Evaluating Your Dance
Lesson
There are too many charlatans teaching
Lindy dancing. The following guidelines can help the novice student recognize
a qualified Lindy instructor.
A Functional Lindy Lesson
No matter what name the instructor calls
the lesson whether it be Eastern Swing, the Boogie Woogie, Jazz or Jive,
it is all Lindy dancing. You can change the name of the dance for commercial
reasons but the Lindy Hop is the original model of all these Swing
variations.
1) Do no accept certification from any
dance organization. Judge instructor on the merits using these
guidelines.
2) Universal Application means that the
lesson you learn is designed rhythmically and technically so that you should
be able to Lindy with any other Lindy dancer.
3) If the instructor is teaching you a
special routine that works only with with class members, then the lesson
should be prefaced with that information.
4) You should be able to lead or follow
any step patterns with a hand lead only.
5) You should be able to move in and out
of (transition) step pattern without breaking rhythm.
6) If you are not dancing a few basic steps
rhythmically after your third or fourth lesson find another teacher. Lindy
dancing is not that difficult to learn if your instructor is
qualified.
7) If your instructor cannot dance the
Lindy for a complete three minute song at medium tempo without losing the
beat, or cannot start the class on a musical phrase, he or she is not qualified
to teach.
8) Qualified instructors should be able
to demonstrate clearly the Man's and the Lady's part of the
lesson.
9) Lastly, judge a teacher by their students
dancing ability.
The basic sweven lessons on this web site
are continued in Joe Lanza's new book , "Strictly Swing The Dean Collins
Way."
| "Strictly
Swing the Dean Collins Way" includes techniques and describes many Lindy
variations including Whip Rhythms, Push Steps, a breakdown of the Lanza Flip
(Overhead Throw) and other lessons on the Lindy the way Joe Lanza danced
it in the famous Hollywood film of the 1950's, "Don't Knock The
Rock."
 This classic book includes twenty 8X10 and ten 4X5 vintage photos
of Dean and Jewel McGowan, Len Smith and Jean Phelps Veloz of Swing Fever,
Gil Brady and Joe Lanza doing the Shim Sham, George , Freda, Jack Cary and
Lorraine Dosey, Steve Peck, Eddie Fisher, Mamie Van Doren and other famous
personalities of those fun-filled Hollywood Golden Rock and Roll
days.
Two 8X10 ten
point super glossy photos of Dean and Freda and Ronnie and Joe for your vintage
collection will be included with each book.
For immediate
delivery of "Strictly Swing the Dean Collins Way" send $12
to:
Jaz-Lan Publishing
Co.
P.O. Box
162
Pasadena, CA
91102
|
Copyright © 4/20/2000 by Joe
Lanza
|
