One question we frequently get from level 1 students is “where can I get music good for practicing”? The easy answer is to look for swing era jazz. Jazz from the 1930s. Count Basie, Duke Ellington, Ella Fitzgerald, Jimmie Lunceford, Chick Webb. Great artists from the swing era but the library of material from these …
Continue reading “The Buzz: Music for the (young) Lindy (grass) Hopper”
Musicality is one of the most important elements of the dance we all do, but it’s also the most difficult element to teach. Some people believe that it’s something you either have or you don’t, but this is simply not true. It is, however, more difficult to illustrate because it involves training your ears and …
Continue reading “The Buzz: Musicality – Understanding the Band, Part 1”
When I started DJing for swing dancers I was pretty nervous. Like most beginner DJs I worried that I’d play a song and the dancefloor would clear. At a swing dance, all attention is on the music and if it isn’t right, it’s your fault as a DJ. It feels like a strangely vulnerable position …
