Frankie 95, Part 4: Classes, Day 1 (In Which Sarah is a Dancing Dork)

So, I didn’t do the master class.  Which was a good thing since Jillian and I overslept anyway.

First set of classes, 10:00AM-11:10AM (the one I took is highlighted):

Erin Stevens Frankie’s Footwork (Intermediate)

Nick & Carla Jam Routines (Masters)

Skye & Frida Hustle & Flow (Intermediate / Advanced)

Max & Annie Lindy Hop by Frankie (Advanced)

Lennart & Catrine Jazz Steps (Advanced)

Lindy Hop by Frankie was a couple of mini-routines made famous by Frankie Manning.  The ones was a swingout, followed by 8 counts of knee slaps, 8 counts of shimmys back and forth, and finally, a pimp walk backwards.  The second one was kicks and points, a move I learned from Dan what feels like ages ago.  I can say that I like Max & Annie as teachers, but I’m not sure how practical that class was for me.  I’d have to remember enough of the lead to teach it to a lead, I think.

 

Second round of classes, 11:30AM-12:40PM:

Max & Annie Ninja Techinique for Lindy Hop (I)

Steven & Virginie Swing Walk (M)

Sakarias Rhythmical Authentic Jazz (I/A)

Sylvia Balboa (A)

Skye & Frida Movement (A)

I remember taking a performance Lindy Hop class by Skye & Frida at Cowtown a few years ago.  That’s where I picked up the swivels I put at the end of swingouts.  So I was excited to see a movement class by them.  Of course, I had forgotten how hard they were as teachers.  The building I had been dancing in for this class and the last, La Guardia High School, has very poor air conditioning.  I had already gone through all the water I had brought with me by the beginning of this class.  By the end, after all the swingouts, I could barely stand up.  This class was mostly things you can do on the 7-8/1-2 of your swingouts.  I was laughing when they taught the combination of 7-8 swivel with 1-2 kick-ball-change; that’s my default way of doing swingouts anymore.

 

Third round of classes, 1:00PM-2:10PM:

Ryan & Jenny Lindy Hop (I)

Skye & Frida The Art of Finesse (M)

Nick & Carla These Are a Few of Our Favorite Things (I/A)

Steven & Virginie Partner Cake Walk (A)

Sakarias Jazz (A)

 

My first venue change was also one of the longest ones.  Jillian and I were late getting to this class, but luckily not by much.  I wasn’t entirely sure what to expect from this class, but it sounded more interesting than any of the other ones I could get into.  (The Art of Finesse was one of the Master classes that I really wanted to get into.)  I was glad to see that this venue, a small gym under a church right by the Manhattan Center (where all the evening dances are held), was air conditioned better than the high school.  Nick & Carla taught a type of swivel-stop (I’m not entirely sure what to call it), that you could end with a spin.  I’ve done it before, but this class was able to improve it just a bit more and made me a lot more comfortable with my spins.  I’ve never quite felt that I’ve been able to spin well.  One of the things that surprised me was the difference in dancing levels between the advanced classes I had been taking and this intermediate/advanced class.  I didn’t expect as big of a difference as there was.

 

Fourth set of classes, 2:30PM-3:45PM:

Skye & Frida Styling (I)

Sakarias Solo Charleston (M)

Max & Annie Couples Charleston (I/A)

Ryan & Jenny Lindy Hop (A)

Nick & Carla Swingout Styling (A)

 

And back to the hot high school.  Despite me and Nick & Carla leaving at the same time, they got there a significant amount before me.  I have a feeling that the way Jillian told me to go isn’t the quickest way.  Or they have taxis or something.  Which isn’t fair.  ;__;  I was wondering if I should even bother with this class after all the styling in the Skye & Frida class earlier, but I was so glad I took this class.  So far, it’s my favorite.  (And I was also very glad I took a couple ibuprofin while heading to this class.)  While most swingout styling is done on 7-8/1-2, this class also concentrated on things you can do in between.  For the follows, it was stretching 2 into 3 for a bit, then continuing with the swingout as normal.  For the leads, it was slowing it down for the 3-4/5-6 (or however long you want) for a type of Matrix bullet-time effect.  I did find out that I can’t do new 7-8/1-2 variations and still be able to catch the slow-down later.  Not without a lot more practice.

 

I finally had time between the classes and the nightly dance to sit down, upload pictures, and upload the posts I had written to here.  Then, it was off to the black tie birthday gala.  I’m glad that a couple of leads are remembering me from the previous dances and/or classes and are asking me to dance again; it means I’m not one of the worst dancers there.  And it really boost my ego when I was told that I was one of the better follows that a couple of leads have danced with.  ^___^  The two highlights of the evening (for me, at least) was when Chazz Young, Frankie Manning’s first son, lead the entire room in the Shim Sham.  I think that was more the world record-breaking Shim Sham than the one we did in Central Park.  A giant dance floor, full of people, dancing the Shim Sham…  The other highlight?  The three bands of the evening, George Gee & His Make-Believe Ballroom Orchestra, the Harlem Renaissance Orchestra, and The Loud Minority all got together and played “Shiny Stockings,” Frankie Manning’s favorite song, with the composer of that song, Frank Foster, conducting.