Swing

[SwingWaltz]

Ok, I think this word might deserve a topic to itself. I hear a lot of pros say that the ultimate for a lot of steps is to create power through swing.

Now I had two ideas about swing:

1) Swing the up side upwards

2) Swing the down side downwards

I know they happen at the same time, but which one do you think is more important or equall important? What do you think about when you try to generate swing eg in natural turn in waltz or feather step in foxtrot.

[TangoDancer]

Unless I am misunderstanding, it has little to do with sides. The sides are a residual action of the swing generated in the hips through step/fall/follow through/recover, etc depending on the dance or precede.

[QPO]

Unless I am misunderstanding, it has little to do with sides. The sides are a residual action of the swing generated in the hips through step/fall/follow through/recover, etc depending on the dance or precede.

this makes sense that it comes from the hips

[SwingWaltz]

So if it's hip, does it happen through swinging the hip up or pulling the opposit down?

[TangoDancer]

So if it's hip, does it happen through swinging the hip up or pulling the opposit down?

If speaking in terms of fox/waltz, it happens from the momentum of the push/fall/recover/follow through of the preceding movement. If you think of it as an action initiated, you can't get it. Swing, in all dance, is always an action created.

[Some guy]

[Sitting down with some popcorn watching intently how this pans out] 
I've found the concept of swing really fascinating. 

[SwingWaltz]

[Sitting down with some popcorn watching intently how this pans out] 
I've found the concept of swing really fascinating. 

Isn't it just! I heard one of my teachers said that swing is the magic word all dancers try to achieve.

[drj]

[Sitting down with some popcorn watching intently how this pans out] 
I've found the concept of swing really fascinating. 

+1

My instructor remarked on how well I was swinging the other day. I had *no* idea what he was talking about, so would be glad to see what other folks think swing is. It's a mystery to me, and like so many mysteries, I want to poke at it with a stick until I get a response.

[samina]

[Sitting down with some popcorn watching intently how this pans out] 
I've found the concept of swing really fascinating. 

+1

My instructor remarked on how well I was swinging the other day. I had *no* idea what he was talking about, so would be glad to see what other folks think swing is. It's a mystery to me, and like so many mysteries, I want to poke at it with a stick until I get a response.

you swinger, you...

[Some guy]

+1

My instructor remarked on how well I was swinging the other day. I had *no* idea what he was talking about, so would be glad to see what other folks think swing is. It's a mystery to me, and like so many mysteries, I want to poke at it with a stick until I get a response.

Ha ha!  Is there a way to really "create" swing?  I have found that it can only be observed, or... you really have to imagine you're on the swing and forget everything else.

[elisedance]

+1

My instructor remarked on how well I was swinging the other day. I had *no* idea what he was talking about, so would be glad to see what other folks think swing is. It's a mystery to me, and like so many mysteries, I want to poke at it with a stick until I get a response.

Ha ha!  Is there a way to really "create" swing?  I have found that it can only be observed, or... you really have to imagine you're on the swing and forget everything else.

Like so many things in performance art: once you try to create it, you are no longer doing it.
So if you are doing it, don't fret or worry, just enjoy.  I think its best to not forget that ballroom is first and formost something you enjoy to do with your body with a partner.  I'm sure that the top pros are not thinking 'am I swinging enough/properly/late enough/on the right step... etc they are just dancing

[Some guy]

True that!

[drj]

[Sitting down with some popcorn watching intently how this pans out] 
I've found the concept of swing really fascinating. 

+1

My instructor remarked on how well I was swinging the other day. I had *no* idea what he was talking about, so would be glad to see what other folks think swing is. It's a mystery to me, and like so many mysteries, I want to poke at it with a stick until I get a response.

you swinger, you...

yourself! lol

[skipper]

has anyone ever gone to the playground - put your tush in the swing and just played?  Forward, backward, forward, backword, forward, backward.....

[elisedance]

We've been working more on sway and while I know I should not be but it has made me confused about swing again.  sway is side to side while swing is really forward-back (with some rotational) but if you do a strong sway it seems to interfere with your capacity to swing....