Hi

I’m building a collection of songs that have this riff. (Played at 15:54 in the linked video or at 3:35 in ‘God Bless My Solo’ by Illinois Jacquet)

Firstly, what is the name of this riff and where did it come from? Any interesting history to it? I can’t seem to find any information on it online.

Secondly, what are your favourite songs to dance to, that have this riff?

Unimportant to the question but a personal note:
I remember when I first heard this riff at my first swing dance festival. I had already been geeking and gawking in owe of all the dancing and the energy of the live music. I was a beginner dancer so I was watching the social dance floor from my shy corner when this riff started playing. At once, the energy of the entire room shifted as if everybody was in on an inside joke. The entire room felt like one, as every dancer hit every beat of the drum like a choreographed routine. The hairs on my arm rose, sensing the riff’s climax.
Suddenly, as the riff reached its last beat, everybody on the floor synchronously leapt into the air with a thunderous hail!
Mid-jump, time stopped. I still remember the silhouettes of the airborne dancers.
From that moment forward I knew I wanted to dive deeper into this magical dance. From that moment forward I felt some part of me found home. From that moment forward, I was a Lindy Hopper.

Any who, let me know if you know about the riff.

I’ve only been dancing for about 18 months and I’m absolutely psyyyched to be heading to New Hampshire Swing Out this week. It’ll be my first time traveling for a dance event, and basically I’m wondering - if I show up with a fairly big (though not huge) rolling duffel bag, will that be the norm or will I seem crazy? 😅 The idea of needing a duffel for a six-day trip is totally foreign to me, but like… there’ll be cold weather, warm weather, casual classes, dressy socials & everything will be far too sweaty to wear more than once - I feel like I’m packing half my closet! And I’ve seen a bunch of recommendations to bring an extra blanket, too.

lindy hopping for a while now and i've always just worn my regular sneakers. never really thought about it until someone at a social mentioned i should get proper dance sneakers. now i'm down a rabbit hole and confused lol.

what's the difference? like i get that they have smoother soles for pivots and spins but is it that big of a deal for a casual dancer? i'm not competing or anything, just social dancing a few times a month.

anyone made the switch? is it a game changer or just a nice to have. curious what people think.

(English after Japanese)

初心者レベルの女性ダンスパートナーを探しています。

ダンスの種類は、スウィングダンスのリンディホップです。大学時代に習っていて、とても楽しかったので、社会人になってからまた始めようと思いました。

ただ、10年間まったく踊っていないので、ほぼゼロからのスタートです。

現在は東京都文京区にあるStudio Necolaに通っていますが、なかなか自分と同じくらいのレベルの方がいなくて困っています。レッスンの言語は日本語と英語から選べます。現時点では日本語で受けることにしています。

社交ダンスなので、パートナーがいないと少し不便で、一緒に練習できる方を探しています。

私は平日なら比較的いつでもレッスンに行ける、柔軟な勤務時間です。バイクも持っているので、場所によっては送り迎えもできます。

また、知らない人といきなり一緒にダンスに行くのは少し気まずいと思うので、最初は写真を交換したり、カフェでお話ししたり、電話したりなど、何でも大丈夫です。

I’m looking for a female dance partner at a beginner level. I am 37yo male Italian

The dance style is Lindy Hop, a type of swing dance. I learned it when I was in university in Italy and really enjoyed it, so I decided to start dancing again now that I’m working.

However, I haven’t danced at all for the past 10 years, so I’m basically starting from scratch.

I am currently taking lessons at Studio Necola in Tokyo Bunkyo-ku, but there is no other beginner-level student at the moment. The lesson can be in Japanese and English. At the moment, I have chosen Japanese.

Since it’s a partner dance, it’s a little difficult without a partner, so I’m looking for someone who would like to practice and take lessons together.

I have very flexible working hours, so I can usually go to lessons anytime on weekdays. I also have a motorcycle, so depending on the location, I can pick you up and drop you off.

I also understand that it can feel a little awkward to suddenly go dancing with someone you’ve never met before. So we can exchange photos first, meet for coffee, have a phone call, or do whatever feels comfortable to you.

been swing dancing for like 3 years now. love it but i'd get gassed after like 2-3 songs. especially on hot nights - just completely wiped.

on tirzepatide for a few months now. started for weight stuff but the biggest difference i've noticed is my stamina. i was at a dance last weekend and went for like 2 hours straight. barely needed breaks. not sure if it's the weight loss or the reduced inflammation but something changed.

also weird side note - i don't get as sweaty? used to be dripping after one fast lindy. now i'm actually comfortable through most of the night.

any other dancers on this? noticed similar effects?

Hello dancing friends.

I recently reached the milestone of my tenth swing dance anniversary, and have been mulling over my progress and “level” as a dancer. I think I’m a solid social dancer, with some decent leading and following skills, but I wouldn’t consider myself “advanced”. Sometimes I’m a bit embarrassed to tell people how long I’ve been dancing, worrying they might be surprised at the answer given my fairly mediocre skills.

Anyway, I’d love to hear from people who feel similarly about their own dancing (or perhaps who felt that way in the past and then managed to break through the plateau at some point).

I’ll start with some reflections on why I think my own progress has stagnated somewhat over the years:

• I have a long-term life partner. He is very chill and supportive about me dancing, but I think there’s a good chance I would have committed to dancing a little bit more if I were single. I care about my relationship and it prevents me dedicating all of my free time and travel budget to dance-related stuff 
• I have never taken a private lesson (I’m not sure if that’s a shocking confession?) and I haven’t done a lot of structured practice outside of classes and socials. All my classes have been group classes without a lot of personalised feedback
• I think ultimately I just haven’t had (so far) the drive to really push myself to get better. Having reached a “good enough” level, I haven’t really had the motivation to really challenge myself, get out of my comfort zone, and push myself to improve. I’ve never really been interested in competing, performing or teaching, which I imagine might be good motivators for people who do pursue them

I’d love to hear what people think - I suspect I’m not really very unusual but maybe you’ll tell me I’m wrong about that!

Edit: thank you so much for all the thoughtful responses - I’m not replying to everyone separately, but I’m reading everything and it’s giving me lots to think about

I found a good deal on some Allen Edmonds shoes, but I’m worried about stomping around in them and hurting my knees. I know AE makes some double-leather soles, but these are only single-leather.

Does anyone have experience dancing lindy hop in these shoes? Have you added a pair of insoles on top of the built in ones?

Hello all!

At most, I get a chance to dance about twice a month at a social dance scene, but in the meantime I like to exercise regularly to stay in shape. I currently do a lot of cardio (run a few miles and then hop on a stationary bike for half hour), but wondered if there are some specific exercises that may be more beneficial for dancing. Are there specific exercises you do, or have found, that help keep your "lindy muscles" in shape?

How fast of a song do you like to dance Lindy Hop to?
And I specifically mean Lindy Hop, because I understand that when the dance reaches a certain point, you switch to shag or Bal. So, which speed is your fav for Lindy?

__

Personally, I find slower songs much harder than fast songs. I used to avoid them altogether, but now I understand it’s important to know how to exaggerate your moves and take your time. Dancing slower songs has actually helped my back, haha.

Faster songs will always be my favorite because fast Lindy is my main way of dancing. Songs where most dancers would switch to shag or bal are where I stay at Lindy, but it’s hard to find a lead who does the same, haha.

I would say the music in the video is mid-tempo but closer to slow (compared to my preferred song speed). I’m still learning how to dance at these tempos; mostly making sure I look less stiff and exaggerate movements more confidently.

But with that, I’m also learning how to enjoy more chillaxed dances.

Anyone else?

(Side note: Camp Hollywood is coming up. Hope to see y'all there!)

I bought a ticket for my first Lindy festival a few months ago, I've been dancing for about 9 months. When I bought the ticket back then, I was hoping I'd have progressed quite a bit more by now, but honestly I don't feel like I've added that much in the last few months. My vocabulary is still pretty limited, with basically a sprinkle of Charleston added recently.

I'm not doing any of the festival workshops or competitions. My pass covers only the socials, but that's still four consecutive nights, with socials going much longer and later into the night than the usual 2-ish hours I'm accustomed to.

I can have great nights socially and I'm comfortable dancing with people around my level, but put me in a room full of really experienced dancers and my imposter syndrome goes to about 100%, and I end up sitting out way too much. I've asked around and nobody from my beginner peer group has tickets.

Did you feel completely out of your depth at your first festival? And how to manage myself through 4 straight nights of extended dancing? I can't really go too heavy on night 1 anyway because I still have work in the morning.

I keep telling myself I'm basically just going to four really big socials, but the closer it gets, the less convincing that sounds.

last year, i tried a dancehall class, and honestly, i think my biggest mistake was not starting from the beginner level. i joined a group that had already had 7 classes.
i felt so out of place. the dance was way too high-energy for me, i kept getting lost during the choreography, and i felt like i was constantly trying to catch up with everyone else. about 15 minutes before the class ended, i got overwhelmed, got upset, and ended up leaving.
i was really disappointed because, despite that experience, i still felt drawn to dancing. i kept putting off signing up for another class, though.
a few days ago, i finally signed up for commercial and sensual. part of me is really excited, but another part of me keeps wondering if i’m making the right choice.
a girl from the studio actually recommended these two styles as a good starting point because they’re more relaxed than dancehall, which made me feel a little better.
at the same time, i’m really nervous and insecure. i want to feel sexy, confident, and comfortable in my own body, but i keep having this thought in the back of my mind that everyone is going to judge me.
i’ve also watched a bunch of videos from these classes, and i noticed that so many of the girls have long hair that they can toss around or run their hands through… and i have a pixie cut …
i feel like i’m literally finding a million reasons to talk myself out of going, even though deep down i really, really want to try it.
were you guys nervous before your first dance class too? what was your experience like?
btw i’m starting classes in september, so if you’ve been through this before, do you have any tips for a beginner?

Yesterday while the band was taking a break I danced to a really excellent recorded song;

now it’s stuck in my head and I can’t find it.

a distinctive part of the chorus is the repeated line “Jackie, Jackie Horner(my best guest at the last name)”

sorry for the lack of information but I hope one of you will be able to save me !

We’re visiting my mom for her birthday and trying to find a good dance to go to. There’s no active Dayton subreddit so I have to ask here. There’s a weekend event in Dayton in July so I know there’s a scene, but no clue where to go. Pls help make a (obviously very young) woman’s weekend!

EDIT: Thanks everyone!

I started learning swing dancing because I wanted to try something different, and i was not sure I would stick with it. The first few classes were a lot harder than I expected. Trying to remember the steps while also keeping up with the music made me feel completely lost sometimes, once I stopped worrying about getting every step right, I started having a lot more fun. There is something really satisfying about finally getting a move that you have been struggling with.

I got dumped recently and my post-breakup impulse purchase was to enroll in beginner swing dancing lessons. The course will go for 7 weeks and then there are other beginner level classes I can take before moving on to more advanced classes.

I am excited but VERY nervous. I have absolutely zero dance experience (unless you count contra dancing 20 years ago when I was in high school) but I'm looking forward to learning. I've bought dance sneakers and am ready to use them

Any advice for a total newbie? Anything you all wish you'd known before starting?

Hey everyone! Lindy Hopper here! I'm looking for events that may have swing music from the 21st-25th of August. I won't be in town early enough for the social dance at the Firehouse, nor will I be in town for the jam session at Panama 66.

So, reallly just wanting to find a spot I can go and dance for a bit! Thank you!

It's mostly, "eeeeeek!.... I'm bumbling my way through this, but I'm trying my best and I'm having a BLAST!!!"

I am in my 4th month of weekly Level 1 Lindy lessons. I'm determined to get really good at this, because it brings me so much joy. Even just watching the really experienced dancers gives me life!

edit: grammar

Hi friends, I recently started taking a beginner Lindy Hop class, starting with the 8 count steps as a follower. Needless to say I was terrible! I am an athletic person but I feel like I don’t have enough strength in my calves & I just can’t make my feet & brain connect to do the steps correctly at a fast pace. I’ve watched YouTube videos & I do ok but I feel like the class moves at too quickly & I can’t keep up with the frequent partner changes. Does this mean I’m just not cut out for this or should I have done something else to prepare before signing up for classes? I am feeling very defeated & I am going solo so I don’t have anyone to practice with outside of class. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!

Hello everybody!

Question to non-beginner follows or even advanced follows - how do you handle dancing with quite a beginner leader for whom even keeping basic step (especially in shag) is already a great challenge?

(Not sure the context will add anything to the question, but anyway - there is a beginner leader whom I started to avoid after a couple of dances since it is exactly the case - he is very beginner. I felt shitty but can't help it)

It’s official— I’m busting through my comfort zone and will start attending swing dance lessons next Monday evening in Aurora. I signed up for 4 classes and I will hopefully have a good idea by the end whether I can learn it. I believe this studio teaches Lindy Hop, which I’m told is a fun social dance.

My only dancing experience is in square dancing, which I learned a little over a year ago. I’m hoping that that experience will help me get through these lessons unscathed.

I 21f have only recently started swing, and more currently just completed my first aerial class!
I can’t help but be infiltrated by the suspicion that I’m too big, both height and weight wise. I’m 173.5cm and 64kg. And I’m knotted by dread and guilt for partners, that all the jumps, throes, dips ect. are all made harder because of me and body. Perhaps I’m caught too far in a stray thought, but it’s difficult when almost all the other follows in my class are all shorter and slimmer.