by Carl Nelson

I had the chance to interview Michael Faltesek (Mike Faltesek, Falty) via e-mail a while ago.  He will be teaching at Cat’s Corner’s Tenth anniversary in Montreal alongside Stefan and Bethany.

1)  Where and when did you start dancing?

I started dancing in 1997 in Saint Paul, MN at a place called the Wabasha Street Caves.  They have a live big band playing every week, and it was one of the few venues that was all ages as I was only 17 at the time.  I remember that place quite fondly.

2)  What was it about jazz that got you so hooked?

This is a difficult question to answer, as I am still uncovering things about the beauty of jazz all the time.  There are a few things that stand out, however.  Growing up in the 80s and 90s, the popular music on the radio and that my classmates listened to was very manufactured, one dimensional, and not intellectually stimulating.  Jazz was a breathe of fresh air.  Complicated but based on a basic structure of mostly 32 bar or 16 bar choruses, rife with improvisation and playfulness.  It’s the type of music that works its way in through your ears and out through your feet.  It runs the gamut of emotions, but you always walk away feeling much happier after listening.  I also have always preferred acoustic instrumentation to it’s electrified counterpart.  I feel electric music serves to distance the listener from the music, but acoustic music is like a warm hug that just brings you right in and says “There, there.  Did that Big Bad Voodoo Daddy hurt you?”.

3)  What kind of influence has tap had on your dancing?

That’s almost like asking, “What kind of influence has speaking had on your ability to communicate?”  A huge influence!  Tap is what happens when the music and the dance come together.  Tap is as much an instrument as it is a dance.  It helped me deepen my understanding of the music and also helped me increase my rhythmical ability, which I feel is the most important aspect for a swing dancer to have.

4)  Where do you get inspiration as a dancer? As a teacher?

As a dancer, the inspiration for me comes not only from the greats of yesteryear, but also my peers like Todd, Andy, Casey, Joshua, Stefan, Bethany, Nina, Loggins and many more.  My biggest inspiration always has, and will continue to be the music.

As a teacher, the inspiration come from seeing the look on a student’s face when I am able to explain a new concept to them, or seeing people out on the social dance floor doing things you taught them.  It not only makes you feel relevant, but also makes you feel like you have done a great job.

5)  What do you think is the most relevant thing you can offer to other dancers?

The most relevant thing I can offer is passion.  If you get someone excited enough about something, they will be inspired to go out on their own and search for themselves. My passion for this dance and music is contagious.  I WILL INFECT YOU.

6)  Where would you like to see the Lindy Hop scene go in the future?

More live music and more young musicians.   There is a disconnect between the dancers and musicians and I feel that it mostly has to do with the fact that we are in entirely different social circles.  If the line between dancers and musicians became more blurred, I think it would serve us all very well.

7) You worked with the Hot Shots back in 2004, what was it like to work with a professional troupe, and do you think you would do something like that again?

There were many pros and cons to working with the Hot Shots.  It was definitely the most growing I had ever done as a dancer in such a short period of time.  Working with a professional troupe was so much fun!  For those who were running the group it must of been a lot of hard work too.  The only hard work for me was the numerous times a week we would practice and the pace at which we learned things.  I came away from that a much more confident, experienced dancer and performer.  It was really a dance life changing experience.  I would love to do something like that again, only if it came under the guidance of a mentor like Lennart.  People with his kind of knowledge and ability are few and far between.  He has really helped me to become the dancer that I am.

Mike Faltesek taught at Inspiration Weekend in Orange County this past weekend. Visit his personal website.

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