Notes taken from Bill Borgida's Blues Dancing workshop.
Date: September 8 & 9, 2007
Author: Dave Jarvis
Blues dancing can be thought of as the foundation for Lindy Hop. In other words, when you speed up Blues dancing, you get Lindy Hop.
Most of the notes here are for Leading blues.
There is seldom a need to feel rushed while dancing to blues music. Take time to complete every step, to feel every nuance of the Lead or Follow.
Use the floor by pushing off it to perform a weight transfer. Also use the floor and your knees to absorb the end of a weight transfer. These techniques will smooth out the dance, giving it a fluid feel.
Keep your weight under you at all times. In other words, maintain your balance by having your feet directly below you. There is no need to reach first with your feet.
Generally, blues likes to move in single time and double time rhythms. When speeding up from single time to double time, be sure to sink a bit deeper into your weight transfer. This extra sinking will let the Follow know something different is about to happen.
Avoid giant steps, or moving feet first. It is easier to follow a Lead's motion when the footwork is small, as it emphasizes the motion of the Lead's torso.
Keep your feet below your centre of gravity. This helps maintain balance, as well as keeping footwork on the tiny side.
Stay on the balls of your feet. This helps with balance, weight transfers, and the ability to use the ground for pushing.
When your weight is fully transferred onto one leg, if you need to keep your balance, feel free to shift some of your weight (say 10%) onto the other foot. Balance and poise is more important than foot placement.
Your feet should move together in a parallel motion. This will enhance balance and poise. It should give you more control of your movements.
Any time that the music slows down, try dancing the blues. Fast tempo Swing music will sometimes have parts that call out for a slow blues motion.
As the tempo of the music increases, the fundamentals of blues still apply. Just faster.
Keep the arms and hands relaxed. Avoid the pistol grip in the left hand as it breaks frame by slightly disengaging the left shoulder. It can also result in a fingertip hold, which does not lend itself to a solid connection.
To help relay the motion of your body through your arms, keep the following muscles active:
Also, think about:
Instead of squaring your shoulders towards your partner at 1 & 2, angle your shoulders to resemble the stretch of an archer drawing a bowstring.
When executing a regular Swing Out, think about turning throughout the figure in relation to the three corners of a square:
This flavour of Swing Out should feel smooth, with a solid directional lead for the Follow at count 6.
For Leads, open hips at count 6 to assist with the direction.
The momentum for the final spin is due to the continuation of the circular motion.