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    • Floor Craft
      • navigating the crowds Crashing into people? Being kicked? Floor craft is essential for safety on the dance floor. Find out how here….

    • Tips to improve your dancing - how to get out of a 'rut'
      • <figure class=" sqs-block-image-figure intrinsic " > It’s a social. You’re in the middle of a dance (which you’re really enjoying by the way). Problem is, your dancing’s hit a wall. It feels like you’re using the same three or four moves again and again. Dancing’s supposed to be creative - that means you need to keep things fresh, keep changing - not a pattern that keeps on repeating, right? What’s worse, surely your partner has figured you out by now, knows you’ve reached the limit of your dancing vocabulary. Oh gods! What if they’re bored?! You panic, wracking your brain to think of a different move, a new variation - anything! Somehow, you make it through the rest of the song, but you spent the whole dance in your head and not with your partner. Maybe this sounds familiar to you, maybe it doesn’t. Often when we’re in a creative rut, dancing can go from an enjoyable experience to a stressful one. But it doesn’t need to be. Ruts happen, but there are a lot of things you can do to move on from them and find new ways to enjoy social dancing without getting stuck in your own head. First of all - relax. Social dancing is not performative. As we say in class, there’s no minimum entry bar for dancing - so there is no minimum amount of ‘variation’ or ‘creativity’ needed. Enjoyment isn’t defined by those terms, and you shouldn’t let it define you, either. That being said, here are some things to keep in mind and work on, to keep your dancing feeling fresh, even if you’re only using a few moves. Play with timings In lindy hop we often forget that while 6 and 8 count timings are useful for helping us learn new shapes and movements, it can feel restrictive if we ONLY stick to them. That’s not to say you have to come up with a crazy 10 count move to blow your partner’s socks off. You can absolutely do that - but a good starting point is stretching movements out longer than you normally would. For example, take a pass by and stretch it out, really exaggerate the end of it with maybe some twists or some shimmy’s or low downs - your partner will follow suit (for both leads and follows). Likewise, add pauses and breaks between movements - you don’t have to immediately jump into something new after you finish a swing out. Challenge yourself you play with footwork Getting bored with your own dancing is a thing. It’s pretty common. Even if you have a wide vocabulary of movement, practise anything enough times and you’re bound to get less enjoyment out of it. A good way to make the same moves feel fresh is to ‘break’ your footwork. Add a shuffle ball change, a slide or a scoot in place of a triple step - just small things - suddenly the look and feel of a move is completely different. What’s more, your partner will be able to see and feel these small changes too - and often copy them too. Focus on adding one new thing Sometimes, no matter what else we do, we simply feel like we don’t know enough moves. That’s fair. Putting aside the fact that even the simplest dances (from a technical standpoint) can look and feel amazing, having an arsenal of moves and shapes in your back pocket certainly won’t go amiss. The important thing to remember is to not try and force yourself to do it all at once. Learning new things takes time, even more to the point where they feel comfortable and natural enough to socially dance to. So, pick a single move, a single footwork variation, you want to incorporate to your social repertoire and work on that. Then pick something new and work on that. Dancing’s all about the journey, so go easy on yourself and give yourself the time you need to improve at a pace that works for you.

    • Lindy tips - how to keep your dancing (feeling) fresh
      • <figure class=" sqs-block-image-figure intrinsic " > It’s a social. You’re in the middle of a dance (which you’re really enjoying by the way). Problem is, your dancing’s hit a wall. It feels like you’re using the same three or four moves again and again. Dancing’s supposed to be creative - that means you need to keep things fresh, keep changing - not a pattern that keeps on repeating, right? What’s worse, surely your partner has figured you out by now, knows you’ve reached the limit of your dancing vocabulary. Oh gods! What if they’re bored?! You panic, wracking your brain to think of a different move, a new variation - anything! Somehow, you make it through the rest of the song, but you spent the whole dance in your head and not with your partner. Maybe this sounds familiar to you, maybe it doesn’t. Often when we’re in a creative rut, dancing can go from an enjoyable experience to a stressful one. But it doesn’t need to be. Ruts happen, but there are a lot of things you can do to move on from them and find new ways to enjoy social dancing without getting stuck in your own head. First of all - relax. Social dancing is not performative. As we say in class, there’s no minimum entry bar for dancing - so there is no minimum amount of ‘variation’ or ‘creativity’ needed. Enjoyment isn’t defined by those terms, and you shouldn’t let it define you, either. That being said, here are some things to keep in mind and work on, to keep your dancing feeling fresh no matter what you’re doing. Play with timings In lindy hop we often forget that while 6 and 8 count timings are useful for helping us learn new shapes and movements, it can feel restrictive if we ONLY stick to them. That’s not to say you have to come up with a crazy 10 count move to blow your partner’s socks off. You can absolutely do that - but a good starting point is stretching movements out longer than you normally would. For example, take a pass by and stretch it out, really exaggerate the end of it with maybe some twists or some shimmy’s or low downs - your partner will follow suit (for both leads and follows). Likewise, add pauses and breaks between movements - you don’t have to immediately jump into something new after you finish a swing out. Challenge yourself you play with footwork Getting bored with your own dancing is a thing. It’s pretty common. Even if you have a wide vocabulary of movement, practise anything enough times and you’re bound to get less enjoyment out of it. A good way to make the same moves feel fresh is to ‘break’ your footwork. Add a shuffle ball change, a slide or a scoot in place of a triple step - just small things - suddenly the look and feel of a move is completely different. What’s more, your partner will be able to see and feel these small changes too - and often copy them too. Focus on adding one new thing Sometimes, no matter what else we do, we simply feel like we don’t know enough moves. That’s fair. Putting aside the fact that even the simplest dances (from a technical standpoint) can look and feel amazing, having an arsenal of moves and shapes in your back pocket certainly won’t go amiss. The important thing to remember is to not try and force yourself to do it all at once. Learning new things takes time, even more to the point where they feel comfortable and natural enough to socially dance to. So, pick a single move, a single footwork variation, you want to incorporate to your social repertoire and work on that. Then pick something new and work on that. Dancing’s all about the journey, so go easy on yourself and give yourself the time you need to improve at a pace that works for you.

    • The big 'NO' - how we navigate declining a dance
      • We’ve all been there before. Maybe you’ve approached someone or maybe someone approached you on the dance floor asking for a dance. And the answer is ‘no.’ It’s a tricky situation to navigate at times, especially if you’re a new dancer. What does it mean for someone to decline a dance*, and why is it an essential skill all dancers should practice and feel comfortable using? * In this article we aren’t going to go over how to navigate avoiding a dance with someone you aren’t comfortable dancing with. That is a separate conversation around consent and safe spaces and there are many resources out there that can help you with that. Why ‘no’ is an essential part of social dancing Etiquette is a big part of social dancing. Not only is it important for establishing a safe, healthy and consensual space for people to explore freedom and creativity with others, these ‘rules’ are also important for ensuring everyone is in control of their actions and aren’t obligated or forced to do something that makes them uncomfortable. Not everyone has the stamina or willpower to dance 12 songs in a row. At some point you need a break. Or perhaps you’re enjoying people-watching, or perhaps you need to use the restroom, or perhaps you want to appreciate the band more, or perhaps you need to cool down, or perhaps… The point is, there are a million reasons why you might not feel like dancing at this particular point in time. Saying ‘yes’ when you’d rather say ‘no’ doesn’t benefit anyone in the long run. You’re far less likely to enjoy the dance, and so will your partner - and if you’re not having fun - what’s the point??! Take that needed ‘me-time’ and step back onto the dance floor when you’re good and ready. You don’t need a reason to say no This is perhaps the most difficult bit around the whole ‘no’ conversation - the feeling that we must justify our reasons for declining a dance. This is absolutely not the case! Repeat it three times over “you don’t need a reason to say no, you don’t need a reason to say no, you don’t need a reason to say no.” Repeat it three more times for good measure. No one is owed an explanation for declining a dance, and you aren’t obligated to give one. That doesn’t mean you must hide your reasons for saying no, it just means that you don’t want to dance right now, and the world just has to be OK with that. And that flows nicely onto our next point… The difference between ‘declining’ and ‘rejecting’ Two similar words - two drastically different meanings. We sometimes struggle to disassociate the two and interpret someone declining a dance as someone rejecting a dance with you, specifically. Remember, it’s not all about you, so don’t take things too personally. You’re inserting your own agency into a situation it has no place being. You don’t know the reasons someone might not feel like dancing right now - chances are it’s got nothing to do with you. Remember, no one owes you a dance, and no one owes you an explanation. If you’re desperate to dance with this person, try asking them later (but don’t be too pushy). As long as you adopt a constructive mindset around the concept of declining a dance, you’ll find you have a much better time. Remember the above point about having fun? If someone’s not feeling a dance right now, what’s to gain from forcing them? Just thank them for their honesty and find someone else. Notes on consent: Consent is a big part of swing dancing and our community. Read our code of conduct to learn more. If you or anyone you know is struggling with issues around safety and consent you can find places to get help at: https://www.mentalhealth.org.nz/get-help/in-crisis/helplines/

    • Tips for surviving summer dancing
      • Summer is a time to be active, and when you get that perfect day you want to grab it with both hands, especially in a place like Wellington when those days can be few and far between! If you’re dancing somewhere with the sun blasting down from above and not a lick of shade in sight, you’re gonna have to take some extra care. Heat exhaustion, sunstroke, dehydration are all very real risks when hop-stepping in the heat, so asides from making sure you take breaks from time to time (do it) here are some additional tips to make sure you can keep on your toes and dance the summer away, without wilting. Hydrate Do yourself a favour and take water breaks! First and foremost, don’t forget to stay hydrate. When dancing you’re gonna sweat, and in summer time you’re gonna sweat that much more. It’s easy to get swept up in the rhythm and dance and dance and dance, only to leave the event without having touched a drop! Do yourself a favour and take water breaks! Even if that means missing the first 8 bars of a song because you’re fiddling with your drink bottle, that’s way better than leaving a dance with a pounding headache because you can’t remember drinking anything for hours! Dress appropriately We’ll be honest, this section applies more to men that women (but still has take-homes for everyone). If you’re gonna sweat, and sweat a lot - plan for it. A good rule of thumb we’ve found that works is that one T-shirt last for approximately 30min of rigorous dancing (give or take your natural tendency to sweat). So if you’re going to be at an event for at least an hour and a half, plan to bring at least 3 shirts. You’ll feel 10x better dancing in a fresh shirt, and so will your partner. Additionally, if you’re heading out to dance in the park or some place more fun and less formal, consider leaving the jeans or slacks at home and wear a pair of comfortable shorts. No-one’s gonna care what you wear as long as it’s appropriate and makes you feel good and comfortable. Practise saying ‘No.’ We don’t mean saying ‘no’ to dancing in summer, but the heat offers an opportunity for dancers of all kind to practice one of the more forgotten aspects of social dancing: declining a dance. Often, it feels like if someone approaches us at a social event and asks us to dance we have no choice but to smile and say ‘yes!’. There are a number of reasons why we may feels this way (and now’s not the place to unpack this particular box), but remember - you have your own agency and full permission to say no to a dance at any point in time, for whatever reason (or no reason at all). It takes time to learn this skill and even more time be comfortable using it, but the reward is a feeling of greater control (and therefore enjoyment) of your dancing. When social dancing, prioritise your self-care (eg not getting sunstroke) over the wants or needs of others. You won’t be able to dance with anyone if you’re passed out on the floor! At the end of the day, we’re all responsible for our own actions, including how we act on the dance floor. If you’re practising self-care, then you’re bound to have a more enjoyable experience, and so will the people around you. Learn more about recognising and preventing heat stroke or exhaustion.

    • Have you heard about Yehoodi?
      • Have you been bitten by the Lindy bug? Do you find yourself practicing your triple step in strange places, like waiting for the bus or at the grocery store? Are you ‘obsessed’ with stalking your favorite dancers on Instagram ? Do you find yourself wishing you knew more about the history and the individuals who shaped the swing dancing era? Are you wanting to build your Swing track playlist but keep finding the same songs everywhere? If you answered ‘yes’ to any of the above questions, boy do we have a recommendation for you! Yehoodi is every Lindy Hopper’s go to for anything and everything swing related. From awesome videos and tracks, to insightful pieces on the major players of the Lindy era, to the history of swing dancing and why it’s so important we don’t forget its roots, Yehoodi is your finger on the pulse for this energetic, alive and global community of passionate dancers. Check them out and be inspired. You won’t be sorry!

    • So you've done a block or two. Now what?
      • So you’ve successfully done a block or two, and you’re starting to feel good about your dancing. You have a few moves under your belt that you’re confident in, and you’re looking towards what’s next for you on your dancing journey. So where to from here? It’s always a good habit to stop every now and again and take at yourself and your dancing journey. Asking yourself questions like ‘what’s next in store for me?’, ‘what can I improve?’ and ‘how can I challenge myself further?’ are excellent self-awareness and self-development tools in any application, dancing included. If you’re already doing that - fantastic - you’re on the right track! However, dancing is often more about feeling than knowing - so knowing for sure when you’re ready to progress your dancing is a tricky one. To be clear - there is not ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach to swing dancing, but there are a couple of common guideposts to help you on your way. Practice outside of the classroom A swing class or workshop is a wonderful bubble where we learn how to move and express ourselves to a particular style of music. It’s a glorious hour that is so different from other sorts or social and physical activities. It can be tempting to leave what you learn there, in that room, only revisiting it only once or maybe twice a week when you go to class. However, as we can all relate to, we tend to forget things we don’t practice regularly, and that slows us down in terms of advancing as a dancer. Practice. Even simple things like practising your triple step while you wash the dishes does wonders for your muscle memory and the speed at which you can pick up new routines or dance moves. If only knowing when you were ready to move on were so easy! Put yourself on the social dance floor Arguably, the best way to progress and develop at a swing dancer is to take what you’ve learned in classes and try them out on the social dance floor. Lindy Hop, blues, balboa - swing dance is first and foremost a ‘social’ dance. It was made to be danced to live music, surrounded by people in a crowded bar or dance hall. Putting yourself on the social dance floor is the nearest thing to a ‘cheat’ in swing dancing. There is a clear and obvious difference between new dancers who have started going along to social dance events and those who have not. If you want to fast track your progression - go dance to live music! Yes it’s scary the first time you do it, but you’ll soon be kicking yourself you didn’t start social dancing sooner! Talk to your teachers If you’re thinking about moving up a level in your dancing, or simply want advice on how to get better there’s no need to suffer in silence. Your teachers are there to help you, and they’ve watched your grow as a dancer, so who better to seek advice from than them? In the early stages of dancing, it’s often a matter of building your dance vocabulary that is the limiting factor. Like learning a language, you need to know the basic verb forms before you can start building complex sentences. Dance is very much the same, so often its a case of sticking around until you’ve learned enough to build on from there. At a higher level, the question moves from whether or not you know how to perform X variations of a swing-out, and transitions to one more focused on your energy and how you move your body, your position in space and your connection to your partner. Again, your instructors are the ones best placed to offer you advice on how to get more out of your dancing and get to where you want to go. Remember, dancing is a journey and we’re all at different stages of it, going at different paces. At Sugarfoot Stomp we want everyone to get the maximum fulfilment and joy out of their dancing, do matter how far along their journey they may be.

    • You should be dancing!
      • There are many reasons why you should dance. First and foremost because it’s fun! However, there are also a number of important mental and physical benefits when it comes to shaking things up and moving to the beat! Physical benefits of dancing It doesn’t matter what style of dance you do, dance has always been an important part of human culture, connecting people through music and expression of movement. The great thing about dance is that it’s active, so it comes with a number of physical health benefits! What’s more, it’s active without needing to go to the gym! Bonus! The Victoria State Government reports a plethora of physical benefits when it comes to dancing: Improved cardiovascular function Increased muscle tone and strength Stronger bones Improved flexibility Greater coordination, balance and spatial awareness Did we also mention you don’t need to go to the gym? Mental benefits of dancing Arguably just as important, if not more so, are the mental or emotional benefits of dancing. Dancing is all about freedom of expression and positive social interaction. There are understandably many positive benefits dancing regularly has on your mental state and well-being. A study done by the University of California found that committed (or regular) dancers are more likely to feel happier and less depressed and have an overall greater mood than non-dancers or even occasional dancers. The same thing was found by the Victoria State Government when it came to the mental benefits of dance: Improved mental well-being Improved social skills Greater self-confidence Greater self-esteem At Sugarfoot Stomp, we love to share in this thing call swing dancing, love to see the positive impact social dancing has for our members. Come along to one of our classes, social event or workshops to see it for yourself!

    • What is this thing called Lindy Hop?
      • Swing dancing is a big, wide term, an umbrella that shelters dozens of different styles of dances born from the jazz era of the 1930’s and 1940’s, characterized by the distinctive ‘swing’ rhythm in the music. Perhaps the most notable and recognizable styles that falls under the swing umbrella is the lindy hop. It’s bubbly, it stretches, it snaps and it pops. If it sounds like I’ve described bubblegum you wouldn’t be wrong, lindy hop is high energy but relaxed, expressive and dynamic - and above all else - fun! Today, lindy hop is danced the world over, from Brasilia to Budapest What is Lindy Hop? Born of the streets and in the ballrooms of Harlem, New York, lindy hop combines elements of partnered dance, solo jazz, improvisation and Charleston - quickly becoming the most popular of the swing dance family. It has its roots firmly in African American culture and dance traditions, born during a time when they were not allowed to dance in certain halls or ballrooms. The name lindy hop itself comes from a newspaper headline ‘LINDY HOPS THE ATLANTIC’, after Charles Lindbergh's groundbreaking flight to Paris in 1927. Lindy hop is unabashedly and unapologetically an expression of joy. It is first and foremost a ‘social’ dance, meaning it’s best seen and felt at a dance event on the social dance floor (ideally to live music!).

    • What is this thing called the Shim Sham?
      • If you’ve ever attended a social lindy hop dance event, chances are that sometime towards the end of the evening the music changed and everyone rushed to the middle of the dance floor to perform the Shim Sham. For many new dancers who have yet to dip their toes into this famous routine, it can sometimes leave you a little confused as to what is going on. Like a flash mob within a flash mob, there seems to be unspoken cues and choreography - an unspoken conversation everyone seems to be taking part in. But what is the Shim Sham really? (beyond a routine). And why are people the world over obsessed with performing it at every social gathering? The Shim Sham has been around since the 1920, but the one you’re likely to see today is the version popularized by Frankie Manning which is most commonly performed by swing dancers to 'Tain't What You Do (It's The Way That Cha Do It)". The Shim Sham is a mash up of part routine, part social dance. The first part of the routine is a line dance made up of choreographed moved which dissolves into social dancing with a partner as the song reaches its climax. The moves are simple enough so that everyone can learn them, but open up a lot of possibility when it comes to style and personal expression. Arguably, one of the most enjoyable aspects of the Shim Sham is the universality of the routine. It’s popularity means that it’s regularly performed on the social dance floor, and it’s so widespread that once you add it to your repertoire you can dance it from Stockholm to Sydney - a global community of shim shammers enjoying this unique and creative form of expression. After all, ‘tain’t what you do, it’s the way that cha do it!

    • Saturday Shake Up - October Edition!
      • Throw some glitter on it, it's time to get fancy! We're stoked to announce the next Saturday Shake-Up at Loft24! Come as whatever makes you feel like your most glamorous, fancy self. Don't hold back, there will be a prize for the fanciest among you!  With plenty of space for dancing, and a beginner taster class starting at 7.30pm it'll be another fun night of music, glitter and dance! The amazing Ol' King Cole band will be playing some sweet swinging tunes from 8.30pm till late. There might even be a surprise performance or two! Bring your spare change too as there will be a raffle for some awesome goodies and prizes. Buy tickets

    • What is this thing called swing dancing?
      • “Get down! Get low! Get sassy! Stay low to the ground! Don’t be afraid to bend your legs! Lower! This ain’t no Riverdance, people!”– Frankie ManningOn the surface, swing dancing is the name that encompasses the many different and varied dance styles that came out of the 'Swing era' in the 30's and 40's. However, these styles all share commonalities and all ties back to their jazz roots and the black American culture they were born from. Today, the most popular and widespread type of swing dancing is the 'Lindy Hop.' It's joyful and playful, meant to get your body 'swinging'. Grounded to the music and connected to a partner, its a truly unique form of spontaneous self expression. Lindy hop danced from New York to Amsterdam, London to Adelaide and all the way down here in New Zealand too. Like all forms of dancing, swing dancing has evolved over the years to become what it is today. However, there is still the strong connection to the African-American roots that inspired it in the early 30's. Today, swing dancers have the privilege of being able to take joy from a dance form that was born in a place where black Americans were denied dancing in the same spaces as white Americans. Swing dancing (in particular blues dancing), was born from a culture of oppression, and we are fortunate enough to be able to keep it alive today.

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