Rennes, France - Nick Williams & Carla Heiney (2010)
I have no context and absolutely no idea what event this was held at, but there’s a bunch of videos that I may start posting from here.
As a lead, Nick Williams is the dancer I look to for much of my technical inspiration, especially since he’s so clean and clear with his movement. This performance could’ve been a choreographed routine—everything is so practiced and precise that people might not be able to tell it’s improvised.
One of the things that makes this dance so dynamic is how well they dance ahead of and behind the beat, and how they switch it up. Nick can delay swinging out til the very last fraction of a second, or toss in variations that play with syncopated rhythms. Carla, meanwhile, is incredibly responsive and playful in the space she has to work with. Plus, the variations she’ll throw in are absolutely stunning—follows, check out her switches from @0:24-@0;26 because holy crap.
Fast Lindy Friday - Nick Williams & Carla Heiney, Social Demo at Provence Swing Festival (2009)
I think 192bpm is good enough for Fast Lindy Friday, don’t you? I seem to be on a Nick Williams kick, and here he is dancing with Carla, a pairing that I honestly can’t get enough of. The two have also been around the pro Lindy hop scene for a good long time (and also may be candidates for a Six Degrees game) and their performance to Bei Mir Bist Du Schoen is one of the first routines I’ve fallen in love with. I’ll probably post that later.
Everything from @1:00 - @2:00 is absolute gold. Dance candy, if you will. The quick stops, the jumps, the clever turns, all of them make Nick and Carla stand out as two of the most incredible dancers out there. If you watched yesterday’s Tips & Tricks video, Nick leads that behind-the-back spin at around @2:17, giving a practical example of that move in motion.
