What Drew Me In...

There are many different aspects of Swing Dancing that draw individuals in. There are some people that simply love to learn new dances and when they hear about Swing Dancing they decide to try it out. Swing is a dance style that is considerably different from many other dances, yet it is not difficult to begin learning. On the other hand, I had not been involved in any other styles of dancing prior learning Swing. There were a number of different aspects that drew me in. Many different aspects of Swing attracted me including the very social atmosphere that is created. One other aspect that makes Swing very entertaining is the music that accompanies it. Some of the most common musical genres that accompany Swing are Jazz and Bandstand. I recently found another blog, which is focused primarily on the music involved with Swing dancing. Throughout his blog, he offers many songs from different genres that are extremely fun to dance to.

Faryl's Ballroom on High

At my college, our swing club meets each Thursday night for approximately two hours. A few of the other Swing dancers and I also like to go out to a Swing Club on some weekends to experience a different atmosphere. The primary Swing Club that I go to is called the Swing Kat. At this club they host various styles of dances depending on the night. Other than Swing, they also host Ballroom, Country, and Salsa dancing. Most nights begin with a half-hour teaching sessions with varying lessons. Most nights the music is simply electronic and played over speakers throughout the ballroom. However, on certain nights they actually have a live band come and play. The price is slightly higher on these nights, but it is still considerably cheap. One of the most enjoyable parts about this Swing Club is the wooden floors. When swing dancing, wooden floors make it much easier for the girl to spin around and to do different moves.

Like a Puzzle...

There is not one style of Swing Dancing, but many. There are some styles that focus more on the basic steps, and there are others that place much more focus on the various moves that can be done. I have only been exposed to a few different styles at this point. The primary style that I dance is called East Coast Jitterbug. This type of Swing has a very basic step. Because of the simplicity of the step, there is much room for inserting various moves and even just improvisation on the guys part. Another considerably faster type of Swing is called Lindy Hop. This style is much faster, and the basic step is considerably more difficult. Different moves can be inserted into this style as well, but the primary focus is the step itself. Another type of Swing Dancing that I have just recently encountered is called Balboa. This style is much different because unlike Jitterbug and Lindy Hop, Balboa is a body led dance. The lead guides the follow primarily with the movement of their body rather than the use of their arms. One of the great things about Swing Dancing is that it is possible to transition from one style to another in the middle of a song. Therefore, if you are dancing Jitterbug and at some point want to speed it up you can quickly transfer into Lindy Hop. As you learn more of the different types of Swing, you can begin to piece them together in order to have a more creative dance.