Bobby “Extremely” White is currently in the middle of P90X, a 90-day work-out regimen that’s growing popularity with swing dance instructors. Each week, he reviews one of the programs 12 exercises, and gives an update on how it’s going and where it hurts. Read the previous post (week 6) here.

DAY 49

The second month of P90X goes like this: Day 1: Shoulders, Chest and Triceps, Day 2: Plyometrics, Day 3: Arms, Day 4: Yoga, Day 5: Legs, Day 6: Kempo (a martial-art type cardio workout), and Day 7: Lying in the fetal position, whimpering (rest day).

I wonder a lot these days if movies and television have wired my generation to think that things come easier than they actually do. Every guy is destined to meet that quirky, witty girl, who also happens to have a perfect body. That promotion is just a bold risk and charismatic smile away. Or, think of the training montage, for instance. In almost any sport or martial arts movie, like Rocky 1 through 13, half of the movie is spent with a down-on-his-luck hero getting kicked around by the enemy, and finally deciding that it’s time to stick up for himself. Then a five minute 80s song plays while we see our hero get stronger, pump iron, drink raw eggs, download all he ever needed to know about kong fu through a portal in the back of his head, and perfect the crane kick. (more…)

Filed Under: Dance Advice, Trends | Wednesday, May 6th, 2009

Song: Wham
Album: 1944 Uncollected - Live at Jefferson Barracks
Artist: Jimmie Lunceford and His Harlem Express
Words and music: Eddie Durham/Joseph Taps Miller (1939)

I first heard about this Lunceford album from a subtle post by Andy Reid on SwingDJs.

The album on CD was, and is still, ridiculously cheap, so that was an easy pick up.  I was drawn to this album by a mention of a hot recording of For Dancers Only, and it was worth it — great recording.  But I was also taken with this recording of Wham.

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Recorded in 1944 at a military barracks in Missouri, this album is a great archive of a big band playing live for dancers.  Unlike studio transcriptions and radio only broadcasts, dance performances typically have more life and zest to them.  Let’s face it, I’d rather be dancing to a great live band than to canned music, but if I must dance to recorded music, I love to dance to a great band that was playing for dancers. Side note: check out “The Duke at Fargo” for another great dance performance album.
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Filed Under: Song of the Week | Monday, May 4th, 2009