Bobby “Extremely” White recently finished 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.

DAY 77

At the writing of this post, I began the third week of my final month of P90X, which starts off with a First Month workout week, followed by a Second Month work out week, and then repeats that two-week chunk, ending with a final recovery week.

Over the past few weeks, a few important things have happened. First, I was shopping in the grocery store, about to pick up my favorite $1 food, a box of Swiss Cake Rolls. Over the past year, it has been a ritual that every few weeks I get a box and I was long overdue. But I suddenly thought to myself. “No, I’d rather have a healthy, great-looking body than a Swiss Cake Roll.” It sounds silly, even melodramatic; but anyone who knows what it felt like to say that knows what an important step that was. To celebrate, I got a box of Swiss Cake Rolls. (Just kidding). (more…)

Filed Under: Dance Advice, Dance Trivia, Trends | Friday, July 10th, 2009

Last week’s answer
Which modern Lindy Hop team originally performed to “The Last Jump (To End All Jumps)” by Charlie Barnet? Bonus question: which team got people talking by choreographing and performing to the same song a year later?

ANSWER: Silver Shadows performed to the song “The Last Jump (To End All Jumps)” by Charlie Barnet at the American Lindy Hop Championships in Stamford, CT in 2006. They also performed it at the US OPEN that year in Anaheim, CA. Ninjammerz performed a choreography mixing the slower Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra’s “Happy Go Lucky Local” and the faster “The Last Jump” during the Ultimate Lindy Hop Showdown in St. Paul, MN in 2007.

Congrats to Breanna for guessing the right answer. Andrew and Alain, I totally agree with both of you - that performance was magical. At the end of the routine in the video, you can see Carl and I rise up to our feet (we are slightly to the right of the center)… I remember us both being so energized and inspired by the moment. It still gives me giddy shivers when I think about it.

This Week’s Tuesday Dance Trivia Question: Does Jazz Put the Sin in Syncopation?

Complete the last sentence. In August 1921, the widely read (about 6 million subscribers) and highly influential Ladies’ Home Journal published an article by music professor Anne Shaw Faulkner titled “Does Jazz Put the Sin in Syncopation.”

“Jazz disorganizes all regular laws and order… it is harmful and dangerous, and its influence is wholly bad… Jazz originally was the accompaniement of the voodoo dancer, stimulating the half-crazed barbarians to the vilest deeds. The weird chant, accompanied by the syncopated rhythm of the voodoo invokers, has also been employed by other barbaric people to stimulate brutality and sensuality. That it has a demoralizing effect upon human brain has been demonstrated by many scientists… the effect of jazz on the normal brain produces an atrophied condition on the brain cells of conception, until very frequently those under the demoralizing influence of the persistent use of syncopation combined with inharmonic partial tones are actually incapable of distinguishing between good and evil, right and wrong.

Such music has become __________________.

Know the answer? Let everyone know and comment.

Filed Under: Dance Trivia | Tuesday, April 7th, 2009

Last week’s answer
During the Roaring 20’s, which black jazz band originating from New Orleans was the first to make recordings?

ANSWER: Kid Ory recorded the first two titles by a Black New Orleans jazz band (”Ory’s Creole Trombone” and “Society Blues”) under the band title of Spike’s Seven Pods of Pepper Orchestra - also known as Kid Ory’s Original Creole Jazz Band.

Thank you Freddie for this source. Congrats to Amy, James and Freddie for all guessing the right answer. Thanks also to James for naming the first band to make a jazz recording (without regard to race) in New Orleans, the Original Dixieland Jazz Band (in 1917).

This Week’s Tuesday Dance Trivia Question: Modern Lindy Hop dance teams and performance groups

Which modern Lindy Hop team originally performed to “The Last Jump (To End All Jumps)” by Charlie Barnet? Bonus question: which team got people talking by choreographing and performing to the same song a year later?

Know the answer? Let everyone know and comment.

Filed Under: Dance Trivia | Wednesday, April 1st, 2009

Last week’s answer
March 12 to 22, 2009 has been dubbed Frankie Week. What is Frankie Week?

ANSWER: Frankie Week is intended to allow Frankie Manning fans from all over the world (whether or not they are attending the actual Festival) to celebrate Frankie’s 95th birthday by honoring him in a number of special ways: (1) a Global Shim Sham, (2) a Birthday Card for Frankie, (3) by spreading the Lindy Love, and by (4) fundraising for a birthday greeting. All details can be found on Frankie95.com

And yes Lucy, I agree - it’s also “what you feel when you watch the man dance… his rhythms, syncopations, his grace.” Thank you to you and Jesse for the answer.

This Week’s Tuesday Dance Trivia Question: First recorded black jazz band from New Orleans

During the Roaring 20’s, which black jazz band originating from New Orleans was the first to make recordings?

Know the answer? Let everyone know and comment.

Filed Under: Dance Trivia | Tuesday, March 24th, 2009

Last week’s answer
This photograph was taken in 1937. What type of dance event does it portray?

ANSWER: two couples remaining after a 5-month dance marathon. Photo by Bernard Hoffman

Congrats Ann for getting the answer.

This Week’s Tuesday Dance Trivia Question: Frankie Week

March 12 to 22, 2009 has been dubbed Frankie Week. What is Frankie Week?

Know the answer? Let everyone know and comment.

Filed Under: Dance Trivia, Upcoming Events | Tuesday, March 17th, 2009

Last week’s answer
During the ragtime era at the end of the 19th and the beginning of the 20th century, people started partner-dancing to the new syncopated rhythms and created new dance steps. Ballrooms became playgrounds for grownups, where people did “le pas de l’ours” and “le pas du dindon”. Name five other Animal Dances.

ANSWER: Animal Dances include the Turkey Trot, the Chicken Scratch, the Monkey Glide, the Grizzly Bear, the Bunny Hug, the Fox Trot, the Camel Walk, the Squirrel, the Duck Waddle, the Buzzard Lope and many more. These simple and easy-to-do dances were caricatures of animal movement, and did not require the intricate patterns of 19th century European dances. As Freddie mentioned, you can learn these dances on How to dance through time Vol. II. Dances of the Ragtime Era 1910-1920

Congrats Meghan, Freddie and David for naming five each. And Matt for bringing up Adam Boehmer’s favorite living creature.

This Week’s Tuesday Dance Trivia Question: At what 1937 event was this picture taken?

This photograph was taken in 1937. What type of dance event does it portray?

Know the answer? Let everyone know and comment.

Filed Under: Dance Trivia | Tuesday, March 10th, 2009

Last week’s answer
Quote from civil rights leader Malcolm X, “All the other dancers would form a big ‘U’ with the band at the open end. The girls (…) would slip over to the sidelines and change from high heels into low white
sneakers” (from The Autobiography of Malcolm X). What is Malcolm “X” Little referring to?

ANSWER: Malcolm X is referring to a typical competition among Lindy Hoppers, in what we refer to as jam-style format today (or jam circle). The omitted text reads “The girls who intended to compete would slip over to the sidelines and change from high heels into low white sneakers. In competition they could never survive in heels”.

Congrats Tammy for guessing part of the answer.

This Week’s Tuesday Dance Trivia Question: Ragtime era and the animal dances

During the ragtime era at the end of the 19th and the beginning of the 20th century, people started partner-dancing to the new syncopated rhythms and created new dance steps. Ballrooms became playgrounds for grownups, where people did “le pas de l’ours” and “le pas du dindon”. Name five other Animal Dances.

Know the answer? Let everyone know and comment.

Filed Under: Dance Trivia | Tuesday, March 3rd, 2009

Last week’s answer
Name the jazz standard that is also the name of a dance. Bonus: name the creators of this dance. Super bonus: name the team that performed to this jazz tune at the American Lindy Hop Championships.

ANSWER: The jazz standard is Carioca. Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers performed a choreographed dance to the song in the movie Flying Down to Rio (1933), which was the first time the two were paired together for a movie. The Carioca was essentially a stylized ballroom version of the Samba, mixed with Maxixe, Foxtrot, Rumba and Tap. There has been debate as to whether this was a new dance at all, but following the success of the movie, people wanted to learn it, and so dance instructors started teaching “The Carioca”. The distinctive feature of the dance, as seen in the clip, is the partners’ touching of foreheads.

Connexion Crew performed a team choreography to Artie Shaw’s recording of Carioca at ALHC 2007. There were 17 couples in that choreography - I think it’s probably the modern day record, surpassing both Mad Dog and this past year’s Team Canada in sheer numbers!

Thank you Martynas, Sam, Freddie, David and Srikanth for commenting. Charleston, Truckin’ and Ballin’ the Jack are all dances that are also the names of songs. Srikanth, thank you for your thorough list of guesses - all excellent ones!

I myself did not know that Ballin’ the Jack was a dance, so for those of you out there who likewise had never heard of the dance, watch a clip of Dean Martin, Jerry Lewis, and Polly Bergen singing and dancing in the movie That’s My Boy (1951). Here’s how Peter Loggins learned Ballin’ the Jack: “Ladies and Gents we’d like to do just one or two more steps for you. You step back, ball the jack, shimmy shimmy , chicken scratch, fall off the log, and turn around, do a little break and then you Truck on down…” (you can find the thread on DanceHistory.org, including a clip of Hal Takier showing the Ray Rand Swingers’ version of Ballin’ the Jack)

This Week’s Tuesday Dance Trivia Question: Quote from Malcolm X

Quote from civil rights leader Malcolm X, “All the other dancers would form a big ‘U’ with the band at the open end. The girls (…) would slip over to the sidelines and change from high heels into low white
sneakers” (from The Autobiography of Malcolm X). What is Malcolm “X” Little referring to?

Know the answer? Let everyone know and comment.

Filed Under: Dance Trivia | Tuesday, February 24th, 2009

Last week’s answer
Why do Balboa followers wear high heels?

ANSWER: Here’s a quote from an original master of the dance, Willie Desatoff, taken from BalboaNation: “Question—Why highheels? I’ll try to keep the answer on a simple plane—several reasons why heels were worn —among which is basically the kind of shoes worn by Balboa dancers—the heels gave the lady a natural (with knees straight and good posture) forward lean to the balls of the feet. Flats and tennies just do not show the real Balboa!!! High heels were the fashion of the day and still worn by dancers. Many’s the time that I said exactly the same thing that my good friend Maxie did—Bless him!!” Willie Desatoff (1921-2005)

Lila completed his answer with, “Also Willie has told me VERY OFTEN, that the high heels accentuate the calves, and make them look sexier. I’ve been there when Willie has not only complained about the gals not wearing high heels, but also the length of the skirt is supposed to come to the middle of the knee, so you can see the “knee-action” that is an intrinsic part of the Balboa. He even has “yelled” at the guys for wearing “baggy pants” for the same reason. You can’t see the footwork or knee action if you’re wearing a tent!”

This Week’s Tuesday Trivia Question: A jazz standard that is also the name of a dance

Name the jazz standard that is also the name of a dance. Bonus: name the creators of this dance. Super bonus: name the team that performed to this jazz tune at the American Lindy Hop Championships.

Know the answer? Let everyone know and comment.

Filed Under: Dance Trivia | Tuesday, February 17th, 2009

Last week’s answer
Who topped the Billboard magazine top ten dance bands for 1940? As a bonus, name the top 3.

ANSWER: 1. Glenn Miller 2. Kay Kyser 3. Tommy Dorsey 4. Benny Goodman
5. Orrin Tucker 6. Jan Savitt 7. Guy Lombardo 8. Sammy Kaye 9. Hal
Kemp 10. Jimmy Dorsey

Freddie, you were so close. Three out of the top four. Thank you for the educated guess! Kudos to Sarah as well for getting two of the top three.

This Week’s Tuesday Trivia Question: Balboa dancers and high heels

Balboa is a dance originating from Southern California in the 1920’s. It was contemporaneous with Lindy Hop - both were danced to swing music. This week’s question: why do Balboa followers wear high heels?

Know the answer? Let everyone know and comment.

Although we use the title “Lindybloggers”, we definitely appreciate the support of Balboa dancers who read our blog. This should be an easy one for those of you who bal, and maybe not as easy for the Lindy Hoppers out there who haven’t tried it yet. For those of you who haven’t, I definitely recommend learning this dance, as it will open up your dancing to a whole new world. For more information, check out Bobby White’s interview with Balboa Mastermind Nick Williams and read BalboaNation.com

Filed Under: Dance Trivia, Lindybloggers | Tuesday, February 10th, 2009