Category: West Coast Swing

Mr Jonathan’s West Coast Swing events and services

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Precision is Not Nearly as Precise as You Think

Last week we discussed and experimented with control. This week is all about Precision. This is one of the most difficult concept to teach because of the misconception about what precise footwork really is. 
In order for your footwork to be precise you have to be willing to NOT put your foot in the exact same place every time…What? Yes you read that right…Your foot does NOT land in the same place on the floor at the same spot in the pattern every time you execute the same pattern. If it did we would be line dancing and not leading or following.
I learned this lesson the hard way when I first learned how to ride a wheelie on my dirt bike. It was a warm and sunny afternoon at about 2pm. Like most things that I am into I was about 3 hours into practicing wheelies on a quiet side road that one of my DJs lives on. We started in 1st gear and got it so that we could ride for about 30 feet on the rear tire before maxing out the engine which caused the front wheel to come crashing down. Timing is everything with wheelies so you have to feel out when to punch the throttle and when to back off. 
Being the fierce competitor that I am I wasted no time in accepting a $20 wager for the longest wheelie. After about 4 turns back and forth I got the idea to try and do the wheelie in 2nd gear. If you don’t know about dirt bike gearing the higher the gear number the less torque but the further you can go with the same amount of gas. To get the front end up in 2nd gear I had to really push the throttle hard and before I knew what had happened I was sliding on my knees across the pavement. I had dumped my bike because I treated 2nd gear like it was 1st gear…the same mistake a dancer might make by treating every left side pass just like the one before it.

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Where Do We Draw the Line

Advanced Dancer -“You are a rockstar and I love dancing with you! 
Beginner – “Why me when there are so many great dancers at this dance that have been swing dancing way longer?”
Advanced Dancer – “Because you have great basics”
Beginner – “I don’t understand”
When more advanced dancer talk about dancing with each other we never discuss advanced patterns…Never! Instead we occupy our time with Advanced technique applied to basic patterns. We discuss control, precision, and connection…all things you can’t see you have to feel. You can feel when your partner keeps their dance in control, when they step with precision, and when they maintain a great connection. When both partners feel all of these things is where the magic happens. 
This week we are working on our control through a couple of fun and easy drills. At the end of this class you will have the tools you need to work on your control both on and off the social dance floor.
Friday Night WCS Pizza Party
$10
DNE’s Ballroom Cafe
78 Princeton St.
N. Chelmsford
7:30-?
(see video 1 for this week’s lesson)
Sunday Night California Mixer
$10 
Longfellow’s Club JoEllen
524 Boston Post Rd
Wayland, Ma
6:00pm Two-Step (Video 2)
6:45pm WCS (Video 1)

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Those That Can Not Do


 

I was at a dance recently and during a brief chat with a very advanced follower the topic of leaders came up. To my surprise she pointed out a leader that was dancing with her friend and said “He is very came difficult to dance with, she is doing a great job of interpreting his leads”. This leader is known in the Boston scene and is generally considered one of the more advanced and sought after leaders (in fact he teaches locally from time to time and his teaching information is spot on). So I sat back and watched the leader dance and I was blown away by what I discovered…This teacher and advanced dancer doesn’t do his first triple! He starts each pattern with a solid One, Two…Stands there while his partner walks by, then Triples to close the pattern.

Triple steps are to swing what breathing is to life. If you substitute your triple steps for rock steps, tap steps, or swivels you are making yourself more difficult to lead or follow. This week’s lesson plan is dedicated to what makes that first triple is so important.

 

 

$10 

This Friday

78 Princeton St

N. Chelmsford, Ma

7:30 – ?

(Pizza Party, Water, Lesson, and Dance are all included)

 

$10 

This Sunday

524 Boston Post Rd

Wayland, Ma

6:00 2-Step Lesson

6:45 WCS Lesson

(Lesson and Dance are included)

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Jack and Jill Went Up the Hill But Who Carries The Load?

I am part of several conversation groups and chat rooms that have there material centered around West Coast Swing. A topic that came out recently is “Who holds the power in a swing partnership…The Leader or The Follower?” This is one for the ages and has been debated for years. The person asking the question is more than likely on the destructive path of attempting to find fault in their partner’s dancing by rolling the dice on the outcome. As much as I would love to take a side in the argument I can’t because without one there can’t be the other. 

As a beginner I thought of lead and follow dancing as a circle with a line drawn down the middle with my half being blue and her’s red. She does her job and I do mine. Then when I started taking private lessons it was drilled into my head that all outcomes are the leader’s responsibility. So the Circle of responsibility shifted to 75% Blue and 25% Red. This shift never felt right though because how can you call something a partnership when you are not sharing the responsibility? You can’t!

To nail down the responsibility chain for swing we must think about the Asian symbol for all things balanced: The Yin Yang. Although 50% is Blue and the other half is Red there is no line of separation. At its deepest point as the red side is pushing its way into the blue it carries with it a little circle at its core of blue for balance. The Yin Yang is as close as those two colors can come to being mixed while still maintaining their identity. Imagine if our dancing took on the feel of a Yin Yang?

This week’s lesson plan is going to explore how to be the Leader or the Follower and blend with your partner without losing who you are. 

Sunday Night

$10 

524 Boston Post Rd

Wayland, Ma

6:00 2-Step Lesson

6:45 WCS Lesson

(Lesson and Dance are included)

Friday Night 

$10 

DNE

78 Princeton St

N. Chelmsford, Ma

7:30-?

(Pizza Party, Water, Lesson, and Dance are all included)


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Swing Cruise

 For the first time in 6 years Larry Mongeau and I are offering a beginner Swing Class on board. This will come in handy for those folks that are new to the dance and need a quick brush up, and also to those that have never done swing before. The class will be 30 minutes in length and will cover about 3 patterns. The music on board will swing like no other party you have or will attend ALL summer. We are putting together music that is up beat, wholesome, and swingable. This is a party of INCLUSION not exclusion. Be prepared to hear some of the great hits of swing from several genres like Gospel, Soul, Jazz, Old School R&B, Blues, plus a touch of crossover music that folks could Lindy, East Coast, or Shag to. What you won’t hear are the songs that have overtly sexual lyrics, curse words, or undertones that would make my Memere’ uncomfortable. Come prepared to dance till your feet fall off!

The boat departs from #10 82st Newburyport, Plum Island August 17th from 6:30-10pm. Tickets are $25 at the dock and $20 if purchased before hand. I will have tickets with me every Sunday that I am teaching as well as  for the August 2nd Dance at DNE.

Should the party be rained out Larry and I will work hard to reschedule and you will have the choice to get a refund or apply the payment to the second party.

The plan is to have a WCS dance at DNE next Friday,  August 2nd, 9th, and the 16th. Anyone that buys their ticket before August 16th can come to that dance free of charge by simply showing your ticket at the door.

Friday, August 2, 2013

Swinging Pizza Party

78 Princeton St.

N. Chelmsford, Ma

Lesson 7:30-8:15

Dance 8:15 – ?

$10