The Night I Danced to Jonathan Stout

For those who have been in the swing community for any amount of time have likely heard of Jonathan Stout. He's a well known band leader in the scene known for his Jonathan Stout and his Campus Five albums featuring Hillary Alexander and his orchestra that's played at many of the big lindy events. Those albums are awesome and I listen to them all the time. So when I heard that they were going to playing at the Seattle Lindy Extravaganza, it was like a dream came true.

I wasn't able to attend the whole weekend, but I was able to attend the Friday night dance at Washington Hall. It was fantastic! The band was amazing, so say the least. There was a jam circle during Jammin' the Blues and the band was killing it. So much energy in the room!

First Two Weeks of Followers Technique

I've recently had the opportunity to to take one of the series at Eastside, particularly Follower's Technique. It's two hours a week for seven weeks right before social dancing at Eastside and it's taught by Elaine and Stefan. So far it's been amazing!

The first week we focus solely on body placement and how that translates to interacting with our partner. Lots of feeling where our weight was, moving the proper parts at the right time, getting a correct stretch with our partner. Lots of really good stuff.

The second week we did some similar exercises, but did a lot of them with the followers eyes closed. Honestly, this was a challenge for me as I've been realizing how much I try and predict things before they happen. We also started applying what we've been learning to actual dancing. And honestly, having proper alignment and what not has made a huge difference in my dancing already. Especially on my swing outs.