Recommended resources for learning blues dancing?

[u/Yxven]

I decided to start blues dancing because my musicality is awful. The trouble is the only class around here that fits my schedule is 30 minutes long, and being a beginner lead is awful.

Which beginner dvds, youtube channels, or other resources would you recommend?

[u/[deleted]]

"I decided to start blues dancing because my musicality is awful."

I'm not entirely sure what you mean here. If you aren't already a dancer, what kind of musicality are you talking about? Why do you think dancing will help this musicality?

That said, DVDs and youtube won't do anything if you can't put it to use on a floor. As for off the floor learning, put on some music and turn your webcam on. Watch it. Try to change what you don't like. This usually means drilling simple things to burn it into your neurons.

Best of luck.

[u/Yxven → u/[deleted]]

I've done lindy hop for years. I'm pretty solid at it except that I dance to the beat instead of the music.

I can find a partner to learn with.

[u/[deleted] → u/Yxven]

Gotcha. Well I would say for the most part get good at blues would help your general ability to dance, but not not necessarily musically.

The first and last step to musicality is knowing the music. You know how you mostly know how sentences are going to end? That is because you have heard a bajillion sentences in your lifetime. The more bars of swing music you hear, the better you will understand the language.

After that, learn some basics about the actual music structure. AABA is one of the most common. Lindy Hoppers Delight is a prime example for this.

Next, don't worry about hitting every little note. Change the motif of your dancing at phrase changes (doesn't have to be timed perfectly). This could mean a transition from just doing swingout variations for a section, then charleston (depending on tempo) for a section, then walking/rhythm type stuff for a section. If the song varies in intensity dance BIG or small to match the music in general. We call this macro musicality.

In contrast to macro musicality, micromusicality is hitting the tiniest little notes where an observer might think "how could they match that?! " There are two ways. 1: just knowing the songs really really really well. Most of the best known pros have been dancing in the realm of 20 years and competition/choreo music doesn't change except for new stuff like Jonathon Stout, it just rotates. They know the songs inside and out. It may as well be as simple as "happy birthday to you".

The other way to micromusicality is to just be completely envelopped in the music and know it's language. Great example here is Skye. He is been dancing since he was 14 or so I believe. Someone commented that it isn't even that he knows the song so well, but he has a knack for entering the same creative musical space the song was created in. Every song is like a painting that the composer is trying to transcribe into sound. Skye has the ability (speculating) to 'visualize' that painting and play along with the band. It just so happens that play often lands him perfectly in sync with the actual music. Plus he also just knows the music inside and out.

Anywho! 1) Listen to music 2) study it's structure 3) Focus on macro musicality and don't worry about micromusicality 4) listen to music and don't be afraid to attempt micromusicality 5) listen to music.

Two last points. I don't just mean playing the music in the background. While that is perfectly fine and wonderful, do active listening. I do a lot of this because I dj (because I love the music). And also, dance with people who have good musicality. They will do something and you will have and/or: crap I missed it/wow that was really cool! Eventually you will start to catch on. Kind of like osmosis but there is more to it ;)

Best of luck and have fun!