The Jitterbug Club

A SwingVegasSwing.com Blogspot

SYTYCD Challenge – Legacy and Mollee head home

Dec 9

Posted by dcurtis in So You Think You Can Dance | No Comments

Mike Tyson…I mean Legacy left (probably early) and Golly Mollee joins him on the plane ride home. I wish Legacy was in the finale, but it looks like we get the Paso Doble one more week. Lets hope for a strong finish to a weak season.

Nick Brandy Ali Dean Stacia
1. Kathryn Russell Jacob Kathryn Legacy
2. Jacob Kathryn Karen Nathan Kathryn
3. Nathan Legacy Kathryn Kevin Ellenore
4. Karen Mollee Legacy Karen Jacob
5-6. Russell/Mollee Nathan/Noelle Nathan/Ellenore Jacob/Channing Ryan/Karen
7-8. Legacy/Ellenore Jacob/Channing Ryan/Mollee Ryan/Noelle Russell/Noelle
9-10. Ryan/Channing Victor/Karen Russell/Ashleigh Legacy/Mollee Victor/Ashleigh
11-12. Peter/Ashleigh Kevin/Ashleigh Peter/Channing Russell/Pauline Mollee/Nathan
13-14. Kevin/Pauline Peter/Pauline Victor/Pauline Peter/Ashleigh
15-16. Victor/Noelle Ryan/Ellenore Kevin/Noelle Victor/Ellenore

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SYTYCD Challenge – Nathan and Noelle Go Home

Dec 2

Posted by dcurtis in So You Think You Can Dance | 2 Comments

We’re down to 8 as California Teeney Bopper Nathan and Souther Belle Noelle make their way home. Ali is so far in first place as Stacia claim to “SYTYCD Mastery” continues to be misproven. Dean can save face by at least predicting the winner of the show.

Nick Brandy Ali Dean Stacia
1. Kathryn Russell Jacob Kathryn Legacy
2. Jacob Kathryn Karen Nathan Kathryn
3. Nathan Legacy Kathryn Kevin Ellenore
4. Karen Mollee Legacy Karen Jacob
5-6. Russell/Mollee Nathan/Noelle Nathan/Ellenore Jacob/Channing Ryan/Karen
7-8. Legacy/Ellenore Jacob/Channing Ryan/Mollee Ryan/Noelle Russell/Noelle
9-10. Ryan/Channing Victor/Karen Russell/Ashleigh Legacy/Mollee Victor/Ashleigh
11-12. Peter/Ashleigh Kevin/Ashleigh Peter/Channing Russell/Pauline Mollee/Nathan
13-14. Kevin/Pauline Peter/Pauline Victor/Pauline Peter/Ashleigh
15-16. Victor/Noelle Ryan/Ellenore Kevin/Noelle Victor/Ellenore

Swingsights – Courtesy Patrol

Nov 29

Posted by dcurtis in Swingsights | No Comments

Today in Swingsights, we talk about dance floor etiquette and having courtesy for those whom you are sharing the floor with. There are many things associated with dance floor etiquette, so in today’s article we will talk about how to be courteous in small or crowded spaces.

In some cases, there is plenty of room to dance, but more often than not, we dance in crowded or small floors at swing dancing events. Both the lead and follow have responsibilities when it comes to dancing in crowded floors, but the bulk of the responsibility lies with the lead.

First, for follows. Even though you are following, you should still be aware of your surroundings. Be aware of the people around you or obstructions around you. There will be some cases where a guy sends you out into a spot that he could not see. In this case, you may need to shorten the distance he expected you to go by simply staying closer than you usually would on the lead’s send out. In general, good leads are very aware of their surroundings and all the follow needs to do is follow. Meaning, stay within your frame, spin on the line the lead is establishing, and keep your styling minimal.

Now, for the leads. It all comes down to awareness and technique. In small or crowded spaces, you must take care of yourself and the girl. For yourself, make sure you keep your footwork small and under yourself. This is especially important when doing swingouts or charleston. In both, we use kicks as part of the dance. If you’re not careful, you can end up kicking those around you. You should be able to have different levels in your kicking, and for the most part, good technique in kicks keeps the kicks under your body and towards the ground. For your follow, try to be very precise with where you send them. Don’t randomly send them in directions. Make sure you see where you are sending them before you send them there. A basic technique in swingouts is making sure your turning your head on count 5 to make sure you see where you’re sending your girl before you send her. Many times, you’ll have to abort a move in order to keep from running your girl into another person or an obstruction. Of course, this doesn’t only apply to swingouts, this applies to all moves. At the end of the day, 90% of good etiquette and courtesy on crowded dance floors can be handled with solid dance technique and awareness of your surroundings.

Today, I only introduced etiquette. There are many more articles to be had on etiquette and courtesy on the dance floor. More to come, that is for sure…

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SYTYCD Challenge – Karen and Victor go home.

Nov 25

Posted by dcurtis in So You Think You Can Dance | 3 Comments

A new person joins the competition this week as Karen and Victor go home. Dean has now lost 50% of his top 4. It almost was 75% as Nathan almost got the boot.

Nick Brandy Ali Dean Stacia
1. Kathryn Russell Jacob Kathryn Legacy
2. Jacob Kathryn Karen Nathan Kathryn
3. Nathan Legacy Kathryn Kevin Ellenore
4. Karen Mollee Legacy Karen Jacob
5-6. Russell/Mollee Nathan/Noelle Nathan/Ellenore Jacob/Channing Ryan/Karen
7-8. Legacy/Ellenore Jacob/Channing Ryan/Mollee Ryan/Noelle Russell/Noelle
9-10. Ryan/Channing Victor/Karen Russell/Ashleigh Legacy/Mollee Victor/Ashleigh
11-12. Peter/Ashleigh Kevin/Ashleigh Peter/Channing Russell/Pauline Mollee/Nathan
13-14. Kevin/Pauline Peter/Pauline Victor/Pauline Peter/Ashleigh
15-16. Victor/Noelle Ryan/Ellenore Kevin/Noelle Victor/Ellenore

Swingsights – The Drummer in All of Us.

Nov 22

Posted by dcurtis in Swingsights | No Comments

This week in Swingsights, we talk about tempo. While this article focuses primarily on tempo in swing dancing, almost all the concepts mentioned can be applied to virtually any partner or solo dance.

An often overlooked element of becoming a very good dancer is internal rhythm. Internal rhythm is being able to maintain tempo that is consistent and can be maintained with reasonable accuracy independent of the music. Here is a good test of the quality of your internal rhythm:

  • Start playing a song of a medium tempo (130-160 bmp). I’m assuming the song can be counted in 8’s. Adjust this exercise accordingly if the song you have chosen cannot be counted in 8’s.
  • Start counting the 8’s.
  • After about 4 or 5 bars, mute the song but continue to count the 8’s. Then after about 3 or 4 bars, un-mute the song and see how far off you’ve gotten.

This test shows the quality of your internal rhythm. The further off you get, the lower the quality of your internal rhythm.

So, why is this so important in swing dancing? In leading, we are leading a follow through moves (more advanced dancers think of leading a follow through movements). As leads, we want to avoid having to use a lot of strength, but should rather use connection to generate momentum to which we manipulate a follow into movements.

One reason for having to use strength when you are leading is because either the follow and/or the lead are not dancing to the tempo of the song.

  • If the lead is off tempo, he is using strength and force to compensate for the confusion he is causing with the follow.
  • If the follow is off tempo, the lead is having to use force because the loss of connection due to the loss of tempo. Thus, leading rhythm along with movement.

The biggest challenge probably lies with the follows. Leads know what is coming next and don’t have to worry about putting their body in a position to do what’s about to come. Since they know what’s coming, they can comfortably place their body in position. This is not to discount the importance that guys maintain rhythm, but bigger leaps can be made in the dance if the follows maintain their own rhythm. There can be more enjoyment in the dance when a lead can focus on leading only movement and not having to lead both movement and rhythm.

So, leads and follows, along with improving the other aspects of your dance, try to develop the drummer in you.

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SYTYCD Challenge – Kevin and Channing go home

Nov 19

Posted by dcurtis in So You Think You Can Dance | 1 Comment

Kevin and Channing go home. Dean overestimated Kevin and Channing.

Nick Brandy Ali Dean
1. Kathryn Russell Jacob Kathryn
2. Jacob Kathryn Karen Nathan
3. Nathan Legacy Kathryn Kevin
4. Karen Mollee Legacy Karen
5-6. Russell/Mollee Nathan/Noelle Nathan/Ellenore Jacob/Channing
7-8. Legacy/Ellenore Jacob/Channing Ryan/Mollee Ryan/Noelle
9-10. Ryan/Channing Victor/Karen Russell/Ashleigh Legacy/Mollee
11-12. Peter/Ashleigh Kevin/Ashleigh Peter/Channing Russell/Pauline
13-14. Kevin/Pauline Peter/Pauline Victor/Pauline Peter/Ashleigh
15-16. Victor/Noelle Ryan/Ellenore Kevin/Noelle Victor/Ellenore

Swingsights – Using your core to save your back

Nov 15

Posted by dcurtis in Swing Dance, Swingsights | No Comments

This week in Swingsights, I will talk about how controlling and utilizing your core during your dancing can save you back pain, improve your lead/follow and improve your line.

Often times, when dancing for hours, you go home and your back is hurting; especially your lower back. This pain is caused because of the lack of support of your core for your lower back. When the lower back bends/arches in, the weight of your upper body is distributed curvically along the lower part of your spine. This unnatural distribution and pressure along the spine causes the lower back pain.

This arch in the lower back can also affect your leading or following. For leads, this can affect how you lead with your body. For follows, this will cause delays of the transporting of lead information from your hands, mid-back and hips to your feet. This also distorts the weight you give your lead. For both leads and follows, it can affect your spinning and stylizing.

When it comes to dance lines, a straight back is pivotal.

Here is a a good tip I use to train people to eliminate the arch in their back.

  • Lay on the ground
  • If your back is arched, then stick your hand through the gap that is created as a result of your arched back. You should be able to move hand through without issue. For point of learning, if you can’t slide your hand through the arch, then arch back until you can.
  • Now, isolate your core and press through your back into the ground to eliminate the arch. You should no longer be able to slide your hand through that gap.

Using this exercise, you will learn how to isolate your core to straighten out your lower back. Use this when you dance and not only will you lose the lower back pain, but your dancing will improve as well.

Check back weekly for more insights into dancing and more…with Swingsights.

SYTYCD Challenge – This week, Pauline and Peter go home

Nov 12

Posted by admin in So You Think You Can Dance | No Comments

None of us picked correctly this week. Although, we all correctly thought pretty low of Pauline and Peter.

Nick Brandy Ali Dean
1. Kathryn Russell Jacob Kathryn
2. Jacob Kathryn Karen Nathan
3. Nathan Legacy Kathryn Kevin
4. Karen Mollee Legacy Karen
5-6. Russell/Mollee Nathan/Noelle Nathan/Ellenore Jacob/Channing
7-8. Legacy/Ellenore Jacob/Channing Ryan/Mollee Ryan/Noelle
9-10. Ryan/Channing Victor/Karen Russell/Ashleigh Legacy/Mollee
11-12. Peter/Ashleigh Kevin/Ashleigh Peter/Channing Russell/Pauline
13-14. Kevin/Pauline Peter/Pauline Victor/Pauline Peter/Ashleigh
15-16. Victor/Noelle Ryan/Ellenore Kevin/Noelle Victor/Ellenore

SYTYCD – Top 16

Nov 11

Posted by dcurtis in Dancing, So You Think You Can Dance | No Comments

Here it is, the top 16.

Nick Brandy Ali Dean
1. Kathryn Russell Jacob Kathryn
2. Jacob Kathryn Karen Nathan
3. Nathan Legacy Kathryn Kevin
4. Karen Mollee Legacy Karen
5-6. Russell/Mollee Nathan/Noelle Nathan/Ellenore Jacob/Channing
7-8. Legacy/Ellenore Jacob/Channing Ryan/Mollee Ryan/Noelle
9-10. Ryan/Channing Victor/Karen Russell/Ashleigh Legacy/Mollee
11-12. Peter/Ashleigh Kevin/Ashleigh Peter/Channing Russell/Pauline
13-14. Kevin/Pauline Peter/Pauline Victor/Pauline Peter/Ashleigh
15-16. Victor/Noelle Ryan/Ellenore Kevin/Noelle Victor/Ellenore

Michael Jackson – This is It

Oct 29

Posted by dcurtis in Dancing | No Comments

Last night, I attended a showing of the documentary of Michael Jackson’s final days. The documentary is named after the concert he was to perform in London, “This is It”. During the concert rehearsals, footage was shot for the purposes of storing in the Jackson archives. It includes video from dress rehearsals, music practices, dance rehearsals, video shooting and more.

The King of Pop, Michael Jackson.Michael Jackson became quite eccentric in the mid-late 90s into the 2000’s. From plastic surgeries to molestation allegations, many events occurred that have overshadowed the impact he has had on the world of entertainment. I’m convinced he is the greatest entertainer of our generation and the undisputed King of Pop. The documentary does a great job at showing the impact he has had on the lives of dancers and musicians. The dancers and musicians that were apart of the show were amongst the most talented in the world. They came from all around the world to be apart of this show. In interviews of these performers, all of them demonstrate great respect and admiration for Michael Jackson. Many stating the unquantifiable influence that Michael Jackson has had on their life as a performer.

The documentary does a great job at showing how Michael Jackson worked as a performer and entertainer. I got a glimpse into his unparalleled understanding on how to affect the audience and how the audience is going to see something. Many performers suffer from “doing what they think is cool” with no real understanding of how that is going to translate on the stage or to an audience. Michael Jackson definitely had this skill. This documentary revealed the amazing attention to detail that Michael Jackson demanded. Nothing seemed to get past him and if something didn’t work for him, he stopped and made sure it was right.

While watching, I felt a fragility in Michael Jackson’s mannerisms and demeanor. You saw people taking care of him as though they knew something about his health. I felt like there was a big secret being hidden from us. In some sequences he had lots of energy, but in most parts, he seemed exhausted and feeble. I almost felt sorry for him.

Overall, if you are a Michael Jackson fan, you will appreciate and respect this documentary. It was going to be an AMAZING concert…one for the ages. I was intrigued and moved.

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