     By Laura Moore on Thursday, June 24, 1999 - 06:16 pm: Edit |
Hey everyone! As the name implys, I am pretty new to the swing scene and lindy hop. I was wondering if someone could help me out.I've heard West Coast, East Coast,and Savoy mentioned (though I'm still not sure about any of it) but, Shag and Frankie? I'm lost. So, how about some definitions? I would definitely appreciate it Thanks 0:) |
| By Smoothe (Smoothe) on Thursday, June 24, 1999 - 07:45 pm: Edit |
Try this site: http://www.cs.cornell.edu/Info/People/aswin/SwingDancing/swing_dancing.html Hope that helps |
| By Swiveler on Friday, June 25, 1999 - 09:17 am: Edit |
Okay this is for swingbaby: Let me just preface this by saying it's all lindy! Really it all came from lindy and the oldtimers call it all Jitterbug. (oh, and this is a VERY brief overview. Please, anyone jump in if I've missed something) West Coast: Delevoped from the lindy on the West Coast in the late 50's and 60's when music changed from Swing to bop to blues. (what Dean Collins's style developed into). Same count and rhythm as lindy, (step, step, triple step, step step triple step--10 steps to an 8-count rhythm). East Coast: I'm not sure how this distinction came about but refers to 6-count patterns or also know as Jitterbug. Savoy: (well, there is some debate on this) Generally speaking when people say they are doing Savoy style they mean the style done in the Savoy Ballroom in the 30s-40s. Although many people consider this to really be a hybrid of the European influence with splashes of hip hop. This is still debatable in many circles. Frankie: Well, Frankie is a living legend. He is one of Whitey's Lindy Hopper's and is 85 and still teaching. Personally I think what people call Savoy style today is realy "Frankie Style" (this is an opinion, not fact). Frankie has been the biggest influence on Lindy hop, period! I could go on and on about Frankie, but search the net and you'll get tons of into about him. Collegiate Shag: 6-count dance that predates Lindy that was done on the West Coast. Slow, slow quick quick rhythm. Done in an upright position. (there are also variations, as in 2 differen 8-count versions-one like Balboa rhythm with Shag styling the other an 8-count Slow, Slow, Slow, quick quick rhythm). Balboa: Smooth Eight count with all movement below the waist. Deveoped on Balboa island. Came about the same time or right before lindy. What the jitterbugs did before lindy came to the West Coast.(Hold, step, step, step, Hold, step, step, step). Hollywood Style/LA Style: Hollywood is the trademarked name for what Erik & Sylvia teach. This is lindy from the 30's and 40's as seen in the old movies. It is their own incarnation of all their knowledge and experience. LA style is strictly the moves from the movies and oldtimers with a big Dean Collin's influence. Peter and Lisa prefer to use this term for what they do since it differs slightly from what E & S do. (again brief description). This style although lindy based incorporates a lot of Shag and Balboa as well. Hip Hop Lindy: I won't try to touch this, I don't do it and there are a lot of people out there more qualified than I to describe it. Again, there is debate surrounding this style as well). I could go on, but this is long enough as it is. All I can say is there is a lot of gray area when it comes to catagorizing style. It's all Jitterbug and it's all good. Hope that helped. |
| By Swingbaby on Friday, June 25, 1999 - 09:46 pm: Edit |
Thank You so much! The website is great, Smoothe and Swiveler, thank you for the definitions and history. I guess the best way to really learn and understand is to get out there and keep doing it, right?! 0:) |
| By Isgard Hueck on Wednesday, August 04, 1999 - 01:59 pm: Edit |
Here is another explanation of Jitterbug, what David found in his dictionary and send me a while ago: "Jitterbug is a violent spasmodic type of dancing to jazz music; one who dances so;...to dance wildly and grotesquely." Wildly, Grotesquely and Spasmodicaly..... Is that us????? Isgard |
| By Ron on Thursday, August 05, 1999 - 08:07 am: Edit |
no, just Dennis! |
| By Dennis Hong on Thursday, August 05, 1999 - 09:17 am: Edit |
Yeah, whatever. You're just jealous that YOUR wild, grotesque, spasmodic gyrations don't catch Marcus' eye like mine do. (Marcus, I know you're reading this, and I will "delurk" you yet.) |
| By Regina on Thursday, August 05, 1999 - 09:34 am: Edit |
I'm just jealous cause Dennis has a better swivel than me!!! You are so "Buck Privates" |
| By Dennis Hong on Thursday, August 05, 1999 - 10:13 am: Edit |
Hey, don't you be talking about my "buck privates", engaged woman!!! |
| By Andy on Thursday, August 05, 1999 - 10:44 am: Edit |
her comment about your "buck privates" was very short indeed! ~8^o |
| By Regina on Thursday, August 05, 1999 - 11:08 am: Edit |
Short and to the point, what can I say?!?! |
| By Dennis Hong on Thursday, August 05, 1999 - 11:38 am: Edit |
And... it gets ugly again. Well, I can't let THAT one get by without a response, so here goes. As far as the COMMENT being short and to the point, it's kinda like this.... Have you ever gone hiking through the mountains, and you finally get to a clearing, where you notice that you're standing at the precipice of a cliff. You look beyond the edge, and in front of you is a majestic valley that seems to float in the clouds. You notice towering, centuries-old trees, and sparkling waterfalls, all crowned by a rainbow that dances over the valley as the sun passes overhead. And in your utter and complete awe, you try to describe every last detail of this beautiful and enormous sight, but the only words that you are able to utter are.... "Whhhoa... cool." There, now I'll let the analogy sink in. {8^P |
| By Regina on Thursday, August 05, 1999 - 11:45 am: Edit |
Well, at least something was dancing.... (still short and to the point) |
| By Andy on Thursday, August 05, 1999 - 11:48 am: Edit |
I've got it! I've got it! Well, part of it. Your huge buttcheeks create this majestic? valley, and a fart is the clouds.. right? |
| By Dennis Hong on Thursday, August 05, 1999 - 11:52 am: Edit |
So you think my buttcheeks in a cloud of fart are majestic? Why, thank you. But now you may make Marcus jealous.... |
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