Posted: Fri May 16, 2003 2:38 pm
Yeah, I guess way off topic...but you know, this is at least a more neutral site than yehoodi or jj.
Good points. We have that distinguising problem in eugene, the local westies called their club just the "Eugene Swing Club" and always advertised their stuff as just "Swing" .. and I think once you're a more advanced dancer and you can dance with all kinds of swing dancers, that kind of generalization is a good thing, but for beginners it's usually not wha they're looking for. (which is, to be honest, probably zoot suits and suspenders...)
anyway, I don't have a particularly fiery opinion about this stuff, so I feel safe commenting. :)
I guess that's kind of the idea behind the whole vernacular jazz dance thing too - it gives us an umbrella term so we don't have use lindy to apply to stuff that's pretty unrelated (like shag, to use an example that wont offend anyone :) ), but is still basically done by people who are lindy hoppers.. "Vernacular Jazz Dancer" just doesn't *quite* roll off the tongue.
Personally, I dont mind the term swing dancer, I like to think it gives me the option to, as I feel like it or the music dictates or whatever, steal stuff from everything from 20's charleston to carolina shag and west coast..
but I can also, if the music dictates and I feel like it, try to be totally traditionalist.. maybe not succeed, but it's fun to try..
No doubt though - it sounds awfully perjorative to tell people they're swing dancers not lindy hoppers.
Good points. We have that distinguising problem in eugene, the local westies called their club just the "Eugene Swing Club" and always advertised their stuff as just "Swing" .. and I think once you're a more advanced dancer and you can dance with all kinds of swing dancers, that kind of generalization is a good thing, but for beginners it's usually not wha they're looking for. (which is, to be honest, probably zoot suits and suspenders...)
anyway, I don't have a particularly fiery opinion about this stuff, so I feel safe commenting. :)
I guess that's kind of the idea behind the whole vernacular jazz dance thing too - it gives us an umbrella term so we don't have use lindy to apply to stuff that's pretty unrelated (like shag, to use an example that wont offend anyone :) ), but is still basically done by people who are lindy hoppers.. "Vernacular Jazz Dancer" just doesn't *quite* roll off the tongue.
Personally, I dont mind the term swing dancer, I like to think it gives me the option to, as I feel like it or the music dictates or whatever, steal stuff from everything from 20's charleston to carolina shag and west coast..
but I can also, if the music dictates and I feel like it, try to be totally traditionalist.. maybe not succeed, but it's fun to try..
No doubt though - it sounds awfully perjorative to tell people they're swing dancers not lindy hoppers.