Oh Ladies! Let us sing and praise
That hero of our modern days,
The man who braves despite his fears
And risks the gauntlet of cohorts jeers,
So afraid of looking like an ass---
Yet still he takes a ballroom class!!!
Romantic hero, each and every one
(Made fun of by his own dear son)
He does this just to show his wife
She's still his love and light of his life.
He wants a beer, to take a pass,
But still he stands in ballroom class!!!
With time he learns to hold his frame,
An unsung hero, not seeking fame,
He struggles on, knowing all the while,
The big reward is to see her smile.
He makes mistakes, he makes her laugh!
He's in ballroom --- for his "better half".
Romantic Hero wearing dancing shoes
Like a knight of old, his lady woos
Each dance he tries and eventually learns...
He rhumbas! He swings! Just watch those turns!!
No longer feeling like an ass
Now he has fun in ballroom class!!!
Oh Ladies! Let us heap with praise
That lump on the sofa who changed his ways,
That dashing man with the twinkling eye
Romancing his lady as he waltzes by.
Let us honor him! Surround with flowers
That hero who spent those many hours
Learning to dance with skill and grace ---
Simply to see the delight on her face.
Oh Brave Man!! We women salute you!!
We want to kiss your dancing shoe!!
You've learned to lead, and how to dip!
To ChaCha --- watch him move that hip!!
All ladies thank him, now, en masse
The Man in his first ballroom class!!!
Friday, October 15, 2010
Saturday, October 9, 2010
You Just Gotta Swing!!!!
Swing is as American as apple pie!! It's one of those dances that you can use almost anywhere, whether attending a wedding, a party, or just enjoying a beer at your favorite bar with a jukebox. Swing began in NYC in the Lucky Lindy era and has lasted all these years because it is an expression of fun and that well-known American optimism, no matter the decade.
It was originally known as Lindy, named after the famous pilot, and the dancers who frequented the Savoy Ballroom were known as Jitterbugs because their feet moved so fast. Then came the music of Count Basie and Benny Goodman, and later Tommy Dorsey and the big bands. The music of that era was known as Swing because of the way the musicians played it. Listen to the music of the late 30's and 40's and you can hear how the musicians kind of "swing into it" or slide into the beat, that infusion of jazz technique into popular dance tunes. Totally different from today's strong emphasized beats of techno.
Today we have many versions under the big umbrella known as Swing. Lindy is an 8-count version that blends Charleston moves with the triple steps of Swing. Jive is the International or competition version of East Coast Swing. West Coast Swing is a blending of East Coast patterns and Lindy rhythm danced in a slot. East Coast includes triple-time, double-time, and single-time swing----also known as Jitterbug.
Wow!!! That seems like a lot of different versions of just one dance, doesn't it? But remember that the music always comes first----the dancers responded to and translated the music of the day. In the 40's the music was fast and dancers kept up with single-time swing which is the Slow-Slow-Quick-Quick they were also using for FoxTrot. That's why if you attend a Big Band dance you will see some people doing FoxTrot and others doing Swing to the same music. In the 50's we had the birth of Rock 'n' Roll and dancers used double-time as they danced to Jailhouse Rock or Wake Up Little Susie. The 60's and 70's brought a little more sophistication, the infusion of soul, and even poetry to popular music. Things slowed down and the dancers used triple-time to Sugar Sugar, Backfield in Motion, Takin' Care of Business, or Your Mama Don't Dance------completely different sounds but all triple time.
A little movie called Swing Kids helped promote the Retro Swing movement. Kids on the East and West coasts started renting warehouses so they could swing to the new bands like Brian Setzer and Big Bad Voodoo Daddy. Swing was once again the thing!! And it still is ----- there are Swing Clubs on every major college campus today. There are Swing Competitions across the country, and it is included in Ballroom and Country Western competitions.
The easiest way to learn Swing is triple-time East Coast because it gives you a feel of the rhythm and gives the man just a little more time to adjust to the timing of the leads. Swing is one of the best dances to teach hand leads and teaches the ladies to respond quickly and have resistance. I'll start you out with triple-time and then we'll get into Jitterbug for faster music. In Beginners Level 2 you'll be introduced to West Coast, and you'll find as you progress that Lindy variations are also included.
Swing is so very American I feel like it's almost unpatriotic not to know how. So be proud, put your hand on your heart, grab your partner and get out there and Swing!!
It was originally known as Lindy, named after the famous pilot, and the dancers who frequented the Savoy Ballroom were known as Jitterbugs because their feet moved so fast. Then came the music of Count Basie and Benny Goodman, and later Tommy Dorsey and the big bands. The music of that era was known as Swing because of the way the musicians played it. Listen to the music of the late 30's and 40's and you can hear how the musicians kind of "swing into it" or slide into the beat, that infusion of jazz technique into popular dance tunes. Totally different from today's strong emphasized beats of techno.
Today we have many versions under the big umbrella known as Swing. Lindy is an 8-count version that blends Charleston moves with the triple steps of Swing. Jive is the International or competition version of East Coast Swing. West Coast Swing is a blending of East Coast patterns and Lindy rhythm danced in a slot. East Coast includes triple-time, double-time, and single-time swing----also known as Jitterbug.
Wow!!! That seems like a lot of different versions of just one dance, doesn't it? But remember that the music always comes first----the dancers responded to and translated the music of the day. In the 40's the music was fast and dancers kept up with single-time swing which is the Slow-Slow-Quick-Quick they were also using for FoxTrot. That's why if you attend a Big Band dance you will see some people doing FoxTrot and others doing Swing to the same music. In the 50's we had the birth of Rock 'n' Roll and dancers used double-time as they danced to Jailhouse Rock or Wake Up Little Susie. The 60's and 70's brought a little more sophistication, the infusion of soul, and even poetry to popular music. Things slowed down and the dancers used triple-time to Sugar Sugar, Backfield in Motion, Takin' Care of Business, or Your Mama Don't Dance------completely different sounds but all triple time.
A little movie called Swing Kids helped promote the Retro Swing movement. Kids on the East and West coasts started renting warehouses so they could swing to the new bands like Brian Setzer and Big Bad Voodoo Daddy. Swing was once again the thing!! And it still is ----- there are Swing Clubs on every major college campus today. There are Swing Competitions across the country, and it is included in Ballroom and Country Western competitions.
The easiest way to learn Swing is triple-time East Coast because it gives you a feel of the rhythm and gives the man just a little more time to adjust to the timing of the leads. Swing is one of the best dances to teach hand leads and teaches the ladies to respond quickly and have resistance. I'll start you out with triple-time and then we'll get into Jitterbug for faster music. In Beginners Level 2 you'll be introduced to West Coast, and you'll find as you progress that Lindy variations are also included.
Swing is so very American I feel like it's almost unpatriotic not to know how. So be proud, put your hand on your heart, grab your partner and get out there and Swing!!
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