PDA

View Full Version : West Coast Swing fast?



Gav
6th-December-2006, 06:03 PM
Maybe it's because I know naff all about WCS, but the only demos I've seen are to really fast, upbeat music. How is that going to work with
those – like us - who love Blues, Soft Latin, R&B and other slower more chilled out genres of music

David Bailey
6th-December-2006, 06:08 PM
Maybe it's because I know naff all about WCS, but the only demos I've seen are to really fast, upbeat music. How is that going to work with
You're possibly thinking of "lindy" style dancing? Lots of jumping, kicking, hopping etc.?

WCS is much smoother, although obviously they're all a bunch of snooty snoots. :whistle:

Looking through the site more, there's an admirable emphasis on the importance of the music, and a clear definition of how the music will be played - i.e. 3-4 tracks of each genre. So maybe my concerns about dilution were misplaced.

NZ Monkey
6th-December-2006, 06:08 PM
Maybe it's because I know naff all about WCS, but the only demos I've seen are to really fast, upbeat music. How is that going to work with....

Very well :devil:

Gav
6th-December-2006, 06:21 PM
You're possibly thinking of "lindy" style dancing? Lots of jumping, kicking, hopping etc.?

WCS is much smoother, although obviously they're all a bunch of snooty snoots. :whistle:

Looking through the site more, there's an admirable emphasis on the importance of the music, and a clear definition of how the music will be played - i.e. 3-4 tracks of each genre. So maybe my concerns about dilution were misplaced.

I was thinking of the videos on google of Kyle Redd and Sarah vann Drake. Smooth it may be, but slower it ain't!

MartinHarper
6th-December-2006, 06:39 PM
I was thinking of the videos on google of Kyle Redd and Sarah vann Drake. Smooth it may be, but slower it ain't!

This one?
http://video.google.co.uk/videoplay?docid=-336602705515619027

It looks faster than it is because of the way they're dancing to it.

Gav
6th-December-2006, 06:41 PM
This one?
http://video.google.co.uk/videoplay?docid=-336602705515619027

It looks faster than it is because of the way they're dancing to it.

Fair enough. :worthy:

Minnie M
6th-December-2006, 07:29 PM
You're possibly thinking of "lindy" style dancing? Lots of jumping, kicking, hopping etc...........
Not all lindy is like that - Hollywood (Dean Collins) style is smooth and in a slot - and check out Kevin & Carla (to be seen at Blaze next year) the video demo of them is smooth :worthy: and that is lindy too !

David Franklin
6th-December-2006, 07:31 PM
I was thinking of the videos on google of Kyle Redd and Sarah vann Drake. Smooth it may be, but slower it ain't!Kyle and Sarah like much faster tracks than many others. For contrast, see if you can find a clip of Brent and Kellese's performance from the 2003 US Open.

DJ Andy
6th-December-2006, 09:04 PM
This one?
http://video.google.co.uk/videoplay?docid=-336602705515619027

It looks faster than it is because of the way they're dancing to it.

Agreed. I made it 120 BPM which is hardly fast in MJ terms but probably at the upper end of WCS preferred tempo.

Amir
6th-December-2006, 11:39 PM
Jordan and Tat recent thing I saw was to Pump It, 155bpm I think, fast even for Modern Jive. I think this is possible because Jordan didn't do any triple steps that I could see. But then if he was it would work out to something like 5 steps in one second, which might be too fast for me to see anyway, if I got my calculations right, which I probably didn't, and if I blink enough, which I probably do.

clevedonboy
7th-December-2006, 12:17 AM
Not all lindy is like that - Hollywood (Dean Collins) style is smooth and in a slot - and check out Kevin & Carla (to be seen at Blaze next year) the video demo of them is smooth :worthy: and that is lindy too !

Savoy can look smooth too - there seems to be a misconception on this site about how Lindy looks. Good Lindy is a very smooth dance regardless of which "flavour" is being danced


Jordan and Tat recent thing I saw was to Pump It, 155bpm I think, fast even for Modern Jive. I think this is possible because Jordan didn't do any triple steps that I could see. But then if he was it would work out to something like 5 steps in one second, which might be too fast for me to see anyway, if I got my calculations right, which I probably didn't, and if I blink enough, which I probably do.

153 is deemed to be fast for WCS but slow for Lindy - a good Lindy dancer will triple step at tempos much higher than this, so frnkly there's no reason to lose the triple step unless there are "artistic" (for want of a better word) considerations

Minnie M
7th-December-2006, 08:57 AM
......153 is deemed to be fast for WCS but slow for Lindy.........
:what: really - maybe for Savoy style :flower: there are so many variations/styles of Lindy and it depends who teaches - I love the Steve Mitchell style and he very rarely dances fast lindy. IMO It really is not true that all lindy is fast (fast being 140 +) Dance Demon where are you ????? :tears:

Lory
7th-December-2006, 10:55 AM
I would say that in general WCS 'can' be danced to slower music much easier than MJ can

Here's a few examples of some popular WCS tracks that are perfect for WCS but might be a bit too slow for MJ. They might give you a feel for what some of the slower Tempo stuff's like..

Secret - Maroon 5
Whats up lonely - Kelly Clarkson
Calling all girls - ATL
Brotha - Jill Scott
Brown skin - India Arie
Sweat - Poppa Chubby
Skillz - All-4-one
French Kissing - Sarah Connor
Chains - Tina Arena
Black Velvet - Melissa Etheridge

But yes, it can also be danced fast and here's some of my personal all time favourites :waycool:

When I get you alone - Thicke
Tilt ya head back - Nelly & Christina Aguilera
Don't cha - Pussycat dolls
Hot in Herre - Nelly
Come and Danz - Deborah Morgan

David Franklin
7th-December-2006, 11:31 AM
Jordan and Tat recent thing I saw was to Pump It, 155bpm I think, fast even for Modern Jive. I think this is possible because Jordan didn't do any triple steps that I could see.Jordan tends to the 'minimalist' when it comes to footwork, but I think there are still a few triples in there. Kyle and Sarah won the US Open in 2002 dancing to Johnny B Good (@175bpm or thereabouts), and it certainly looks like Kyle was still triple-stepping to me.

I'm told a really good 'fast lindy' dancer can still triple at over 250bpm.

straycat
7th-December-2006, 11:50 AM
:what: really - maybe for Savoy style :flower: there are so many variations/styles of Lindy and it depends who teaches - I love the Steve Mitchell style and he very rarely dances fast lindy. IMO It really is not true that all lindy is fast (fast being 140 +) Dance Demon where are you ????? :tears:

This really varies according to who you talk to. For myself, I agree with you, but I know some professional Lindy dancers who consider 140 to be medium / slow - what they consider fast is what I consider completely insane...

Steve Mitchell is God. :worthy:

From that earlier link that Martin looked at, there was another link to this (http://video.google.co.uk/videoplay?docid=5845300225046289576) - some nice fast improvised Lindy. Not massively relevant, but fun to watch.

David Franklin
7th-December-2006, 12:00 PM
From that earlier link that Martin looked at, there was another link to this (http://video.google.co.uk/videoplay?docid=5845300225046289576) - some nice fast improvised Lindy. Not massively relevant, but fun to watch.For fast Lindy you want the 'Liberation' category at the ULHS. Apparently this year was a little slower than usual but still pushing towards 300bpm! :eek:

See this (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=09n-60YiGWg) clip on YouTube...

straycat
7th-December-2006, 12:14 PM
For fast Lindy you want the 'Liberation' category at the ULHS. Apparently this year was a little slower than usual but still pushing towards 300bpm! :eek:

See this (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=09n-60YiGWg) clip on YouTube...

Waaaah. OK - that's exhausting just to watch....
Got to love the ULHS competition format. It really gives everyone a chance to show off, and fire each other up / play against each other. Must be an amazing atmosphere to be there....

MartinHarper
7th-December-2006, 08:16 PM
With all this talk of Savoy vs Hollywood vs whatever else, I sometimes wonder which style I dance, given that my teachers just teach Lindy.

--

250 bpm triple steps may be plausible for Lindy, but WCS triples can have changes of direction (eg, on first triple of a sugar push for the follower, forward, together, back), which seems uncommon in Lindy. I'd bet that makes it harder to maintain triples in wCS.

Lory
7th-December-2006, 08:23 PM
Should I rename this thread to 'How fast is Lindy'? :rolleyes:

MartinHarper
7th-December-2006, 08:31 PM
Should I rename this thread to 'How fast is Lindy'? :rolleyes:

Aww, I was trying so hard to include some obligatory WCS content. :)

Mr Cool
8th-December-2006, 06:18 PM
Steve Mitchell is God. :worthy:

:yeah: :yeah: :yeah: :respect:

I dont understand the preoccupation with beats per min. (as Minnie once Quoted the only count of note is Count Basi) :respect:
There are great slow medium and fast dance tracks, some lend themselves to double time, some ask to be danced half time, Some music crys out for triple steps, many more especially fast tracks are far smoother danced single step, and even more music responds better to a combination of the two. Its a individual thing there is know right or wrong interpretation and no experts what suits one does not suit another.:yeah: :yeah:

I for one am sure WCS can be danced to a far wider range of music than the Uk so called experts preach
and for certain smooth lindy looks good danced to fast medium and slow music. :cheers: :cheers: :cheers:

:yeah: