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Position:Home>Dancing> Learn swing dance?Question: Learn swing dance?ok im a total fan of swing dance and big band and i wanna know some good songs and where i can learn dance moves over the internet for free Best Answer - Chosen by Asker: Swing is a social dance, and it's cool you're looking for resources online to learn from, but when it comes down to it, you are dancing with another person, not by yourself. Online resources might help you learn more, but they aren't going to get you started. I recommend that you find your local lindy hop scene/instructor to get you started (where you can learn about lead and follow dancing). Try searching you City/State on this website: http://www.thelindyhop.com That being said . . . If you're a beginner, you're to want to start out by learning some East Coast Swing. This is the easiest to learn as a beginner. It's a 6-count basic, and stays in that basic. It's also a standard ballroom dance, and is very easy to find a teacher. Here's how to dance it: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bucqgf90h... Now, unless you're going into competitive ballroom, there's really no reason to stick with learning ONLY east coast, you'll want to move on to Lindy Hop. Lindy Hop is the original swing dance that developed out of the Charleston in Harlem. It's almost always danced to what's considered "swing music" by most people's standards. It's an 8 count dance that can have different variations. Here's how to dance it: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vvju2q1cg... In addition you should learn other swing type dances like Charleston, Balboa and Collegiate Shag. There are a few free instructional videos on YouTube and Google Video you can search for, but I find the best online resource is: http://www.idance.net They have some free lessons, but most you have to pay for . . . don't worry, it's only a $1 per video, so that's pretty cheap! Now the swing music you might be interested in dancing to depends on whether you are a bigger fan of Cherry Poppin' Daddies, Louis Prima, or Benny Goodman. I'll assume that you're probably into "Neo-Swing", which is modern pop swing like Cherry Poppin' Daddies. Here's a list of some neo-swing bands and songs: (band name - song name) Bellvue Cadillac - Call of the Wild Bellvue Cadillac - Pay Pay Pay Big Bad Voodoo Daddy - Go Daddy-O Big Bad Voodoo Daddy - Jumpin' Jack Big Bad Voodoo Daddy - Mr. Pinstripe Suit Brian Setzer Orchestra - Americano Brian Setzer Orchestra - Pennsylvania 6-5000 Cherry Poppin' Daddies - Brown Derby Jump Cherry Poppin' Daddies - No Mercy For Swine Colin James - C'mon With the C'mon Ditty Bops - Sister Kate Double Down - All In Flying Neutrinos - Mr. Zoot Suit Gas House Gorillas - Find a Little Boogie Gas House Gorillas - Quiet Whiskey Jive Aces - Planet Jive Martini Max - Gangster Man Phat Cat Swinger - Phat Cat Swinger Phat Cat Swinger - Volcano Joe Royal Crown Revue - Barflies at the Beach Royal Crown Revue - Hey! Pachuco Royal Crown Revue - Something's Got to Give Royal Crown Revue - Zip Gun Bop Squirrel Nut Zippers - Good Enough for Grandad Squirrel Nut Zippers - Hell Squirrel Nut Zippers - Put a Lid on It Stray Cats - Fishnet Stockings Stray Cats - Rock This Town Zoot Suit Revue - Money Cash Now if you like "Jump, Jive n' Wail", it's originally a jump blues song that originated in the late 40's and 50's. If you're into how that song sound, you should listen to these jump blues and early rock n' roll songs: Big Six - We the Boys Will Rock Ya! Bill Haley and His Comets - Burn That Candle Bill Haley and His Comets - Rock this Joint Bill Haley and His Comets - See Ya Later Alligator Bill Haley and His Comets - Shake Rattle and Roll Bull Moose Jackson - Big Ten Inch Bull Moose Jackson - Why Don't You Haul Off and Love Me Clarence "Frogman" Henry - Ain't Got No Home Dion - Runaround Sue Flattop Tom and His Jump Cats - Cats Meow George Whitesell - Hide and Seek Indigo Swing - Another Day in LA Indigo Swing - Blue Suit Boogie Julie Lee - Last Call for Alcohol Jump Jones - Sittin' On It All The Time Louis Jordan - Ain't Nobody Here But Us Chickens Louis Jordan - Caldonia Louis Jordan - Saturday Night Fish Fry Louis Prima - 5 Months, 2 Weeks, 2 Days Louis Prima - Closer to the Bone Louis Prima - Just a Gigolo Louis Prima - Whistle Stop Mighty Blue Kinds - Green Grass Grows All Around Mighty Blue Kinds - Ragg Mopp Rob Rio - Fat Girl Boogie Steve Lucky and the Rhumba Bums - Jumptown Stompy Jones (aka Swing Session) - Boogie Woogie on a Saturday Night Stompy Jones (aka Swing Session) - Juke Box Judy Stompy Jones (aka Swing Session) - Mondine Stompy Jones (aka Swing Session) - Saxawoogie Stompy Jones (aka Swing Session) - Well Well My Love Wynonie Harris - Bloodshot Eyes Wynonie Harris - Wasn't That Good? Now, you might not be interested in Big Band music, but that's where all of swing comes from. Most of the music does not come off as "high energy" like Neo-Swing for two reasons: 1) Recording technology wasn't great back then, and 2) It's hard to capture the energy of a big band on a recording, even today; however, the best dances I've ever been too have been with a full 20 piece big band! (Additionally, Christina's Candyman song samples the melody from the Andrews Sisters' song "Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy".) Regardless, you should check out these required songs from the Big Band Era: Andrews Sisters - Bounce Me Brother with a Solid Four Andrews Sisters - Hold Tight Anita O'Day & Gene Krupa - Drum Boogie Artie Shaw - Carioca Artie Shaw - Man From Mars Artie Shaw - Traffic Jam Benny Goodman - Life Goes to a Party Benny Goodman - Sing, Sing, Sing Benny Goodman - Swingtime in the Rockies Bill Elliot Swing Orchestra - Bill's Bounce (live) Bill Elliot Swing Orchestra - Camp Hollywood Special Bill Elliot Swing Orchestra - Traffic Jam Campus 5 - Diga Diga Doo Campus 5 - Doin' at the Doing Count Basie - Jumpin' at the Woodside Count Basie - Shorty George Count Basie - Swingin' The Blues Duke Ellington - Rockin' in Rhythm Ella Fitzgerald - Oh' Lady Be Good Ella Fitzgerald - Too Darn Hot Fletcher Henderson - Christopher Columbus Glenn Miller - American Patrol Glenn Miller - Bugle Call Rag Glenn Miller - Jeep Jockey Jump Lionel Hampton - Flying Home Louis Armstrong - C Jam Blues Solomon Douglas Swingtet - Indiana Tommy Dorsey - One O'clock Jump Tommy Dorsey - Well, Git It! Anyways, I hope that helps! If you want a little inspiration about swing dancing, check out this video (It's from a professional Lindy Hop competition): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=myjj0mnne... Happy Dancing! Source(s): I'm a swing dancer. sherch for chep dancing schools on yahoo or ask somebody u know if they know any good chep dancing schools to lean swing dance yea i love dancin that type of swing music...!! u should try dancin the 50's swing like Johnny B good and stuff like dat...hey wats up? y didnt u ever write back? well anyways wuts up??holla! If this shorcut doesn't work go to "gap commercial - Khaki Swing" http://video.yahoo.com/video/play?vid=11... This one's instructions on swing dancing http://rds.yahoo.com/_ylt=a9j8a1oecalh2c... free swing music on; http://www.tropicalglen.com/fa-swing.htm... One of the biggest part of enjoying Swing Dancing is the social interaction and learning things from people on the dance floor. If you really want to learn it, you'll do much better finding a local swing or lindy hop dance group (or 2nd best a studio). Have fun. |