ILHC 2011

Just like so many other Lindy Hoppers, I eagerly awaited and then watched the new batch of ILHC videos. Today I literally sat if front of my computer, clutched my hands to my chest, and squealed in delight over various YouTube clips. For those of you who know me, you know that I'm not exaggerating.

To start: It's official. Alice Mei is my favorite dancer. After watching this clip, I don't think I could love her dancing anymore than I do now. The girl dances because she loves it. Not just because there is some judge watching or because she is trying to please the crowd, but because of the sheer joy of it. The way she smiles when she dances makes me think that it can be no other way.

Maybe I'm just incredibly partial to her dancing right now, but I also think that her Jack and Jill Spotlight with Peter Strom is adorable. Not to mention the height difference between these two is amusing.

Next: The Champions Strictly Finals was so much fun to watch. And I definitely still love Jo Hoffberg's dancing. Check out her and Kevin's spotlight starting at 7:00 that ends with them....(watch the video to find out).

I'm antsy for more of the videos to go up!

Alice Mei

Jo Hoffberg, you better watch out, cause sometimes I think that Alice Mei might just replace you as my favorite dancer. When I watch videos of her dancing, it always looks like she's having so much fun and finding ways to be playful with it (which is also why I love Jo's dancing). And there is something about her movement that I really enjoy too. We each have our own set of moves (per say) that we love to do or naturally do when we dance, and I think that Alice's look really cute.

The video that I've most recently come across that I like of her's is this one:

Or this one:

Also, when I watch this one, I can't help but think of DogPossum's post about hot male bodies and how males in competition will sometimes focus more on competing with each other than on focusing on the female they are dancing with. (Feel free to clarify if I summed that up incorrectly.) Notice how Dax and Thomas engage, compete, and feed off each other's energy. And all the while, Alice looks so freakin' adorable dancing like she does.

Also, I think it's interesting that I came across this video the day after I posted about how Alice and Dax now consists of two new dancing pairs (Alice & Thomas and Dax & Sarah) that dance very similarily. It could very well do with the fact that they are all in the Ninjammerz (including Max, who also makes an appearance in this video). It's interesting to watch their interactions on the dance floor with one another and how it pretty much ends with Dax and Alice's former ULHC 2007 routine.

Also: (super random, but) notice how Dax seems to like dancing with girls with stockings.

We have Takumi Itoh, Sarah Breck, and Alice Mei (so he's not dancing with her in this one, but being as they were dance partners it sort of counts).

Okay and one more, because Alice is so freakin' adorable:

So readers: who is your favorite dancer and why?

Dancing Brain Dump

Like I said before, this week I've been really busy. I started a full-time job, danced as much as I could, and said good-bye to one of my best friends as her and her husband begin their nomad journey.

In the process, I've neglected this blog. But that doesn't mean that I've stopped thinking about dancing and music...but it does mean that I haven't thought through most of my thoughts. But nonetheless, I want to share with you some of the things that have caught my attention or resurfaced on my radar.


First: I am really enjoying the posts over at It's The Way That You Do It.
Highlights include:
- Getting better takes practice
- Great look into the progression of "Why Don't You Do Right"
- I can relate to his frustrations here and here.

Second: Re-found a video of Dax and Sarah thought I thought was quite cute. But then it made me realize that Dax and Alice both dance with their new partners the same way they danced with each other. Check it:

Dax and Sarah (Swinglandia 2010)

Dax and Alice (ALHC 2008)

(small insignificant note: I really enjoy the move that happens around 1:32ish)

Alice and Thomas (ILHC 2010)

It's not a bad thing, but I just think it is so interesting how each half of the first partner pair (Dax and Alice) made 2 new partner pairs that dance quite similarly.

Automatic Associations

When I hear certain songs, I automatically think of certain moves. Mostly because I've watched a certain YouTube clip a thousand times and it's simply reflex to think 'this move to that part' of the music.

For instance, whenever I hear "Communication" by Slim Gaillard, I see Jo's feet doing the piano part starting at about 2:00.

Or whenever "Hit That Jive, Jack" gets played, I almost always end up slapping my leg (ex: 0:14).
Can you tell that I've watched this video a ton? I've only posted it three times now.

 Or whenever I hear "Gang Busters" by Slim and Slam, I think of this:

I'm sure there are more songs that create automatic associations in my brain, but you get the gist of what I'm saying. 

Maybe this is another reason why my friend doesn't like watching dancing clips (referring to this post)? By having these automatic associations to the music, I'm prevented from letting my body simply dance out the music. Instead, I've created for myself mini routines.

What do you think? Have you ever experienced this? Is it good/bad/neutral to have these automatic associations to certain songs? Let me know what you think.

Social Dancing Clips

One afternoon I was talking with a friend about dancing and the topic of watching YouTube clips came up. He said that he would watch clips of routines, but he didn't like the idea of watching clips of social dancing. If I understood him right, he didn't like watching them because he thought it took away from your own personal dancing...that in watching social dancing clips, part of the art of dancing is lost. Or that that dance was supposed to happen in that moment and watching a clip of it will never do that moment justice.

I think I feel the opposite, that in watching social dancing clips, it's like dancing at the Savoy and learning new moves from other dancers for your own social dancing. Plus, one of the reasons I love being a follow in the social dance realm is the never really knowing what's coming next. By watching social dance clips, you get to see that excitement and spur of the moment playfulness in someone else's dancing. (Although I will agree that a watching a video of a social dance will never match the moment in which it actually happened.)

What do you think about watching social dance clips?

Here are some of my favorite social dancing clips:

Dax Hock and Sarah Breck:

Thomas Blacharz and Alice Mei: (I've already posted this one, but I really enjoy it)

Nick Williams and Sylvia Sykes (balboa):

Lindy Hop Favorites

This will be quick, as I should be at a friend's house helping paint...

You should know up front that my favorite dancer is Jo Hoffberg (she's a girl). She has a way of being so very playful with her dancing and I love that.
My favorite video of her is from ILHC 2010, when she danced with Stefan Durham in the Invitational Jack & Jill.

But my ultimate favorite video of right now is of Alice Mei and Thomas Blacharz social dancing at an event in Prague.

As for the music from that last video, it's from Skeets Tolbert called "Hit That Jive Jack." And want to know something great? His music is now public domain...and free. You can find the song (and more) here.

Enjoy. :)