best Lindy Hop places (a Mecca, even) in the U.S. I’ve been told that its scene is comparable to Montreal, so I need to make a trip over there eventually. Oddly, I’ll be in D.C. for the Rally to Restore Sanity and/or Fear, but since I’m on the Huffpost Sanity Bus, I won’t be able to actually do any real sightseeing and dancing.
Oh well.
Thursdays will be post-instructional-videos day. Above is a neat video for 6-count swing outs and Charleston exits. Which is good, because I was getting tired of leading 8-count swing outs all the time.
Found it!
Check out those swivels @0:56-1:04. Dax was pretty much made to do this, I swear.
Anyway, this is a pretty neat triple step technique drill. I’m coming down with something (flu? cold? bug?), so I’m likely out of commission for the next day or so, speaking of dancing, but Dax and Sarah Breck are in town on Saturday for the first official NYC Lindy Lab session. Needless to say, if I can’t make it out to Frim Fram on Thursday night, I’m going to be doing these until I pass out. Hell, I might do them anyway.
