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