JitterBal: Bal-Swing Footwork

Your mileage may vary on this one. It took awhile for us to get happy with what Steve and Heidi are doing here. It’s not like we needed a “New and Improved Transition” step, or, needed to be told to try a “Kick Ball Change” in a Come-Around. Dance enough and you wind up doing some things like this, “just because…” And sometimes, just out of boredom with the “same old thing...” Or, not…

On the last move on the disc, “Charleston Bal-Swing” you might think, “Here we go again…” with something that sounds simple enough, and, which goes by on the dance floor so fast nobody would notice anyway. But, Steve lets you know his thinking about this move, and the others on the disc, when he says, “Don’t dance like a 70-year old man.” Yeah, he says that… Right about the 44-minute mark...

It’s something that needs to be said more often, “Don’t dance like a 70-year old man…” Balboa and Bal-Swing were danced by teenagers as an “all out” swing dances in the beginning, and, as those “kids” got older, it tended to slow down - and then slowed down some more. But, it’s saa-wing d-ancing and meant to be “all out fun.” Nobody dances Collegiate Shag slowly, but it’s mostly because nobody filmed those people getting old, and/or, because old people just give it up and dance something else - slower.

Balboa and Bal-Swing are dances that allow you to “keep on keeping on” but sometimes people forget that Balboa dancers didn’t “smush up” willingly, and didn’t NOT swing-out because they didn’t want to… Yes, a “nice” dance resulted from having to adapt, but, at heart, it’s still a swing dance and it needs to “go” when given room. Steve and Heidi do a lot here to revive the (when current space and rules permit) kicking and jumping of many early Balboa and Bal-Swing dancers. Not saying that’s always a good thing, but the facts are the facts and as long as it’s under control and nobody gets hurt, “Run with it!”

Yeah, this disc is a lot of work beyond “standard moves” and most of it nobody would “see” anyway – “watchers” just see people moving. And, yeah, some of the moves are silly, like the “Tango Drags” but, to each their own. The point is, don’t just “move,” “Move!” You’re not going to be young, or, even able, forever - learn some new things and dance as long as you can. You can slow down later…

There’s a lot on this disc. And, you’ll have to slow the playback down – a lot – to pick up on the moves easily. And, you’ll probably only find a few things you really like... But, “new” moves are rare things --- and if you can pick up one or two that work well for YOU…