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!