Lindy
From CarlWiki
The Lindy, or Carleton Lindy, is one of the most popular social dances taught at Carleton. It is not to be confused with the Lindy Hop, a “real” swing dance. The Lindy is a simplified, and according to some bastardized form of the East Coast Swing. Due to its simple footwork, multiple turns, and easy rhythm, it is quite easy for beginners to learn and enjoy after only a short number of lessons, some having just a one-hour lesson prior to the Mid-Winter Ball.
Contents |
Position
All dancers begin in open position, with couples standing holding both hands, elbows slightly bent, facing each other. The leader's hands are under the followers, slightly cupped with fingers pointing in. The follower’s hands are also slightly cupped with fingers pointing down.
Since all basic footwork in the Lindy is forward-back, there is no closed position as in other swing dances. Other positions, such as the Cuddle or the Mike and Janet, are usually only transitional and have few moves out of them until returned to open position.
Footwork
For the leader, the lead foot is the left foot. The leader steps back on the left on the first beat, then rocks forward to shift weight to the right foot on the second. Then with the left foot, steps a half step to the left, turning slightly. The fourth step brings the right foot back together to the left foot.
For the follower, the lead foot is the right foot. The follower mirror the lead, stepping back on the right foot on the first beat, and then rocking forward to shift the weight onto the left foot. On the third beat, the follower crosses their right foot in front of their left, turning slightly, with the fourth step bringing both feet back together.
Rhythm
The basic rhythm is "Back, Together, Side, Together" for both leader and follower, with each beat having an equal time (no slow or fast/quick steps). If a couple gets out of synch when dancing, it is simply a matter of lining up the back steps to get back into rhythm.
Turns from open position
The beauty of the Lindy arises from the myriad of turns that can easily be performed out of the basic, open position. During turns, most footwork is done in place or often ignored altogether until the finishing back step is performed.
Follower's Turn: Coming together off of the back step, the leader drops their right hand connection, and brings their left hand up and across the follower on the second beat. The follower performs a two-step pivot (not a "spin") on the third and fourth beat, with the leader holding their hand above their head. When the turn is completed, the leader brings their left hand back down to open position and both dancers perform the backstep into the next measure. Depending on the next move, the leader may or may not present their right hand for the follower to return to open position. Complex series of moves and turns usually end with a Follower's Turn to correct the dancer's hands and return to open position.
Leader's Turn: Coming off the back step, the leader drops their right hand connection, and brings their left hand up to their own forehead. The leader performs a two-step pivot on the third and fourth beats, with the follower maintaining the connection with the leader's left hand. When the turn is completed, the leader brings their left hand back down to open position and both dancers perform the back step into the next measure.
Leader's Underhand Turn: Coming off the back step, the leader drops their right hand connection, but keeps their left hand down by their side. The leader performs a two-step pivot on the third and fourth beats, releasing the left hand connection. The follower allows their right hand to trace along the leaders side as they turn, so the leader can reconnect at the completion of the turn. The leader has the option of reconnecting with either their left hand, returning to open position, or with their right hand, which will establish "Crossed Hands" position on the completion of the turn. When the turn is completed, both dancers perform the back step into the next measure.
Other moves from Open Position:
- Double Turn
- Killer Turns
- Tornado
- Around the World
- Cut the Apple
- Box Dip
Other positions
Crossed-Hands Position: This position is the same as open position, except instead of being joined left-to-right, the leader is connected to the follower with their right hand to the follower's right hand. To go back to open position, the leader simply leads a Follower's Turn, switching hands during the follower's pivot, completing the turn. To go into Double-Crossed position, the leader presents their left hand, over the dancer's already joined right hands, for the follower to connect.
Other moves from Crossed- or Double-Crossed Hands:
- Pretzel
- Windows
- Open Windows
- Windmill
- Open Windmill
- Mike and Janet
- Leapfrog(?)
- Windmill Flip
- Arm Flip
Cuddle Position: This position occurs when the dancers perform a Follower's Turn, but the leader maintains the connection with the right hand. The dancers end up hip-to-hip, facing the same direction, with the leader's right hand on the follower's right hip, and the leader's left hand up near the leader's left shoulder. The follower's arms are crossed across their body. The dancers may continue momentum in this position with the leader walking forward and the follower walking backward in a small circle. The usual way of returning to open position is to "unwind", with the leader raising their left arm and "nudging" the follower forward, unwinding their arms, and performing a back step. Since this results in mixed hands, the leader performs a Follower's Turn to correct.
Other moves from Cuddle Position:
- Unwind-Rewind
- Side Shift
- Spin Out
- Pop-Ups
- Flop Drop
- Bomb Drop
Courtesy
There is a rough guideline all dancers should follow that particularly applies to Lindy dancers.
- It is always up to the follower to follow a move, the leader should never "force" a move that could injure an unaware follower.
- Experienced leaders can easily dance with inexperienced followers, as the Follower's Turn is very natural, and Leader Turns don't require anything on the follower’s part.
- An experienced follower can easily dance with an inexperienced leader, as most moves are very passive in their leads and can be "back led" as the follower decides when to turn, etc.
- Dips, flips, and drops are only to be used when both partners are comfortable with the moves, and then when the space and locations do not interfere with other dancers.
Close-quarters dancing
The Mid-Winter Ball and other large dances are often very crowded. The Lindy is an excellent dance for such conditions. The back steps do not go back very far, and there are almost no moves that require movement across the dance floor. Turns are very compact. Arms can be bent to keep very close to your partner. If bumped by another couple, the rhythm is easily reestablished by lining up back steps with your partner.
