1. Fudging or Improvising?

    August 7, 2022 by Joo-Lee

    Improvising is a key skill in swing dances such as Lindy Hop. You learn a few key skills and you use these skills to communicate with different dancers or dance partners at a social event.

    It’s very much like learning a new language. Say you learn Spanish in the classroom before you go on holiday. You’ll start with learning some vocabulary and maybe before long you can read a menu or ask for basic directions. But you wouldn’t expect everyone you meet in Spain to speak in exactly the same way as the words appear in your textbook. However, you don’t need to be fluent in Spanish to go to Spain. Learning the language just helps with your confidence and communication.

    It’s very similar with swing dance. You don’t need to know how to dance before you go to a social dance event. But learning to improvise will help with your confidence to communicate and switch things up if something doesn’t go to plan.

    Improvising is NOT Fudging

    So back to the learning Spanish analogy. You’ll get the best results if you don’t fudge. What I mean by fudging is if you didn’t know how to say something so you just guessed. Guesswork confuses you and it confuses the person you’re speaking to.

    It’s far better to take the time to learn what the words mean, how to pronounce them properly, and try to be clear.

    Fudging won’t get you very far at all. If you’re in Spain speaking Spanish to Spanish people, you’ll need to improvise as the person you’re speaking to might not respond to you in the way you expected them to from your textbook.

    It’s just the same with Lindy Hop. You learn new moves and your leading and following skills, but everyone is different. The more people you dance with, the more quickly you will develop your social dancing skills and you’ll realise that everyone responds differently to your leading or following. So being able to adapt and improvise as you go are key skills.

    How a Lindy Jazz Course Teaches You To Improvise

    In Lindy Jazz classes, we teach dancers of all levels how to improvise. Improvising is an essential part of building good foundations in your dancing. At social events, you will hear a range of music from the band or DJ. You will not be dancing to the exact same music tracks you’d practised to in class so having the skills to improvise and adapt is essential.

    On our courses:

    Beginners are taught how to improvise when things don’t go to plan;

    Improvers learn how to improvise when different partners respond differently;

    Intermediates are taught how to improvise so they can link different moves together to suit them, their partner, and the music;

    Advanced dancers are taught how to improvise so they can create different variations from the basic moves as an instant response to the different elements of the music e.g. the tempo, dynamics, or rhythm.

    With Lindy Hop,  every dance is different and every exchange between dancers is different. That’s what makes it an exciting improvised dance experience.

    Want to Improvise, Not Fudge?

    If you want to skilfully improvise rather than fudge your way through dances, here are my top tips:

    • Don’t ignore the rhythm as this is an integral part of swing dancing. If you hear your teachers count during practice, count along. Don’t just guess.
    • Don’t just look at your feet. If you see your teachers swinging their arms at the same time, pay attention to this detail.  
    • Don’t look down or you will miss out on the information in front of you. Observe details such as the teachers’ posture or energy during the class and pick up on these essential cues and clues.

    Want to Master Improvisation in Swing Dance?

    The difference between fudging and improvising is that fudging is guesswork. Guesswork leaves you and others confused. Improvising is a wonderful skill that’s worth taking time to master as it frees you from having to think while you’re dancing. Less thinking means more enjoying!

    Still Unsure About Some Of The Moves?

    Do you feel like you’re constantly fudging your way through dances?

    Imagine being able to take the guesswork out of your dancing so that you understand how to lead and follow with confidence the next time you go to a social dance event.

    Imagine getting crystal clear on your technique in classes that are taught with straightforward step by step tuition.

    How would it feel to dance more freely and confidently?

    It’s all possible!

    Sign up for our next Lindy Jazz course and learn the skills to own the dance floor!

    Book your place here: https://www.lindy-jazz.co.uk/weekly-classes

    Category Courses & Classes, Improvers, Lindy Hop | Tags: | No Comments

  2. What If I Still Can’t Dance?

    July 22, 2022 by Joo-Lee

    Do you long to dance with confidence at those swing dance events, weddings, parties, and other live music events?

    What’s stopping you?

    Do you just believe that you have two left feet and that’s how it will always be? Or have you tried classes in the past and somehow feel stuck?

    Well we’re here to tell you that everyone can absolutely learn to dance with confidence in our classes and on our courses!

    What If I Just Don’t Believe that I Can Dance?

    Everyone can dance. Usually the only difference between someone who can dance and someone who can’t is the person who can’t is being held back by fear and the belief that they can’t dance.

    The simple way we teach and the positive and joyful atmosphere we create in our classes and courses will help you overcome your fears in no time. Slowly but surely, you’ll learn to relax and enjoy the process of learning to dance.

    What If I Make a Fool of Myself in Class?

    Everyone was a beginner once. We can all be self-conscious and worry that others are watching us and judging us. But we’ve got news for you, they aren’t. Most of the time other people are too focused on themselves, their dancing, and their worries. They aren’t paying as much attention to you as you think!

    Does the thought of joining a dance class excite you and scare you at the same time? Have you taken part in a dance class before and were left feeling lost with no idea if you were ‘doing it right’?

    Well in our Lindy Jazz classes, we guarantee that you won’t be left feeling lost and confused.

    Firstly, we tell you exactly what to expect, namely that you don’t need to know anything before you join!

    • You don’t need any dance experience because everything will be explained from the beginning;
    • You don’t need to bring a partner. You can come on your own, with a partner, or with friends;
    • You don’t need to attend every single week because you can practise with free access to our lesson videos online if you miss a class.

    Secondly, Lindy Jazz classes are thoughtfully planned so that dancers of all levels have the best experience. We provide thorough training on the foundation skills and offer options for different levels of challenge if and when you are ready to progress your dancing.

    What If I Pay the Course Fee and I Still Can’t Dance?

    Let us start by saying that it’s possible for everyone to dance with confidence.

    When you join a Lindy Jazz course, you will get CONSISTENCY. You’ll have the same teachers every week who’ll help you build a strong foundation and give you the tools to dance with confidence.

    You don’t need any dance experience at all to join a course, but you do need;

    • Good health;
    • A good mood and positive attitude (which makes learning far easier);
    • Patience. Be patient with yourself and don’t expect to be an amazing dancer after one class;
    • The willingness to practise. This is not compulsory, but if you can find 5 minutes each day to practise, you will remember the moves more easily and accelerate your learning;
    • A willingness to go with the flow, do what you can, and follow the teacher’s instructions. Just relax, enjoy the experience of learning to dance, and let the teachers take care of you.

    The Lindy Jazz Guarantee

    For some people, trying something new is exciting. For others, trying something new may feel uncomfortable. Generally, doing something that takes us out of our comfort zone is uncomfortable, at least at first.

    We want you to know that you may or may not see immediate results after the first class. If you don’t, quieten down those mind monkeys that are telling you that you can’t dance!

    We really recommend attending the whole course before making up your mind about how well you can dance, as some aspects of the classes might just take a little while to ‘click.’

    We are confident that if you attend all 6 classes in-person or virtually and practise for 5 minutes a day, you will definitely be a more confident dancer and have a few fun moves under your belt!

    However, we do know that some people may find this promise hard to believe, so if you can show us that after attending all 6 classes in-person or virtually and submitting your 5-minute practice videos every week  that you are still not making progress, email us and we will offer you a refund!

    We care that you are spending your valuable time with us, and we want you to feel clear and not confused about dancing.

    What Have You Got to Lose?

    Think you can’t dance with confidence?

    Let us change your mind!

    Sign up to a Lindy Jazz course and get;

    • Live tuition with the opportunity to ask questions;
    • Carefully paced lessons that are not rushed;
    • Access to lesson recordings;
    • Access to practice videos;
    • Optional feedback on your practice;
    • Optional chat group where you can ask questions, and more!

    Everything on our courses is designed to give you a strong foundation so you can dance with confidence.

    See you on the dancefloor!

    Category Beginners, Courses & Classes, Lindy Hop | Tags: | No Comments

  3. No Longer Thinking About It

    July 14, 2022 by Joo-Lee

    Lindy Hop, Brass Festival Durham, Lindy Jazz

    No Longer Thinking About It

    Often when you learn something new, it’s tempting to want to fast forward past the bits you don’t find so entertaining to the bits that you do. Swing dance is no exception.

    Many members want to skip the repetition and practising on their own so they can dance with a partner straight away because it’s more fun.

    But I would say for best results, train yourself, don’t just entertain yourself! If you find some time to practise on your own first, you’ll enjoy partner dancing even more.

    This is because the more solo practice you do, you’ll find that the steps come automatically when you dance with a partner.

    Don’t Skip the Practice and Repetition

    When you first discover a new move, technique, or concept, you’ll find that you have to think about it. Partner dancing is like that. If you’ve never danced with a partner before, it can feel very unfamiliar. When something is unfamiliar, we can feel uncomfortable, confused, and anxious.

    Even if you have danced with partners for a long time, if you’re a follower, dancing with a different leader will always be an adventure. Leaders have a bit more control, but if you dance with different followers, you don’t know how well they’re going to be able to follow you.

    This is why the key to feeling uncomfortable when things are unfamiliar is to have something that is familiar to you. Something that you can control, like your own footwork.

    That’s why practice and repetition is so important because it’s the only way you will be able to dance with ease and no longer think about it. So not just constant practice but the right kind of practice will help you build muscle memory, and once your 8 counts are automatic, you won’t be thinking about them all the time.

    Practise Until You’re No Longer Thinking About It

    I often say that it’s a bit like driving. It’s hard to focus on the traffic if you are thinking about where the gears are. It’s hard to react to unpredictable drivers if you are in an unfamiliar car and you don’t know where the indicators are. When you drive your own car, you’re not even thinking about anything. You just get in the car and sometimes, you don’t know how you got home. It’s because you’re no longer thinking about it.

    This is the point you need to get to with your Swing dancing. If you find you’re still thinking while you’re dancing, then you have some more work to do!

    Want to dance with style and confidence?

    Join me for the next course, packed with useful practice tips and supplemented with easy to follow videos that break things down step by step. Over 6 weeks, you’ll get the tools you need to excel in Swing dance, whether you’re dancing solo or with a partner.

    Find out more.

    Category Health & Fitness | Tags: , , | No Comments

  4. Lindy Hop is a Skill

    July 1, 2022 by Joo-Lee

    Lindy Hop is a Skill

    Lindy Hop is a skill and just like with any skill, the more you practise the better you get.  You might find this hard to believe at first. When you first attempt to put the moves together, you may feel a little uncoordinated, not unlike Bambi on ice! But I promise that you will get better and better over time. We got so much better over time and you can too!

    Putting together your rock step, triple steps, groove walks, arm swing, turns, and partner connection is a SKILL. And that means you’re not going to master it overnight. But you will master it over 6 weeks if you follow our courses step by step. Be patient and embrace the process, it just takes time. Our course members all tell us that the 6 weeks seem to fly by as they’re having so much fun. After all, fun is what dancing should be all about!

    We don’t just get you to copy us in class and leave you feeling confused. We teach you the skills you need and we answer all your questions to help you get clear on the Swing Out so that you can dance with style and confidence.

    At last you can stop fudging your way through these exciting Lindy Hop moves!

    If you expect to be able to acquire a bunch of moves or ‘fast track’ to becoming a great dancer after just one class then this course is probably not for you.

    Mastery comes from action, repetition, and practice over time. Sometimes, people don’t like to hear this, but it’s true. So the question is, is this something you want to do?

    If you can find the time to attend weekly classes (or catch up online) over the next 6 weeks, then this course is for you!

    Are you ready to learn a new skill and experience the joy of Swing Dance?

    Check out our next course: Click here for details.

    Category Courses & Classes, Dance, Lindy Hop | Tags: | No Comments

  5. Who’s Watching You?

    June 27, 2022 by Joo-Lee

    Whether you’re a new Lindy Jazz member taking your first steps towards learning to dance, or you’re a more experienced dancer, your number one fear is probably that everyone in the room is looking at you. Your mind will tell you this, but the reality is that everyone in the room has their own worries and concerns, and they’re actually worrying that everyone is looking at them!

    To Any New Dancers, This is My Message to You

    There are a few situations where people will look at you;

    If you are an extremely good dancer and you’re showing off a bit and performing;

    If you are trying to attract attention.

    Otherwise, people are probably not looking at you, I promise!

    So Where Does This Fear Come From?

    We might have seen someone drunk and dancing at a nightclub or a wedding. They might have made a fool of themselves and you saw people sniggering. Then that implanted the fear and thought in your brain, “ I MUST not put myself in a position where I make a fool of myself.”

    However, a swing dance class is a completely different situation. Everyone is there for the same reasons; you’re all like-minded people who want to take your first steps to learning to dance.

    Explore, Practise, Dance

    When you take a Lindy Jazz course, there is no need to actually dance, believe it or not.

    There are 3 stages in the course:

    • Explore
    • Practise
    • Dance

    People often worry that they have to be able to dance immediately. In fact, on our courses, you’ll notice that we don’t seem to be dancing as such, particularly in the first two weeks. The aim is that you’ll be able to dance by week six, the final week.

    In the first two weeks, it’s all about following our instructions step by step and trying out moves. This is what we mean by exploring. You follow the instructions without the need to assess yourself or get it right.

    Stop Assessing and Start Enjoying

    The thing that stops us from being able to dance or enjoy learning to dance is constant assessment. We constantly assess ourselves because we are imagining that people are assessing us.

    We should simply turn up to a class and be students. We shouldn’t be wearing the hat of a student and the hat of an assessor because that gets way too complicated!

    My advice for brand new dancers is don’t be afraid because there is no tiger in the room. What you do have in the room are like-minded people who simply want to learn.

    Dealing with the Unfamiliar

    A lack of familiarity is also a common trigger for fear. If something is new or unfamiliar, it’s very natural for us to fill that gap or lack of information with the worst scenario possible.

    So if you are feeling afraid when you first join a class, write a list of questions and send them to me. They might look like;

    What if I make a fool of myself?

    What if I don’t catch up?

    What if I don’t understand?

    What if my feet won’t move?

    What if I can’t get it right, ever?

    Make a list and get it all out of your head!

    To The More Experienced Dancers, I Want to Say This

    If you’re a more experienced dancer, you may feel more familiar with everything now however, a new situation could trigger some fears. It could be something like dancing in a new environment. We recently went to a picnic and danced to a live band. How did that make you feel?

    If you are an experienced dancer who feels at ease in the safe environment of our local community centre, did you feel safe getting up and dancing when there were strangers milling around?

    Don’t Let Fear Stop You From Experiencing the Joy of Dance

    I used to think that I had to dance well when I was in the presence of others. But after years of dancing for fun, I no longer worry about that.

    I know that I’m not attracting any attention because everyone is there to enjoy themselves and after the event, they have to go home and deal with life and all of their commitments and concerns, just like me.

    So whether you’re a newbie or a more experienced dancer, I want to say that no one is looking at you, they are looking at themselves and worrying about themselves.

    Don’t let this fear stop you from learning to dance or learning to dance in new places.

    Having the skills to dance and being clear on the moves will add to your confidence. In all of our classes, the aim is to give you step by step clear instructions so you are left in no doubt about the moves.

    At Lindy Jazz, we take the mystery out of dancing and we aim to build your confidence. If you are looking to build confidence and to enjoy Swing dancing, then sign up for our next course!

    Category Beginners, Courses & Classes, Improvers | Tags: | No Comments

  6. What to Expect On Your Lindy Jazz Course

    June 16, 2022 by Joo-Lee

    So you’ve signed up to a Lindy Jazz course and you’re really excited to get started. Or maybe you’re a little nervous, which is completely natural. What often helps get rid of the nerves and helps you feel prepared for your first live class is knowing what you need to know beforehand.

    I’ve put together this blog as a ‘what to expect’ guide for everyone (beginner or experienced dancer) who enrols on one of our courses.

    Before You Get Started

    You don’t need any dance experience to join this course. However, you do need the following;

    Good health– Just like you wouldn’t want to go for a run or go the gym when you don’t feel 100%, don’t attend class if you’re unwell. Rest up and come back when you’ve recovered.

    Good mood– Sometimes you’ll be coming to class after a stressful day or getting stuck in traffic. Take a few moments to centre yourself and prepare your mood and mindset before you start dancing.

    A lot of patience– Be patient with yourself if things don’t go the way they should. Be patient with your teachers if something doesn’t make sense. Be patient with other class members if they are not on the same wavelength as yourself. Things don’t always click straight away, but you’ll find that they will fall into place gradually over the course of the 6 weeks.

    Good hygiene– Wear a fresh top / shirt for class and sanitise your hands before dancing. This keeps things hygienic, safe, and pleasant for everyone.

    Try to Find Time to Practise

    You’ll get online videos that you can practise along to in between lessons but this is not compulsory. I do encourage people to try and find 5 minutes a day to practise so they remember the moves more easily.

    But if you don’t have time to practise, don’t beat yourself up about it.  Just turn up to class with an open mind and a relaxed mood. This will help you to take in the information more easily. Worrying or ruminating on the fact that you haven’t practised can slow down your learning and stop you from taking things in.

    Different People, Different Levels

    Everyone’s dance experience is different so don’t compare yourself with others in the class. Everyone learns differently, so you may find that some of the lesson material suits you but it doesn’t suit others. All we ask is that you be patient with others if things aren’t quite clicking for them, just as you would expect them to be patient with you.

    On the other hand, if it’s you that’s new to dancing or new to the topic, don’t try to keep up with others if they’re doing something fast or fancy. Just focus on what you’re doing, do what you can, and follow the teachers’ instructions. Don’t ask your dance partner for advice during the lesson as you both might end up missing something important.

    What If I’m an Experienced Dancer?

    If you’re an experienced dancer, it’s important to keep your mind open to learning. Don’t assume that your muscle memory is 100% consistent. You may have come across some of the concepts before, but working on your foundational skills will prevent you from forgetting them as you advance.

    Everyone may have different levels of dance experience but we all have the same goal, which is to have fun learning to dance. So relax and enjoy, and let the teachers take care of you.

    Keeping Things Safe

    For this course (June 2022), we are asking everyone who comes to a class in the hall to do a Lateral Flow Test on the day of the class and to share your results in the Messenger chat or via email at joolee@lindy-jazz.co.uk

    Dance Class Etiquette

    There are some simple social dancing rules of conduct to remember to keep things flowing and pleasant for everyone.

    • Before dancing with someone new, introduce yourself;
    • At the end of a dance or a practice, say ‘thank you’ or ‘high five’ your partner before moving on;
    • We all dance with each other as this is a social dance. However if you prefer to stay with your partner and not dance with others, we encourage you to smile and say ‘hello’ when others move past you to change partners.

    The Lindy Jazz Course- Summary

    • You don’t need any previous dance experience to join this course;
    • Everything will be explained from the beginning;
    • If you forget something, you can check the videos in between class;
    • If you don’t understand something, you can ask in class, pop a query in the Messenger chat or email info@lindy-jazz.co.uk.

    How Can I Progress My Dancing?

    After each 45 minute live class, you can stay to watch or try out the Advanced Class to see if this might be for you in the future.

    I hope this blog has told you everything you need to know, but if you have any more questions, we’d be happy to answer them. Just drop us a line at info@lindy-jazz.co.uk.

    Category Beginners, Courses & Classes, Dance, Improvers | Tags: | No Comments

  7. Am I Turning the Right Way?

    June 14, 2022 by Joo-Lee

    Our members often share videos of themselves dancing so they can get individual feedback. What’s great is if they pop the videos in the group chat, along with any questions they have, the feedback can benefit everyone.

    Asking the Right Questions

    One of the most common questions we get is about the direction for turning.

    “Am I supposed to turn  clockwise or anti-clockwise?”

    That is a closed question, which means I have only 2 options; clockwise or anti-clockwise. Neither would be a good answer.

    I would always say if you want a better answer, ask open questions like;

    “How should I turn?” Or,

    “What is your feedback for me regarding my turning?”

    This opens up more options for a better answer.

    Focus on Rhythm, Not Direction

    We all tend to ask questions according to our own focus because we are so influenced by what we think is important. For example, if you think that everything should be uniform, you might ask, “For the sake of uniformity, should I turn clockwise?”, but the focus is not necessarily about uniformity in terms of steps.

    Our focus is usually about rhythm. The reason we sometimes turn in a different direction or get confused is not because of steps. It’s because if the rhythm is slightly off this can result in our weight being shifted onto the other foot and we then turn in the other direction.

    Remember, Lindy Hop is mainly about rhythm. If your rhythm is a little inaccurate or if you are slightly ahead or behind the beat you may feel confused. Then it’s tempting to think that it’s all to do with the direction of the turn when it’s really about the rhythm.

    If Your Rhythm is Off, So is Everything Else

    So bear in mind, it’s not always to do with which foot or which direction. It’s more to do with our basic understanding of rhythm. So in you are ahead or behind the beat, you may end up on the wrong foot and this may cause you to turn in a different direction.

    So what should you do? Check your rhythm and focus on the rhythm. Keep bouncing, keep counting, and everything else will come!

    Category Courses & Classes, Dance, Improvers | Tags: | No Comments

  8. Why Do People Want to Learn Fast?

    June 9, 2022 by Joo-Lee

    Why the Secret to Being a Great Dancer is Slowing Down

    We used to run workshops called Fastrack workshops, which were designed to transform people from okay dancers to amazing swing dancers in a short amount of time. Well, in theory, anyway. We soon realised that encouraging people to learn fast wasn’t turning them into the confident accomplished dancers they wanted to be. In fact, it often had the opposite effect.

    Why Do People Want to Learn Fast?

    It’s usually because they are short on time and they want to ‘get things done’ quickly. They want to take the shortcuts and tend to need instant assurance that they are going to be able to dance well, instead of taking small steps in each lesson.

    Not taking the time to learn the essentials and build a good foundation can become your main obstacle to becoming a confident dancer.

    The Problem with Wanting to Learn Fast

    It takes time to acquire skills but it’s always time well spent. When you learn fast, you tend to ignore and bypass a lot of the essentials; from the need for building a good foundation to the need for repetition and regular practice.

    When you try to rush learning how to dance, it’s a bit like painting by numbers. Yes, you’ll have a picture at the end, but you won’t have learned any skills. You won’t know how to use light and shade, or make a painting come to life. None of that impressive artistic stuff.

    Like with learning anything, it’s about taking the time to enjoy the process. When you’re in a dance class, it’s the taking the time to enjoy every moment that will help you become a more confident and stylish dancer. While the process will take longer, it will be much more joyful and fruitful. Dancing should be something for you to lose yourself in and enjoy, not just another thing to ‘get done.’

    Build Skills That Last

    When you start a new dance course, how do you feel at the start? Anxious? Excited? Confused?

    Do you feel anxious because you don’t know whether you’ll be able to learn well?

    Well I want you to believe in yourself and realise that you don’t need to do know everything right from the beginning.

    Often, I’ll start teaching one of our 6 week courses and I’ll notice that at the start of the six weeks, many of the participants are anxious. But by the middle of the course, they are really getting into it, and by week five, they are extremely happy!

    Just start as you mean to go on; be happy and open-minded instead of anxious and see what a difference it makes to your experience, and your dancing!

    Want to experience the REAL joy of dance, without the rush rush rush?

    Join our next 6 week course here.

    Category Beginners, Courses & Classes, Dance, Improvers | Tags: | No Comments

  9. It’s OK To Be Confused

    May 14, 2022 by Joo-Lee

    So, you’ve been swing dancing for a while, and you’re no longer a ‘newbie.’ Next stop for you, you want to be an awesome dancer. However, there are a few things that are getting in your way.

    • You are short on time and want to get to grips with new moves as quickly and as easily as possible;
    • You are short on patience and you want to fast forward to being an awesome dancer NOW!;
    • You are sometimes short on energy and you’re worried that you won’t be able to keep up with anything complicated, or even get your head around it in the first place.

    Well, let me remind you of my mantra.

    If you want to be an awesome dancer, you have to learn to RELAX, RELEASE, and RECEIVE.

    Relax, Release, Receive: The Steps to Discovering the Joy of Swing Dance

    Let’s look at how this might work.

    Say you find yourself feeling confused in lessons at times when new, unfamiliar concepts or movements are introduced. It’s normal to feel uncomfortable when your comfort zone is stretched. What’s your default reaction? You probably feel the need to seek what is comfortable, familiar, and easy to implement. If you feel like this is not available to you, you might want to throw your hands up in the air and give up.

    But what if you just kept going and kept following the lesson?

    It’s a bit like when I’m driving through an unfamiliar place and I feel lost. I have my sat nav to guide me, but how many of us have trust issues with our sat nav. We need it, but we doubt that it can get us to where we want to go. Then we feel that familiar tension of ‘should I follow the instructions or not?’

    Whether you’re feeling confused in a Swing Dance class (in person or on Zoom) or you’re trying to trust your sat nav, here’s what you need to do.

    RELAX– Just take a breath and decide to keep following the instructions.

    RELEASE– Stay with the ‘not knowing’ or ‘I’m confused’ feeling for a few minutes. You don’t need to understand everything immediately. It’s okay to not be clear on everything, every step of the way.

    RECEIVE– After you’ve relaxed and released the need to understand everything and get it right, everything will come together. I promise that by the end of your lesson or course, there’ll be no more confusion!

    Why Our Courses Help Your To Be Awesome Dancers

    In our taster-style dance classes which are often presented at events as a one-off experience, you are invited to copy the teacher and dance along. This way you get quick results and everyone is happy!

    When you attend a Lindy Jazz course, you get much more than a ‘copy along’ class. You get to develop real and lasting skills so you have a clearer understanding of Swing Dance. This is what will help you dance with style and confidence. The second way of learning takes a little more time, but what you invest, you get back out. By the end of your course, you’ll be so pleased with the way you dance.

    Are you New to Dancing?

    Your Lindy Jazz teachers know how scary it feels to try something new if you’ve never danced before. That’s why we’ll always be gentle with you and help you to take the easy steps to building some great foundations so everything makes sense.

    No Longer New?

    Are you itching to take your dancing to the next level? It’s time to be adventurous! Don’t forget, your reptilian brain may be triggered when it’s faced with something new and unfamiliar. The ‘panic’ brain over works and over thinks in an effort to protect us from anything we aren’t familiar with. Switch on your ‘thinking’ brain if you can and this will help you focus on the class and all the wonderful new moves you are learning!

    Dancing is all about having fun. We don’t take it too seriously, and neither should you.

    What we are serious about is helping you discover the joy of Swing Dance.

    Are you ready to feel the fear and become an awesome dancer anyway?

    You’ve been Swing dancing for a while, and you’re no longer a ‘newbie.’ Next stop for you, you want to be an awesome dancer. However, there are a few things that are getting in your way.

    • You are short on time and want to get to grips with new steps and routines as quickly and as easily as possible;
    • You are short on patience and you want to fast forward to being an awesome dancer NOW!;
    • You are sometimes short on energy and you’re worried that you won’t be able to keep up with anything complicated, or even get your head around it in the first place.

    Well, let me remind you of my mantra.

    If you want to be an awesome dancer, you have to learn to RELAX, RELEASE, and RECEIVE.

    Relax, Release, Receive: The Steps to Discovering the Joy of Swing Dance

    Let’s look at how this might work.

    Say you find yourself feeling confused in lessons at times when new, unfamiliar concepts or movements are introduced. It’s normal to feel uncomfortable when your comfort zone is stretched. What’s your default reaction? You probably feel the need to seek what is comfortable, familiar, and easy to implement. If you feel like this is not available to you, you might want to throw your hands up in the air and give up.

    But what if you just kept going and kept following the lesson?

    It’s a bit like when I’m driving through an unfamiliar place and I feel lost. I have my sat nav to guide me, but how many of us have trust issues with our sat nav. We need it, but we doubt that it can get us to where we want to go. Then we feel that familiar tension of ‘should I follow the instructions or not?’

    Whether you’re feeling confused in a Swing Dance class (in person or on Zoom) or you’re trying to trust your sat nav, here’s what you need to do.

    RELAX- Just take a breath and decide to keep following the instructions.

    RELEASE- Stay with the ‘not knowing’ or ‘I’m confused’ feeling for a few minutes. You don’t need to understand everything immediately. It’s okay to not be clear on everything, every step of the way.

    RECEIVE- After you’ve relaxed and released the need to understand everything and get it right, everything will come together. I promise that by the end of your lesson or course, there’ll be no more confusion!

    How Our Courses Help You To be An Awesome Dancer

    In our taster-style dance classes which are often presented at events as a one-off experience, you are invited to copy the teacher and dance along. This way you get quick results and everyone is happy!

    When you attend a Lindy Jazz course, you get much more than a ‘copy along’ class. You get to develop real and lasting skills so you have a clearer understanding of Swing Dance. This is what will help you dance with style and confidence. The second way of learning takes a little more time, but what you invest, you get back out. By the end of your course, you’ll be so pleased with the way you dance.

    Are you New to Dancing?

    Your Lindy Jazz teachers know how scary it feels to try something new if you’ve never danced before. That’s why we’ll always be gentle with you and help you to take the easy steps to building some great foundations so everything makes sense.

    No Longer New?

    Are you itching to take your dancing to the next level? It’s time to be adventurous! Don’t forget, your reptilian brain may be triggered when it’s faced with something new and unfamiliar. The reptilian brain over works and over thinks in an effort to protect us from anything we aren’t familiar with. Switch on your ‘thinking’ brain if you can and this will help you focus on the class and all the wonderful new moves you are learning!

    Dancing is all about having fun. We don’t take it too seriously, and neither should you.

    What we are serious about is helping you discover the joy of Swing Dance.

    Are you ready to feel the fear and become an awesome dancer anyway?

    Remember, when you feel uncomfortable, you’re learning & you’re improving!

    Category Health & Fitness | Tags: | No Comments

  10. Letting Go Is The Way To Go

    November 20, 2021 by Joo-Lee

    Letting Go is the Way to Go

    In today’s blog, I want to talk about ‘relax, release, receive.’ When it comes to learning how to dance, I always tell my students and teachers that this should be their mantra.

    It’s a joy to see that so many of you are now more relaxed when you are dancing and that you’ve come so far. You’re no longer the nervous newcomers that you were at the beginning, so in many ways, you’ve achieved Stage 1. You’ve nailed the ‘Relax’ bit!

    Letting go is hard to do

    Achieving Stage 2: Release can take a little more time. Letting go is hard to do, especially letting go of the need to be right. This is because we’ve had years of conditioning and programming; that inner voice is always telling us that if there’s a lesson and a teacher, and you’re a student, you always have to get it right.

    Hands up who believes that you have to be good at something to enjoy yourself while you’re doing it?

    Well unless you let go of the need to be right and give yourself permission to enjoy yourself, whatever you’re doing is just not going to feel right.

    Allow the space for spontaneity

    Then there’s Stage 3 – Receive, the holy grail.

    That stage where you get to say ‘I get it!’

    But how to do you ‘get it’?

    You have to ‘Release’’; to let go of the need to be right. You have to release the pressure to be good at what you’re doing and allow the space for spontaneity to come in.

    Allow yourself to go wrong, allow yourself to wobble. Allow yourself to not know if you’re doing it right.

    If you don’t let go of the need to feel reassured all the time, you’re not going to reach the next stage.

    Use your ears, not just your eyes

    In many beginners classes, teachers will wrap you up in cotton wool and try to make things easier by getting you to copy them. I sometimes don’t let you copy me, which I know makes some people uncomfortable, especially if they are visual learners. But in Lindy Hop, you also need to get used to learning by listening and feeling.  Allow yourself to listen for the beat and to feel the rhythm.

    You might feel lost when trying to follow unfamiliar music. You may try to use your eyes to find a clue, an instruction, or a hint about whether you’re doing well. It can feel uncomfortable, but you know what? It’s okay.

    I’m allowing you to feel uncomfortable to encourage you to get out of your comfort zone. When you allow yourself to get out of your comfort zone, this is where the magic happens. This is when you will progress onto the next level

    The only real way to avoid being uncomfortable and not make mistakes would be to not dance at all. That would be a real shame.

    Have a go at letting go!

    So allow yourself to be uncomfortable. I’m inviting you to give it a go. In your next lesson, when you feel that urge to look for a visual cue, try listening to the music instead. If you feel lost, just remember, ‘I’m showing up, I’m doing the moves, I don’t need to keep assessing myself.’

    Everyone, have a go at letting go!

    Category Health & Fitness | Tags: | No Comments

Older Entries
Newer Entries