1) Do I need to bring a
partner?
You don't need to bring a partner for any of the
classes. We rotate partners so the men dance with all the ladies and
the ladies dance
with all the men. If there is an unbalanced gender situation, then
whichever
group has more (ladies or men) simply has to take turns during the
rotation. People are also welcome to learn the opposite part (for
example, ladies
can learn to lead or men can learn to follow).
2) What if I have a partner
and I don't want to dance with anyone
else?
Don't fret. We won't force you to take part in the
rotation
system if you're not comfortable with it. However, we do encourage
everyone
to rotate because dancing with a diverse group of partners will develop
your
and your partner's dance skills more rapidly and more completely. It's
also
been our experience that people who rotate tend to get more enjoyment
out
of their dancing as a general rule.
3) What should I wear?
We don't recommend that people buy clothing or shoes
until
they've gotton some experience with dance and have a better idea of
what
they want. In our classes, you won't need any special clothing, but we
do
recommend the following: (1) Wear clothes that are comfortable and are
not
restrictive to your movement (for example, long tight skirts are not
recommended).
(2) Wear shoes with flat soles (high heels are not recommended) that
grip
your ankle, so they don't fly off when you kick. (3) You also want
light
shoes without a lot of traction (hiking boots are bad), so you can spin
with
less strain on your knees. (4) For beginners, comfortable dress shoes
(like
loafters or wing tips) or light gym shoes are fine to start. (5) Its a
class,
not a social event, so you aren't obligated to dress up. Wear something
that won't make you feel self-conscious. We also recommend that you be
aware
of hygiene (deodorant and toothpaste are your friends). If you tend to
sweat
a lot, consider bringing an extra shirt or towel and a bottle of water.
4) What's the difference
between swing and lindy? What's balboa?
Charleston?
Collegiate shag?
These are all swing-era (1920s, 30s and 40s) dances
that
are very closely related. They share many common fundamentals and can
be
mixed together fluidly by people who know more than one. Dancers during
the swing era didn't necessarily categorize the different things they
did,
but we do now for the purposes of clarification.
Charleston was an international dance craze in the
1920s
that featured very rhythmic movements (from the African roots of the
music
and dance) involving lots of kicks.
As traditional partner dances (waltz, foxtrot, etc.)
exerted
their influence, the partnering aspects combined with the rhythm of
charleston
to creat lindy hop, which then followed the trends in the development
of
American music to give rise to many other forms of American dance,
including
west coast swing, Carolina shag, east coast swing/jitterbug and even
hustle. Lindy hop is the dance most commonly associated with big band
music.
At the same time lindy was evolving from charleston,
the
Balboa island area of Southern California was crazy about jazz music as
well. But there was a problem. The dance halls in Southern California
were so
packed that there was little room to execute the breakaway steps that
defined
lindy hop. Also many of the ballrooms outlawed breakaways. Because of
these
factors, the dancers in that area created balboa, a dance that
incorporates
rhythms of charleston into a close partnering position much like the
foxtrot.
5)
Do I have to be a student?
No! UGA faculty and staff are welcome, as are
members of the community! Visitors from out-of-state are also
welcome to join us!
6)
How much does it cost?
A $1 donation .
7)
What is the format?
We plan to teach the basic steps, one standard move,
and one 'cool' move every class period. Classes move along in
order to allow more advanced students to enjoy the lessons as well, but
beginners should not feel out of place or lost! We will teach
three Lindy Hop lessons a month and one Charleston
lesson a month.
