I’m not a mathematician – for those of you who have ever handed me class money, you will know that I'm pretty crap at even the simplest addition/subtraction task.. so this swing dancing thing really has me stumped!
If as a bold sweeping statement we claim that swing dancing started in the 1920’s and ended just shy of 1950, then there was a period of about 30 years in which swing dancing was invented – took off – stylized all around the world, tweaked, changed, reinvented and eventually died down before its revival in more recent years.
If it took thirty years to invent swing dancing, how can we expect to master the art within a few short weeks, months or years? If in its creation people from all over the globe influenced its moves, style and direction, how can we in Hobart, an island at the bottom of the world, expect to discover all of the nuances of the days of old?
I think the answer is clear – we cant! But this is not a tragedy, its in my opinion quite a blessing, but like all blessings, your heart and head have to be open to the suggestion!
Learning to swing dance is not a linear experience, at least my learning and there for my teaching is not. Its not like any other education process I have been through, there seems to be no agreeing on what would fit into swing dancing 101, 202, 303 etc, no exam to test if you know what you have to know to move on, no pass or fail, no right and wrong, and even crazier, new moves are being invented all of the time, we don’t just have thirty years worth of swing to get our feet around, damn dancers keep on giving us new moves to contend with!
Without even worrying about how much there is to learn, we also have to contend with what is in fashion, dance ala mode. When I started dancing it was fashionable to come in on one for your swing outs, one NEVER rocked back, and swivels were almost impossible to do well! Since my first swing out class I have attended classes in which the girl is lead in on two, is rocked back, is lead in on three, is made to do swivels, can choose to do swivels, all taught as “standard” and that’s only the swing out. This does not even go into everything else that is in fashion, blues, bal, shag, and then variations of the theme, like blindy for example!
Even if you manage to get your head and feet around, what is currently in vogue, more complications are on the horizon, it’s a little thing I like to call seasoning. Each and every dancer will have their own flavor, will have their own secret recipe of herbs and spices they use to season their dancing. Every teacher will have the some spice hidden somewhere, almost invariably even the most simple, standard basic of moves, will have a flavor of the teacher, lingering around – even if they SWEAR it’s the basic, looking at them, you know they have flavor!
Sometimes someone’s seasoning rubs off onto you as if by magic, sometimes someone might be kind enough to break it down into ingredients for you, sometimes, its like KFC – what is THE secret herb/spice?
Suddenly you look up and realize you’ve been dancing for ten years, you have started to mix your own seasoning, you have been through fads and fashions, you have traveled as far as you can afford to travel to learn from people who have traveled further than you but still the road ahead is long, confusing, and just as twisty turney as your first ever underarm send out!
Every single time, I have a light bulb moment, I realize I have even more to learn, and whilst I take the time to quietly congratulate myself, I also take the time to appreciate, that nailing that one move – is but a drop in the ocean.
If you are struggling to get enough out of your classes, or feel as though you just aren't challenged enough on the social dance floor, open up your heart and head to the blessing that there is over thirty years of swing dancing out there, for a fact you have not learnt it all, no one has! You have not been taught it all or seen it all on YouTube, you have not asked all the questions or listened to all of the answers.
Keep your eyes open, the learning, it is out there.
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