Lindy Hop 1 Recap : Week One

This week is the first week of our brand new Lindy Hop blocks! To help you remember everything you learn in class we have decided to do a little recap of the moves and technique with some important points to remember about each. It's definietly not a substitute to the class, but it may jog your memory!

In the first week we talked about the roles of the lead and follow, how the lead initiates a move and the follow waits to feel the lead before responding. As you get more advanced these roles can become a little more flexible, but for now it's good to keep a nice and clear structure.

First we started with the basic footwork, (step,step, triple step, step, step, triple step), and did this along a line with our partner. This is just a nice building block for learning the footwork, but be prepared to adapt!

The next two moves involved the leads staying on the spot and moving their partner in front:

The Promenade

• Follows, you are always trying to keep connected with the hand on your back, hence you walk backwards.
• Leads, think about walking straight through your partner confidently and clearly.
• At the end, follows stay on the spot and leads move to the side.

The Yo-Yo

• Follows, don't expect the move, step as if you were being led in a Promenade. This will help create that nice stretchy feeling we talked about.
• Leads, provide a nice squishy wall for your follow to hit, as opposed to an uncomfortable solid wall (which causes whiplash!).

The next two moves involved the follows staying on the spot this time, and the leads moving directly in front of their partner.

The Lindy Circle

• The big bad daddy of the class-you will use this move for the rest of your Lindy Hoppin' days! Practice makes perfect.
• Leads, think about pivoting around, as opposed to crossing your feet either in front or behind.
• Follows, only step as far as necessay (as in, only as far as your led). If you feel like you are tripping up on your feet, remember to cross in front and not behind.

The Outside Turn

• Leads, create a nice high five and then send your partner through on count 5.
• Follows, pace your steps and only turn as far as your partner has led you. Keep your forearm in front of your face to protect your shoulder.

We hope you enjoyed the class! If you have some feedback, we'd love to hear it! You can access our feedback form online here. You can remain anonymous.

Stay tuned for a video recap of week one, as it won't upload at the moment. We will add it later!