Tom, at a guess, Aahz is not talking about NOT spending time on the swing, nor about neglecting to teach dancers how to start/end one--just that the finer points of technique aren't a priority for the beginner's lesson. Of course any teacher worth their salt will teach that a swing always ends with the lady on the right. But I think all Aahz is saying is that, IF the dancers end the swing with the lady on the right, it doesn't really matter how they get there--fumbling through a swing happens, and it's easy to recover from, while moves that involve the rest of your hands-4 or the rest of the set have potential to cause way more disruption to the dance if botched.
I agree that the buzz-step is not the be-all, end-all of contra swing! I've been dancing for going on 5 years and I pretty much exclusively walk-swing, because I find it more comfortable and easy to control, and don't actually like swinging extremely fast. John mentions the bad habits that even experienced dancers may have while swinging, such as: - grip, clamp, squeeze, hang, press - hold their partner in the wrong place so it is uncomfortable - use too much strength and try to do silly things like making their partners feet leave the floor - lean sideways or backwards - start twirls too late and when they are facing the wrong way so that they end up in the wrong place I find it pretty telling that this list of habits actually has nothing to do with footwork! In my opinion, the reason to teach walking swing instead of buzz-step to beginners is that there's SO MUCH ELSE to concentrate on. The more things we can abstract away, the easier a time beginners will have learning what's left. If you're focusing on strange new footwork (and I find that buzz-stepping beginners tend to think that the buzz-stepping is the most important part of the swing, and concentrate more on that than on their frame), it's harder to pick up things like giving weight, a proper hold, etc. But everyone already knows how to walk! I would also add that I would much rather dance with someone doing a funky/odd/strange/unpracticed walking swing than a funky/odd/strange/unpracticed buzz step. I find that there are fewer ways to mess up a walk, and that there's less potential for your partner to be uncomfortable or perhaps harmed than with one of those galloping, out-of-control excited-pony buzz step swings. Just my two cents! Cheers, Maia On Sun, Jun 21, 2015 at 1:38 PM, Amy Wimmer via Callers < callers@lists.sharedweight.net> wrote: > I love John's idea of teaching the buzz step as individuals first, > then as couples. The most frequent complaints I hear from men is that > women hang on them and don't hold up their own weight during a swing. > The most frequent complaint I hear from women is men pulling them off > their feet and going too fast. If they can learn to hold themselves > upright on their own first, then everyone will have a much more > enjoyable experience. > > -Amy > > > > > On Jun 21, 2015, at 3:44 AM, John Sweeney via Callers < > callers@lists.sharedweight.net> wrote: > > > > Yes, of course I always tell dancers that they can walk instead of buzz, > but > > the buzz-step is so much more fun that it seems crazy not to teach it > when > > every dance is going to have a swing and usually two. > > > > <Digression:> Yes, I love swinging, and have been loving it for fifty > years > > now, but why does every new dance have to have two swings? Oh no, not > > Neighbour Balance & Swing, Circle Left 3/4, Partner Swing again - that's > > half the dance gone with nothing new or interesting in it! (And changing > the > > Circle Left 3/4 to Men/Ladies Allemande 1 & 1/2 does not make it more > > interesting!) I write lots of dances with one or zero swings - a > zero-swing > > dance can have so much good stuff in it that the dancers don't even > notice > > there is no swing; they are having too much fun. It always puzzles me > when > > people take a great one-swing dance and re-choreograph it to add a second > > swing, losing part of what made it a great dance just for the sake of > even > > more swinging. <End of digression.> > > > > I found it interesting that Ron said, "the buzz-step swing gets axed if > I'm > > short on time". If I only had time to teach one thing then the only > thing I > > would teach would be the buzz-step swing, and how to finish it so you > end up > > in the right place. I can't think of anything else that newcomers can't > > learn during the walk-throughs. > > > > Question: If you were calling for a group with a dozen newcomers in the > hall > > out of 100 people, and the organizers said you could have two minutes > > teaching before you started the first walk-through, what would you teach? > > For me the answer is obvious, every dance has a buzz-step swing; teach a > > buzz-step swing. > > > > Another reason for teaching swinging is that there are a significant > number > > of "experienced" dancers who have bad swinging habits. I dance all over > the > > USA and the UK and wherever I go there are always some people who: > > - grip, clamp, squeeze, hang, press > > - hold their partner in the wrong place so it is uncomfortable > > - use too much strength and try to do silly things like making their > > partners feet leave the floor > > - lean sideways or backwards > > - start twirls too late and when they are facing the wrong way so that > they > > end up in the wrong place > > - etc. > > > > If just a couple of those dancers pick up on any of these points and > improve > > their swinging then you have done good work! > > > > Yes, I hate it when callers talk too much and take time out of dancing > time. > > But this can be really short: > > > > Sample teach: > > = = = = = = = = > > Hi, I'm John. We have some new people here today and they are going to > > spend half an hour swinging tonight, so please let's spend a minute or > two > > on showing them how it's done. And all you great dancers out there why > not > > see if you can't make your swing even better for you and your partners. > > > > This is called a buzz-step swing. > > > > First, let go of you partner completely. Put your left toe just behind > your > > right foot like this. Now walk fast on the spot. Now push with your left > > foor as though you were on a skateboard and turn clockwise by yourself on > > the spot. Relax your knees so you don't bounce up and down. See how > > smoothly.you can turn with the minimum of effort. > > > > Now take your partner in a ballroom hold - the man's hand on the lady's > > shoulderblade - it is far more comfotable for the lady if you hold them > up > > high. Now relax - make sure you are not pressing on any part of your > > partner. > > > > And swing - it should be a gentle embrace where, as a single > counterbalanced > > unit, you glide smoothly and effortlessly around. Smile at your partner > and > > you won't get dizzy. > > > > Now think of your joined hands as an arrowhead and finish pointing at the > > other couple. > > > > If you are having trouble with the buzz-step then you can always just > walk. > > = = = = = = = = > > > > I just timed that and it took less than 90 seconds. Surely that is worth > > doing! > > > > Yes, some of them won’t get it, but for those who do you have just > greatly > > enhanced their enjoyment of the evening. > > > > Anyway, that's what I think. :-) > > > > Happy dancing, > > John > > > > John Sweeney, Dancer, England j...@modernjive.com 01233 625 362 > > http://www.contrafusion.co.uk for Dancing in Kent > > > > _______________________________________________ > > Callers mailing list > > Callers@lists.sharedweight.net > > http://lists.sharedweight.net/listinfo.cgi/callers-sharedweight.net > _______________________________________________ > Callers mailing list > Callers@lists.sharedweight.net > http://lists.sharedweight.net/listinfo.cgi/callers-sharedweight.net >