Resources
Props Section!
It’s been a long time coming, but since teaching and sharing dance can sometimes be a thankless gig, I’ve been itching to start giving shout outs to people who I think are doing some really awesome work for the dance community. This time I’d like to throw the spotlight on a few people in particular. One of them is Laura Glaess. Her movement is a thing of utter beauty and her tutorials explain some really fundamental concepts in an accessible and succinct way. The other is Bobby White, whose research into the history of this dance has extraordinary value. Last but not least, two people who definitely inspire me constantly on and off the dance floor are Chandrae Roettig and Stephen Sayer, who bring a truly impressive level of style and technique to swing and give their all to their teams on a regular basis. Thank you all so much for your efforts and devotion to your craft!!
Check out Laura’s video library for drills, routines, history, tips and moves.
Videos every swing dancer should see
Every dancer has that moment where they become “that person” in the conversation because they haven’t seen a particular video. That will happen no matter what, but here are a few of the most important ones, or at least the ones that I’ve heard talked about the most. These are gold!
Hellzapoppin’ (incl. Norma Miller, Al Minns & Frankie Manning)
Buck Privates (featuring Dean Collins & Jewel McGowan)
Don’t Knock the Rock (featuring Freda Wyckoff, Joe Lanza, Lou Southern and Gil & Nicky Brady)
The Venice Beach clip (w/ Hal & Betty Takier, Jack Helwig & Genevieve Grazis, Dick Landry & Connie Wydell)
Groovy Movie (incl. Jean Veloz, Irene Thomas, Lenny Smith, Arthur Walsh, Chuck Saggau & Kay Vaughn)
Swing Fever (“Undecided” featuring Jean Veloz)
A Day at the Races (featuring Norma Miller, Leon James, Snooky Beasley, Willa Mae Ricker, Ella Gibson and more)
Jumping Jive with Cab Calloway (featuring Fayard and Harold Nicholas)
Arthur Murray teaching Collegiate Shag in the movie "How To Dance The Shag". Don’t miss the dancers at 3:15!
Header image property of the New York Public Library
Music
Looking for some music to get your feet moving?
Here are some Spotify playlists for you.
A couple of third-party websites for your jazz journey:
Classic jazz library with playlists and downloadable mp3s:
Classic jazz online
List of jazz bands that play music suited to dancers, with links to albums:
Swing music albums to buy
Dance Shoes
I get asked about dance shoes pretty often, so here are some tips. Dance shoes can be pricey, and you may not even need them. In fact, I danced in Keds and knock-off brands for years with no problem, using duct tape (disclaimer: it rubs off) or suede (which you can have your local shoe-repair person throw on for $10/$15) on the bottoms to avoid the sticky rubber because it can ruin your joints if your shoes grip the floor too much. Toms are also great as long as the floor isn’t too sticky. Dance shoes with leather soles usually go for around 125 to 200 USD/EUR, but if you’re dancing several times a week, a good pair can be worth the investment. Just don’t feel obligated to break the bank! These are the brands I generally wear. I tend to obliterate my shoes, so believe me, they’ve been put to the test. In the photo, the black boots are Swivells, the yellow, black and yellow/white peep toes are Bounce, the silver glitter ones are Begoña Cervera and the coral and silver pairs are Madame Dynamite. They’re all pretty comfortable but the first and last brands deserve extra points for comfort.
