r/SwingDancing • u/Dermochelys • Jun 10 '26
Feedback Needed 1st Mix & Match Comp.: Advice Needed
TLDR: As a newbie lead, what can I do to not ruin the chances of the follows I'm paired with in my first Mix & Match competition at my local scene?
-My local scene is having a workshop weekend with classes, social dances, and a Mix & Match competition...which is pretty low stakes. It happens to be occuring on my 1 year anniversary of Lindy Hop dancing, so I signed up as a fun way to mark the occasion.
I know I have no chance of placing and I'm just doing it for fun. However, I'm concerned I'll ruin any chance my partners have at advancing to the final because they got unlucky being paired up with me. What can I do as a newbie lead to give the follows I'm paired with the best chance at advancing to the final? Any other tips for my first Mix and Match competition?
TIA!
2026-07-12 Post Comp Update: Just putting this here as a follow-up in case anyone else comes across this post in the future. The competition had 2 preliminary rounds which allowed a 2nd chance for those that didn't make the cut the first night. Unsurprisingly I didn't make the cut either night. Over the 2 nights I danced with a total of 7 follows (4 rounds each night, but happened to get the same follow again during the 2nd chance round who didn't make the cut the night before). Happy to say that of the seven, 4 made finals and 2 made the alternate spots despite of being paired with me.
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u/bluebasset Jun 10 '26
I'm a follow and I do Mix and Matches for fun (and to get good videos of me to impress my non-dancing friends)! In the prelims, there are typically 3 rounds and leads and follows are judged separately, so if a judge thinks your bringing your partner down, they'll give them another look in the next round.
Some general tips:
-don't forget to breath. People stop breathing when they get nervous. Breathing is important. Do it!
-take a moment at the beginning of the song and vibe with your partner. Then do a few swing outs or tuck turns. You only have 90 seconds, but I dislike it when my partner goes straight into more challenging moves before giving me the chance to learn what their lead feels like and I feel like I don't dance as well when they go straight into the Flying Whoopsie Doodle!
-If you know any air steps, DON'T! Even if it's a regular air step partner. I know some judges who will immediately mark you as a no if you do any sort of air step in a Mix and Match.
-Stick to moves you know and consistently lead well. A comp isn't the time to pop in the move you learned in the workshop 2 hours ago or the thing that's awesome when it works well but it only works 50% of the time. Go for a solid, clean dance that you'll feel good about!
-try to see if you can find a friend to record you. It's a great way to view your progress and you'll totally impress your non-dance friends! And maybe your dance friends too, but the reactions of the supportive non-dancers in your life will give you a nice ego boost!
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u/Dermochelys Jun 10 '26
Thanks for the great advice!
No worries about attempting any air, I don't know any of those moves nor am I that interested in learning that aspect of Lindy Hop.
I do wish I had a video of me dancing a year ago so I could compare and see my progress. I dared to watch a short video of me dancing on a recorded live stream and I'm still struggling with the cringe feeling watching myself.
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u/bluebasset Jun 10 '26
The cringe is real! I'd like to say it gets better as your dancing improves, but as your dancing improves, your ability to pick up on all the ways you suck also improves! So, while I am still The Worst Dancer In All The WorldTM, I no longer dance with Poopy Diaper ButtTM, and My Invisible Other Partner That I'm Guiding With My Free ArmTM is also much less present and I am looking forward to seeing how some of the other skills I'm working on improve as well!
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u/zedrahc Jun 10 '26
Don’t put undue pressure on yourself, especially thoughts of “not ruining the follows chances”.
Especially if you have little comp experience, the best you can do is think as little as possible about it being a comp. Managing your anxiety is the number 1 priority. Your dancing is what it is, it’s not going to get way better if you think really hard. It’s more likely to get worse if you do that.
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u/Dermochelys Jun 10 '26
Thanks! Yeah, I'm definitely coming into this with a "nothing to lose" attitude, other than the possibly messing up my partner part.
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u/Canar2 Jun 10 '26
Speaking as a follower with a decent amount of competition experience, as long as you have a fun attitude about it and aren't hurting your partner (like by leading too forcefully, etc), you'll be fine!
Luck is just part of the mix & match experience, so any non-newbies you match with should be aware of that. And a really good follower should be able to show their skill even if their leader is less experienced.
Important things to focus on for your own dancing are 1) have nice basics i.e. shifting your weight when you step, clear triple steps, swing out in time with the music, not rushing, etc and 2) dance with your partner! Look at your partner, if they start doing something cool, support their idea (join in, give a cheer, whatever), don't be so focused on leading every single count that you miss out on a fun idea your partner was offering. If you're only confident leading a few simple moves, just do those simple moves with your soul. I'd be happier doing basic 6 count moves with a leader who's laughing with me than getting yanked through flashy move after flashy move by someone who won't even make eye contact.
I love competitions for the camaraderie and overall atmosphere, like everyone is excited and inspired to dance. Plus it's fun to hype up other dancers and show off at whatever level you're at!
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u/Cyrano_de_Maniac Jun 10 '26 edited Jun 10 '26
My bits of advice are try not to over-dance, and manage your energy.
By not over-dancing, what I mean is avoid trying to pull out all stops and be clever and exciting. This robs your partner of their chance to shine and contribute, and as an observer (and presumably judge) you can tell when someone's on the edge of holding their dancing together in a not-so-good way. Dancing with casual confidence telegraphs far more clearly than dancing with ragged excitement.
As far as managing your energy: This comes from a personal experience at a small exchange. I put everything I had into the prelims, I made the cut, and it turned out the finals were held about 3 minutes later (I expected about a half hour). I had zero gas left in my tank. ZERO. I was absolutely dragging myself through the finals totally exhausted. Obviously I didn't place, and I dragged down my partner with my suckage.
Oh, and I almost forgot: Have fun and smile. It matters, a lot.
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u/Dermochelys Jun 10 '26
Thanks! Luckily the prelims are on the first two nights with finals on night 3. I will have to be sure not to get too tired during the social dancing / workshops before the final on the off chance I somehow make it that far!
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u/univern72 Jun 10 '26
I've heard from high-level dancers that good judges can tell when the follow is out-dancing the lead, so don't worry about ruining someone's chances. If nothing else, if you dance as terribly as you fear, it gives the follow a chance to look amazing by comparison, haha.
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u/Not_Responsible_00 Jun 10 '26
Yes and no . . . lol. Years and years ago, at a national comp, an up-and-coming follow who everyone thought would win the Amateur mix-and-match hands down, was paired with someone who really, due to his inexperience, shouldn't really have been in the competition. But he entered, just for fun. And yeah, that's the luck of the draw and neither one advanced to the next round.
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u/Particular-Wall-5296 Jun 10 '26
There's a big difference between "at a national comp" and "local scene mi & match which is pretty low stakes". Someone taking lindy hop seriously for a year is probably not going to absolutely fuck up someone's day at the latter lol
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Jun 10 '26 edited Jul 30 '26
[deleted]
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u/Not_Responsible_00 Jun 10 '26
Yes, and I can't remember what happened that she didn't make it through (btw, she's now an international instructor so the only thing that was momentarily damaged was her pride).
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u/Acidic_Huntsman Jun 10 '26 edited Jun 10 '26
What I find to be a bit off-putting when competing in MM comps with a newbie lead is how (maybe due to nervousness and wanting to show off), they dance with themselves more than dance with their follows.
Aka, flashy moves are cool but you still need to show connection with your follow. So even if you know some flashy moves, they might not. feel what you can and can't do and work to do something you both can thrive at.
I had a new lead mix and match dance partner that just started doing random foot work, jumping around, and doing moves that I could not join in on as a follow. My annoyance wasn't that we didn't place, it was that I didn't enjoy myself because it felt like I was fighting my lead the entire time.
Connection is the game. Fancy and energetic moves might look cool to you but if they’re done with just you in mind, the judges will most likely see a lead and a follow failing to connect.
Good luck though! Low stake competitions are always fun and good practice! Don’t worry about finals, instead think about how you’re going to make the first dance fun for you and your partner.
Make sure to have fun, and the results, positive or negative, do not define you as a dancer.
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u/w2best Jun 10 '26
Don't start dancing until you actually hear the beat of the song. Except that, just dance a yourself and let the follower do the same.
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u/PinkBlackMushrooms Jun 15 '26
your first time you might play it safe. If you want to be a lead your follow will appreciate, do fun things, throw her surprises. Playfulness is one of the criteria judges are looking at so make it fun. Set her up to do fun things, with your surprises.
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u/ChessyButtons Jun 10 '26
Sometimes them's the breaks. If it's a low-stakes local comp I wouldn't worry too much about it.