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What music do I play for my Beginner Swing Dance classes?

People often ask me about the music that I play during my Lindy Hop classes. Here’s a quick copy & paste from my frequent teaching playlists.

The original artist and/or album is not always listed since some of these are from other playlists from my old collection, but it can give you a good place to start your research.

8 COUNT PLAYLIST – Lindy Hop Teaching / music that I often play for my Beginner swing dance classes

All that Meat and no Potatoes Fats Waller 2:50 Mandi’s Classic Hit Parade  17/07/2006 11:40 AM

Don’t Get Around Much Anymore Duke Ellington & Louis Armstrong 3:41 Mandi’s Classic Three Ring Circus  17/07/2006 11:40 AM

Be Careful Buddy Johnson Orchestra 3:13 Beginner Teaching Mix  17/07/2006 11:40 AM

Frim Fram Sauce Ella Fitzgerald & Louis Armstrong 3:16 Mandi’s Classic Three Ring Circus  17/07/2006 11:40 AM

Feets Too Big Fats Waller 3:10   25/07/2006 5:59 PM

Is You Is Dinah Washington 3:29 Mandi’s Classic Three Ring Circus  17/07/2006 11:40 AM

Fine Brown Frame Nellie Lutcher 3:03 Beginner Teaching Mix  17/07/2006 11:40 AM

Kansas City Wilbert Harrisson 2:27 50s Greatest Rock N Roll 1 of 1 28/04/2010 2:31 PM

I Can’t Give You Anything But Love Louis Armstrong 2:54 Jazz for Dinner 1 of 1 26/04/2009 2:33 PM

On The Sunny Side Of Street Benny Goodman w/ Peggy Lee 3:08   25/07/2006 5:59 PM

Beginning to See the Light Ella Fitzgerald 3:34 Mandi’s Classic Hit Parade  17/07/2006 11:40 AM

Bye Bye Blackbid Not Carmen Mcrae 3:21 Mandi’s Classic Hit Parade  17/07/2006 11:40 AM

Chattanooga Choo Choo Andrew Sisters 2:55   24/10/2010 9:06 PM

Lavendar Coffin Lionel Hampton 2:51 Mandi’s Classic Hit Parade  17/07/2006 11:40 AM

Baby Just Cares For Me Nina Simone 3:05   17/07/2006 11:46 AM

Cheek to Cheek Louis & Ella 5:55   25/07/2006 5:59 PM

Corner Pocket Count Basie 5:19 April In Paris  25/07/2006 5:59 PM

Shiny Stockings Count Basie 5:19 Beginner Teaching Mix  17/07/2006 11:40 AM

You Gotta Walk The Chalk Line Buddy Johnson Orchestra 2:41   17/07/2006 11:46 AM

Atomic Cocktail  Slim Gaillard 2:42   17/07/2006 11:46 AM

Doodedoo Blossom Dearie 2:23   02/06/2006 9:02 PM

Knock Me a Kiss Louis Jordan 2:50 Mandi’s Classic Hit Parade  17/07/2006 11:40 AM

Tuxedo Junction Glenn Miller 3:34 Glen Miller Collection, Vol. 1 1 of 1 20/05/2010 10:51 AM

Easy Does It Count Basie 5:27 Beginner Teaching Mix  17/07/2006 11:40 AM

Fever Peggy Lee 3:23 Mandi’s Classic Hit Parade  17/07/2006 11:40 AM

When the Saints Go Marching In (Live) Louis Armstrong 4:26 Mandi’s Classic Hit Parade  25/02/2008 10:54 PM

It’s a Pity to Say Goodnight Ella Fitzgerald 2:43 Lindy Hop Stroganoff  25/07/2006 5:59 PM

Jersey Bounce Benny Goodman 3:11 Mandi’s Classic Three Ring Circus  17/07/2006 11:40 AM

Let’s Call the Whole Thing Off Ella & Louis 4:18 Beginner Teaching Mix  17/07/2006 11:40 AM

Mack The Knife Louis Armstrong 3:27   25/07/2006 5:59 PM

Perdido Duke Ellington 3:18 Beginner Teaching Mix  17/07/2006 11:40 AM

Sit Right Down Ella Fitzgerald 2:31 Mandi’s Classic Three Ring Circus  17/07/2006 11:40 AM

Who Walks In? Louis Armstrong & Ella Fitzgerald 2:20   17/07/2006 11:46 AM

Yes Indeed Tommy Dorsey 3:36 Mandi’s Classic Three Ring Circus  17/07/2006 11:40 AM

In a Mellow Tone Duke Ellington 3:27 Beginner Teaching Mix  17/07/2006 11:40 AM

Ain’t Misbehavin’ Louis Armstrong 3:26 The Essential Louis Armstrong 1 of 2 25/07/2006 5:58 PM

Who Threw The Whiskey In The Well Lucky Millander 2:58   17/07/2006 11:46 AM

Tuxedo Junction Glenn Miller 3:23 Beginner Teaching Mix  17/07/2006 11:40 AM

6 COUNT PLAYLIST – These songs tend to have clear phrasing which makes them easier for practicing your 6-counts.

Ain’t Misbehavin’ 3:24 Maxine Sullivan Mandi’s Classic Three Ring Circus   11 30/04/2010 12:47 PM Mandi’s Songs

All That Meat and No Potatoes 2:52 Fats Waller Beginner Teaching Mix   13 20/03/2010 12:53 PM Mandi’s Songs

Atomic Cocktail  2:42 Slim Gaillard   Jazz 21 09/02/2011 7:59 PM Mandi’s Songs

Comes Love 4:05 Billie Holiday Beginner Teaching Mix   13 14/02/2011 8:09 PM Mandi’s Songs

Doodedoo 2:23 Blossom Dearie  60 Swinging 29 11/02/2011 3:25 PM Mandi’s Songs

Everybody Eats When They Come To My House 2:47 Cab Calloway Hi De Ho Man 60 Jazz 31 09/02/2011 8:44 PM Mandi’s Songs

Feets Too Big 3:10 Fats Waller  100  58 10/02/2011 8:12 PM Mandi’s Songs

Fine Brown Frame 3:03 Nellie Lutcher Beginner Teaching Mix   53 09/02/2011 7:15 PM Mandi’s Songs

Flat Foot Floogie 2:57 Slim and Slam (Devon’s)    27 17/02/2011 9:24 PM Mandi’s Songs

Free Eats 2:59 Slim and Slam 20 Freakin’ Amazing Tracks   21 25/11/2010 8:06 PM Mandi’s Songs

Goody Goody 2:42 Ella Fitzgerald Mandi Time   21 30/01/2011 4:19 PM Mandi’s Songs

Hit that Jive Jack 4:57 Slim and Slam Mandi’s Classic Three Ring Circus   8 31/12/2010 8:15 PM Mandi’s Songs

I’m Beginning To See The Light 3:10 Time-Life Swing Era Vol. 09 1942 to 1945 Disc Two  Big Band 5 25/09/2010 12:53 AM Mandi’s Songs

Jersey Bounce 3:11 Benny Goodman Mandi’s Classic Three Ring Circus   17 04/11/2010 8:12 PM Mandi’s Songs

Jungle King 3:18 Cab Calloway Hi De Ho Man 40 Jazz 10 04/11/2010 8:15 PM Mandi’s Songs

Knock Me a Kiss 2:52 Louis Jordan Beginner Teaching Mix   16 14/06/2010 8:03 PM Mandi’s Songs

Lawdy Clawdy 3:00 The Cats And The Fiddle Mandi’s Classic Three Ring Circus 60  27 24/01/2011 8:21 PM Mandi’s Songs

On The Sunny Side Of Street 3:08 Benny Goodman w/ Peggy Lee   Big Band 34 30/01/2011 5:13 PM Mandi’s Songs

Straighten Up and Fly Right 2:31 Nat King Cole Mandi’s Classic Three Ring Circus   11 27/01/2011 7:55 PM Mandi’s Songs

Taint What Ya Do 3:10  Mandi’s Classic Hit Parade   28 26/11/2010 7:24 PM Mandi’s Songs

Twelfth Street Rag 3:10 Louis Armstrong The Hot Fives & Sevens – Vol. 2  Jazz 9 25/09/2010 6:09 PM Mandi’s Songs

Yes Indeed 3:36 Tommy Dorsey Mandi’s Classic Three Ring Circus   19 03/02/2011 8:35 PM Mandi’s Songs

CHARLESTON PLAYLIST – Charleston Teaching / music that I often play for my Beginner Charleston classes

Charleston 2:25 Pee Wee Hunt 20 Freakin’ Amazing Tracks   13 07/02/2011 10:00 AM Mandi’s Songs

Georgia Swing 2:36  Charleston!   8 25/09/2010 7:06 PM Mandi’s Music

Sugar Foot Stomp 2:51 Louis Armstrong The Essential Louis Armstrong  Jazz 9 06/06/2010 12:24 PM Mandi’s Songs

Lawdy Clawdy 3:00 The Cats And The Fiddle Mandi’s Classic Three Ring Circus 60  27 24/01/2011 8:21 PM Mandi’s Songs

Who Walks In? 2:20 Louis Armstrong & Ella Fitzgerald   Swinging 21 16/02/2011 8:16 PM Mandi’s Songs

Everybody Eats When They Come To My House 2:47 Cab Calloway Hi De Ho Man 60 Jazz 31 09/02/2011 8:44 PM Mandi’s Songs

Straighten Up and Fly Right 2:31 Nat King Cole Mandi’s Classic Three Ring Circus   11 27/01/2011 7:55 PM Mandi’s Songs

Johnson Rag 2:49 Glenn Miller   Swinging 16 16/02/2011 8:54 PM Mandi’s Songs

Jump Session 2:43 Slim and Slam Beginner Teaching Mix   46 10/02/2011 6:37 PM Mandi’s Songs

Alright, Okay, You Win 2:59 Peggy Lee Mandi’s Classic Three Ring Circus   17 19/01/2011 8:14 PM Mandi’s Songs

Honeysuckle Rose 3:15 Fats Waller Cleveland CD1   12 25/09/2010 12:32 AM Mandi’s Songs

South 3:56 Lindy Hop Heaven Charleston!   34 17/02/2011 7:09 PM Mandi’s Songs

I’m Crazy ‘Bout My Baby (And My Baby’s Crazy ‘Bout Me) 2:42 Casa Loma Orchestra Maniac’s Ball  Jazz 6 16/02/2011 9:17 PM

Hit that Jive Jack 4:57 Slim and Slam Mandi’s Classic Three Ring Circus   8 31/12/2010 8:15 PM Mandi’s Songs

Potato Head Blues 3:03 Louis Armstrong The Essential Louis Armstrong  Twenties 8 31/12/2010 8:18 PM Mandi’s Songs

You Made Me Love You 3:03 Louis Armstrong The Hot Fives & Sevens – Vol. 2  Twenties 5 31/12/2010 8:21 PM Mandi’s Songs

Heebie Jeebies 3:04 Louis Armstrong The Essential Louis Armstrong  Twenties 8 03/07/2010 7:17 PM Mandi’s Songs

Irish Black Bottom 2:51 Louis Armstrong The Hot Fives & Sevens – Vol. 2  Twenties 7 25/09/2010 12:12 AM Mandi’s Songs

Jazz Lips 3:14 Louis Armstrong Charleston!   3 30/04/2010 9:53 AM Mandi’s Songs

Big Butter And Egg Man 3:11 Louis Armstrong The Hot Fives & Sevens – Vol. 2  Twenties 3 19/11/2009 12:25 AM Mandi’s Songs

Flat Foot Floogie 2:57 Slim and Slam (Devon’s)    27 17/02/2011 9:24 PM Mandi’s Songs

Hit That Jive Jack * 3:07 Slim and Slam Mandi Time   10 31/01/2011 6:17 PM Mandi’s Songs

It Don’t Mean a Thing if it Ain’t Got That Swing 3:12 So Good Mandi Time   14 06/12/2010 9:53 PM Mandi’s Songs

Fifteen Minutes Itermission 2:54 Cab Calloway Hi De Ho Man 60 Jazz 13 06/07/2010 11:11 AM Mandi’s Songs

On The Sunny Side Of The Street 2:59 Louis Armstrong The Essential Louis Armstrong (Disc 2)  Swinging 12 25/09/2010 5:22 PM Mandi’s Songs

Don’t Sit Under The Apple Tree 3:13 Glenn Miller  80 Swinging 12 30/01/2011 1:34 PM Mandi’s Songs

Ampola 3:09  Mandi’s Classic Three Ring Circus   6 15/05/2010 2:17 PM Mandi’s Songs

You Meet The Nicest People In Your Dreams 2:53 Fats Waller Portrait Vol. 2 – CD07 – Squeeze Me (1939-40)  Jazz 8 24/01/2011 6:27 PM

The Breakaway 2:52 Dorsey Brothers Orchestra Charleston – Great Stars of the 1920s  Jazz 1 30/01/2011 10:28 AM

I’m Crazy ‘Bout My Baby (With Una Mae Carlisle) 2:40 Duke Ellington The Early Duke Ellington  Jazz 2 09/12/2010 7:00 PM

Yes Sir, That’s My Baby 3:03 Ace Brigode & His Fourteen Virginians 100 Roaring Classics Of The 1920s  Jazz  

Yes Sir, That’s My Baby! 2:10 Eddie Cantor Classic Years of Eddie Cantor  Vocal 2 17/02/2011 9:33 PM

Yes Sir, That’s My Baby (Digitally Remastered) 2:27 The Four Aces Essential Original Recordings – Volume 2  Pop 35 11/12/2010 10:48 PM (Digitally Remastered)

Happy Feet 2:59 Manhattan Rhythm Kings The Aviator [Original Soundtrack]  Other  

Willie The Weeper 3:14 Louis Armstrong The Essential Louis Armstrong  Twenties   Mandi’s Songs

~ Mandi Gould
Mandi Gould is Director & Head Dance Instructor for Bees’ Knees Dance in Toronto and St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada.

Congratulations to Krister Shalm on his proposal to Jaime Almond this morning for Valentine’s Day… and of course to her acceptance!

Jaime and Krister have been long time loved members of the Bees’ Knees family and we couldn’t be happier for them.

The proposal involved the things that Krister and Jaime love the most; Slim and Slam, dancing, and the iPad.

Congratulations and much happiness to them!

Hey Swing moviegoers!
 
I just wanted to thank everyone who made it out to our first edition of “Swingin’ At the Movies”. Watching these clips with other passionate Lindy Hoppers was a lot fun.  It was a learning experience for everyone, including myself.  For those of you who couldn’t make it, the 2 hours included videos dating back to the original days of Lindy Hop and continued on to the present day community. I also gave context and discussed some of the history behind what we were watching.
 
If you love this dance (and that’s a YES), you don’t want to miss the next one.
 
See you on the dance floor! (Or at the movies)
Phil

**************

Swingin’ At The Movies!

Greetings Lindy Hoppers!

With all the classes and workshops offered at Bees’ Knees, we’ve decided to add something a little different. In addition to our blood pumping t-shirt soaked classes, we thought it was time to schedule some good old-fashioned lazy afternoon movie-watching awesomeness.  On the afternoon of Saturday, March 26, I will be hosting our first installment of Swingin’ at the Movies.  Each two hour installment will include a series of videos, highlighting great moments in Lindy Hop history from its early beginnings until today.

The footage we’ll be watching for this first edition will include the following:

• Performances by Whitey’s Lindy Hoppers, arguably the best Lindy Hop troupe there ever was.  
• The origins of some of Lindy Hop’s traditional Vintage Jazz routines known world-wide.
• Interviews with famous dancers of yesterday and today.
• Great moments in competition and performance.
• Footage from the new DVD documentary Dancing The Big Apple 1937, chronicling the history of one of Lindy Hop’s most well-known Jazz routines.
• Footage from the DVD documentary “Queen of Swing”, a biography on the life of Norma Miller, one of Lindy Hop’s original creators and innovators.  This DVD hasn’t even been released officially, so be one of the privileged few to check it out!

If you consider yourself a true dedicated Lindy Hopper (all of you), you can’t miss this opportunity.  And all this for only $5!  Woo Hoo!

BYOP&K (Bring Your Own Popcorn & Kool-Aid)

See you there!

~ Phil

Swingin’ At The Movies with Phil!
Saturday, March 26th
4pm to 6pm
765B Yonge St.
$5 donations for rent would be appreciated.

Please confirm your attendance on our Registration Page under Special Workshops/Troupes.

Mandi’s Birthday & the anniversary of Bees’ Knees Dance in St. Catharines – a special Swing Dance Party & Extravaganza with live music!

WHO: YOU! Dancers and non-dancers alike, friends and strangers – all welcome to the big dance party!

WHAT: You’re all invited to my Birthday & Anniversary Swing Dance Party Extravaganza!

Live music, great dinner menu, large wooden dance floor…

WHERE: Stella’s Restaurant & Lounge, downtown St. Catharines
45 James Street
St. Catherines, ON

***Please, no gifts… However, there will be a requested $10 cover charge to help cover the cost for the band. Thanks for your contribution to the live music!

WHEN: Saturday, March 5th
5:30pm to 9pm+

WHY: This will mark Bees’ Knees Dance’s one year anniversary in St. Catharines and my XX birthday party! I would love love love it if you would be there to celebrate with us!

HOW: This location is just steps from the St. Catharines bus terminal for friends coming from Toronto, Hamilton, etc. and we can also coordinate car pooling.

DRIVERS WANTED! If you are coming from Toronto and have room in your vehicle, we’d love to arrange some car pooling. See More

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“Shall we shag now or shall we shag later?” –Austin “Danger” Powers

 Instructors Phil Bourassa and Reesa Del Duca just got back from a great weekend of Shag Dance workshops. This is what Phil had to say about the weekend:

Great workshops, great competitions and, most importantly, great dancing.  This past weekend, Reesa and I headed up to Ottawa, representing Toronto at this year’s Shag Explosion 5/Canadian Shag Dance Championships.  I’ve never Shagged so hard in my life!

For those unfamiliar with Collegiate Shag, also know as “Shag” and “Flea Hop”, it is a type of Swing dance made popular in the 1930s.  The dance is known for its hopping basic step and high energy footwork that separates it from other forms of swing and other dances that use the “shag” name, such as Carolina Shag or St. Louis Shag. – CollegiateShag.com

Having studied Shag separately and worked on a few moves together, Reesa and I were looking forward to getting our feet wet in Ottawa.  We got there pretty late Friday night, but I still managed to squeeze in a few dances with some good friends and take a turn in the Jam circle that broke out.

Saturday afternoon had a whopping six classes; followed by the Jack ‘n’ Jill Competition preliminaries.  We attended all the classes and they were tons of fun.  Using their charm, great sense of humour and extensive experience in various forms of Swing, Zack and Maryse from Swing Connexion in Montreal are always a favourite among students.  Hailing from DC, David and Chelsea not only showed phenomenal skill in competition, they also demonstrated an in-depth knowledge of Shag Dance history in their classes.  The extensive experience of Byron, Natalia and Bill of Swing Dynamite, both in teaching and in competition, infused a healthy dose of local expertise.

Tony and Jamie, coming all the way from New York, were new to the event but by no means were new to Shag.  Their impact was felt immediately on the social floor and peaked Saturday night with a killer performance.  Not only did they take the title of Canadian Shag Dance Champions, they also offered a free class Sunday morning (if you could drag yourself out of bed).  We were then told they will be invited as teachers for next year’s Shag Explosion.  You have to check ‘em out!  Here’s an earlier clip of the routine they performed Saturday night.

I think I can speak for Reesa when I say the highlight of the weekend for us was hearing the results of the competitions.  Being fairly exhausted and sleep-deprived by Sunday afternoon, we were given a bit of a boost when it was announced that Reesa and I took 2^nd and 1^st place in the Open Jack ‘n’ Jill competition.  Woo!

Fuelled with nothing but leftover sandwich wraps, a few drops of adrenaline and about an ounce of sleep, we managed to make it back to Toronto in one piece.

As per usual, the folks at Swing Dynamite put on another great event.  I definitely recommend it for next year. www.shagexplosion.com

Keep shaggin’,

Phil Bourassa

On Tuesday, January 18th, 2011, Phil Bourassa was a guest instructor in Hamilton and he taught a solo vintage jazz class. The routine is called Sausages (haha) and was originally choreographed by  Kevin St. Laurent . 

Thanks to the Hamilton crew for their enthusiasm! It was a great class. Now time to practice and perfect it.

Click here to download the notes for the Sausages Jazz Routine as transcribed by Phil.

 

All the things you wish you could tell your swing dance partners but it would be impolite to say!

 

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We’ve all got them. Now this is your chance to share your swing dance pet peeves with the world. As Lindy Hoppers, we really are such a friendly and social bunch but in a perfect world we wouldn’t have these secret irritations. Hopefully, by sharing these pet peeves here in writing we can raise awareness of many dance issues that arise without having to point any fingers. The next time someone is guilty of one of these bad habits, you can politely inquire if they’ve read this post!

DISCLAIMER: Please understand that the following pet peeves are not meant to frighten or deter you from dancing. In particular, beginner dancers should not be fazed by mention of dance technique that is beyond their level of understanding. All Lindy Hoppers are absolutely thrilled to welcome new dancers to the community and technical pet peeves express our impatience with long time dancers who have bad habits, not new dancers who have yet to learn what the heck we’re even talking about. Please come, dance and feel welcome!

Want to add a dance pet peeve to the list? Please contact us and let us know!

Personal Hygiene:

The #1 voted pet peeve is always related to hygiene. Please take careful note!

• Avoidable smelliness. Please make sure to wear clean, fresh clothing and to wear deodorant. You might not think that you smell but people are rarely able to smell their own personal odour. Don’t leave this to chance. Take your personal hygiene seriously!
• Excessive sweatiness. Sweating is understandable but if you know that you sweat enough, please be courteous and bring as many number of change of tops as required. It’s not unheard of to bring 6 extra t-shirts to a dance and to change throughout the night. A towel is also a good idea. No one wants a handful of sweat, or to be sprayed by your sweat, to have your sweat get on their nice outfits, or to slip on your sweat. Think about it! 
• Excessive perfume or cologne. One spritz will do it folks. Easy on the trigger!
• Bad breath, coffee breath, garlic breath, onion breath, etc. etc.

General Swing Dance Partner Pet Peeves:

True of both Leaders and Followers!

• Weak frame, spaghetti arms, no connection.
• Statue or overly forceful frame, arms that push or pull, exhausting muscle connection that yanks and shoves.
• Partners who tense up or become frantic as the tempo becomes faster. Please stay relaxed!
• Partners who get lazy when the tempo gets faster, who don’t triple step, don’t motor their steps and help to create the stretch so the whole shape falls off the music.
• Lack of eye contact, i.e. looking down, looking at other people, and generally not paying attention.
• Dopey eyes or creepy eye contact. It’s great to look at your partner so that you’re interacting with them on a personal level but it’s *just* dancing!
• Inappropriate behaviour in general while dancing. We are here to dance not frisk. Any touching or contact not specifically related to leading or following is an absolute violation and is never okay!
• Partners who grip their partners’ hand, either with their thumb or by squeezing.
• Partners who grip their partner’ back.
• Long fingernails!
• Poor floor craft. If you bump, crash or step on someone take responsibility by apologizing and take it as an indication that you’re not being careful enough. A certain amount of bumps do happen but it’s up to the leaders in particular but the followers as well to be aware of their surroundings. If it’s very crowded, you must adjust your dancing!  
• Over hopping or bouncing. The dance is called Lindy Hop however this should manifest itself as more of a downward pulse, not a bouncy uppity hop.
• “Tea Potting” which is the generally understood name for rocking the upper body back and forth rather than moving and grounding ourselves with the lower body.
• Partners who are overly apologetic.
• Partners who never apologize.
• Drunk or otherwise inebriated dance partners!
• Talking while dancing. A word or exclamation here or there is one thing, but trying to carry on a full conversation is quite another. Zip it and enjoy the moment!
• Wicking shirts. Nice for you but not so nice for your partner since these materials will often transfer your sweat away from you and on to your partner!

Bad Class/Workshop Etiquette:

• Teaching and critiquing your partner in rotation.
• Talking when the teacher is talking. Not only are you assuming that your partner wants to listen to you instead of the instructor, but you’re also interrupting the rest of the group.
• Poor punctuality. Nuff said.

Pet Peeves about Followers:

• Followers who pull down on the leaders shoulder, especially with tall leaders.
• Followers who push down on the leaders arm, especially in closed position.
• Over-resisting, either in open on 1, 2 or in closed on 4. Yes, we want to feel like we’re leading and moving you but not moving a freight train!
• Floating pinkie fingers; when the baby finger slips out of the hand hold. It feels so wrong!
• Followers who don’t travel far enough on 3 of the swingout thereby not creating stretch on the face off (3 & 4). If you haven’t gone far enough the move doesn’t work and we have to chase each other. Follow the momentum to the end by going past the leader right into their arm. Also, moving or collapsing in or hovering on 4 of the swingout without waiting for the 5 to be led out. Please maintain the stretch and let the leader move you.
• Followers who anticipate moves by putting on the breaks when they shouldn’t; this is common in turns when the follower stops rather than continuing the momentum of the spin.
• Followers who fly through a move assuming that they know what it is. This is common when followers drive themselves out on 5 of the swingout without waiting to be led, or when they run in on 1, 2.  
• Assuming you know what kind of swingout is being lead. It is completely up to the leader when and how they will lead you out on the swingout; straight out, curved, completely backward. Followers must wait on 4 and let the leader create the shape!
• Followers who hijack while their styling, either by pushing or pulling on the leaders or by interrupting their lead completely.
• Followers who close off their frame/who don’t make their arms and frame available therefore cutting off the potential for many moves.

Pet Peeves about Leaders:

• Over-leading: give us room and space to play and breathe. Constant leading is claustrophobic and generally unmusical.
• Leaders who yank on 1 and/or 2 thereby not allowing us to swivel.
• Leaders who pull too hard on 5; this causes us to either fall over or run.
• Over-leading in general; you don’t have to man handle us, we’ll catch the suggestion without being muscled around!
• Leaders who try to lead our swivel by waving their arm back and forth. I swivel because I want to swivel, it’s my decision – not yours!
• Leaders who don’t adjust their repertoire to the tempo of the music. The vocabulary that you use for slow music should not be the same as when the music speeds up. Listen to the music and lead appropriately; inside turns are better suited to a slower tempo while Charleston is ideal for faster music. Have a default game plan so that you don’t have to think so hard when the music does speed up.
• Multiple inside turns. Inside turns are awkward because they wrap the follower up and when you just start winding us around we aren’t able to maintain any frame or footwork. You’re just dragging us around and it’s not fun!
• Leaders who over spin the followers. Give us a break! We don’t enjoy it!
• Non-moves. Leaders have a tendency to lead very vague shapes that are creative but should be used sparingly. Watch your non-moves and make sure your dancing is always rooted in familiar, basic Lindy Hop fundamentals.
• Start & stop moves. Particularly when the tempo gets faster, remember that Lindy Hop is a dance based on stretch and momentum. Moves that are constantly moving the followers and then blocking them (such as fast stationary American Spins) break the momentum. This makes the follower have to run to create stretch again. They’re exhausting and counterproductive.
• Generally poor, unclear leading. If the move doesn’t work, don’t assume that it was the followers fault. Take responsibility and consider your own technique before you blame or become irritated with the follower. We can tell when you’re judging us! Not cool.
• Leaders who don’t pursue dance classes. If you want to dance with all of the wonderful followers, please consider continuing to work to improve your own dancing. Just because there are usually more followers than leaders doesn’t mean that you’re such a hot commodity and that followers should fall at your feet to dance with you. If the followers are working hard to improve their dancing, why shouldn’t you also work hard to be the best that you can? It’s a give and take.

Are we missing your dance pet peeve? Please contact us and let us know!

Mandi Gould is Director & Head Dance Instructor for Bees’ Knees Dance in Toronto and St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada.