When people find out that I am an avid swing dancer, many ask if I watch Dancing With The Stars. Sure, I'll tune in from time to time--I'd rather be out dancing than watching it on the television, of course!
This week on Dancing With The Stars, the two dances were the Argentinean tango and the lindy hop. Other than it being a very sexy dance, I don't know a dang thing about the tango. I do, however, know a thing or two about lindy hop!
I did not catch this week's episode, but after finding out that some couples did the lindy hop, I went online and looked them up (and you can see them all here) and--Wow! What great aerials and fun energy in those dances! High kicks, cute outfits--I love all of that.
But...um...I'm so confused! Where was the, you know, lindy hop?
Why is it with ballroom dances, the judges are very nitpicky about footwork but with lindy (not a ballroom dance) the judges apparently turn a blind eye to the very absence of any lindy footwork? Lindy hop is not an easy dance and the judges should not tell the contestants that they did an amazing job at a dance when, in fact, they did not even do it at all.
I did not see anyone do even the most basic swing out. What the dancers and 'stars' on that show were doing was, for the most part, the Charleston. I am not saying that the dancing wasn't fantastic because for the most part, it was! But it certainly was *not* lindy hop.
Tiffany: Take a lesson from me!
ReplyDeleteContestants: I'd rather Charleston, do do do do
Tiffany: Charleston! Think of what you might be!
Contestants: I'd rather Charleston, do do do do
It was fun looking and I don't know much about the fancy footwork, but I definitely saw a lot of Charleston. I felt like I saw attempts at Lindy, but not really. Cute outfits though, right?
Heyo. I saw your tweet when searching people's reaction about the show. While it is unfortunate that the dance that we and so many others love is distorted in Dancing with the Stars (and SYTYCD as well), these shows are great for getting people interested in maybe taking a class or dropping in to a dance. That can't be all bad right? :)
ReplyDeleteI do very much agree about the judges not being critical and almost ignorant of the actual lindy hop dance techniques. Besides not knowing anything about the actual dance, the comments that they say on the show are just plain irrelevant.
Thanks for the blog read :)
That video was really, really cool. Clearly I am living the wrong life that I've not ever seen something like that in person.
ReplyDelete