{"id":1013,"date":"2026-01-29T15:57:44","date_gmt":"2026-01-29T15:57:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.lindy-jazz.co.uk\/?p=1013"},"modified":"2026-01-29T15:59:13","modified_gmt":"2026-01-29T15:59:13","slug":"notes-from-last-nights-lindy-jazz-class","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.lindy-jazz.co.uk\/?p=1013","title":{"rendered":"Notes from Last Night\u2019s Lindy Jazz Class"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

(aka: Things We All Do\u2026 and Can Laugh About Together)<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Last night\u2019s class was a cracker \u2014 lots of smiles, plenty of \u201caha!\u201d moments, and a few gentle reminders that are well worth sharing. So here they are, served with kindness, encouragement, and a pinch of humour. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Followers: let\u2019s talk about jockey position<\/em><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

One little habit that sneaks in is hanging back<\/strong> or slowly drifting backwards<\/strong> when you\u2019re in jockey position. It can feel subtle, but here\u2019s what happens:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you drift back, the leader\u2019s right arm (behind your back) starts working overtime \u2014 and not in a good way. When you stay comfortably present (not leaning, not escaping), everything suddenly feels lighter, clearer, and easier for both of you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Confidence: a tiny mindset shift that changes everything<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Instead of asking:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

  • \u201cAm I doing this right?\u201d<\/em><\/li>
  • \u201cAm I good enough?\u201d<\/em><\/li>
  • \u201cIs this wrong?\u201d<\/em><\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n

    Try asking: \u201cHow can I make this easier for my leader?\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Why? Because confidence isn\u2019t about self-inspection \u2014 it\u2019s about responsiveness<\/em>.
    When you hesitate, hover, or second-guess, your body literally becomes harder to lead. When you\u2019re present and available, the lead has something to work with.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Eyes up, shoulders open (and yes\u2026 stop staring at the floor….)<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

    Looking at the floor is very tempting \u2014 we all do it. But it affects more than you think:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    • Your balance suffers<\/li>
    • Your shoulders close and hunch forward<\/li>
    • You feel less stable and less connected<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n

      When you look at your partner:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      • Your shoulders naturally open<\/li>
      • You feel more balanced<\/li>
      • You look more confident (even if you don\u2019t feel it yet!)<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n

        Connection improves instantly<\/em>. Magic? No. Just physics and humans. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

        Leaders: you\u2019re not failing \u2014 you\u2019re learning<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

        Some leaders shared that they felt they \u201cweren\u2019t leading well\u201d because they didn\u2019t always get a response from their follower.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        So I asked a very important question:
        \u201cAnd when did you qualify as a Lindy Hop assessor?\u201d<\/strong> \ud83d\ude09<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        Think about this:
        Andy and I can dance easily with all of you, our class members because we have years of experience adapting. That skill doesn\u2019t arrive overnight. It grows slowly, through dancing with many people, many times, with curiosity and patience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        Right now:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        • Don\u2019t expect your partner to fully adapt to you<\/li>
        • Don\u2019t expect yourself to fully adapt to them<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n

          That comes later. And it will<\/em> come.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

          The one thing that helps everyone \u2014 immediately<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

          Connection.
          And the simplest form of connection is\u2026 looking at each other.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

          When you connect:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

          • You respond better<\/li>
          • You adapt more easily<\/li>
          • You relax<\/li>
          • You enjoy yourself more<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n

            And remember \u2014 you are dancing with good friends<\/strong>, in a supportive room, where everyone is learning and cheering each other on.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

            Final reminder<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

            You are:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

            • Dancers<\/li>
            • Students<\/li>
            • Humans learning something new<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n

              You are not<\/strong>:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

              • Examiners<\/li>
              • Judges<\/li>
              • Qualified Lindy Hop assessors<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n

                So please\u2026 stop marking your own homework.
                Start dancing. Start smiling. Trust the process.
                And most of all \u2014 enjoy yourselves<\/strong>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

                See you on the dance floor \ud83d\udc83\ud83d\udd7a<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

                (aka: Things We All Do\u2026 and Can Laugh About Together) Last night\u2019s class was a cracker \u2014 lots of smiles, plenty of \u201caha!\u201d moments, and a few gentle reminders that are well worth sharing. So here they are, served with kindness, encouragement, and a pinch of humour. Followers: let\u2019s talk about jockey position One little […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1013","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.lindy-jazz.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1013","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.lindy-jazz.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.lindy-jazz.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.lindy-jazz.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.lindy-jazz.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1013"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/blog.lindy-jazz.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1013\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1020,"href":"https:\/\/blog.lindy-jazz.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1013\/revisions\/1020"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.lindy-jazz.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1013"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.lindy-jazz.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1013"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.lindy-jazz.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1013"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}