Shuffle Projects

Swinging Projects for Lindy Hop & Balboa Dancers

Education

Shuffle The House – Balboa Workshop in Schaffhausen CH – Registration is Open!

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Promoting events is not the main purpose of this blog. But from time to time, I make an exception. Especially when they are happening in Switzerland and are attracting international dancers.

Shuffle The House Balboa Workshop 2012

Shuffle the House

For the third edition, Marcia Bodenmann and Jonas Maggiori expanded their organization team with Tina Foppa and Coco Akerman.

What stays is the idea: to organize an intimate Balboa workshop with parties in beautiful locations and venues, nestled in a quaint landscape in the northeast of Switzerland – in Schaffhausen.

There will be some side attractions like a flea market and more surprises.

Workshop

10 hours of lessons for three levels “Beginners-Intermediate”, “Intermediate-Advanced” and “Advanced” with three top international instructor couples:

  • Kelly Arsenault & Mickey Fortanasce (USA)
  • Claudia Joyal Laplante & Marty Klempner (CAN)
  • Andrea Hösel & Gio Olla (SWE)

Parties

Three parties on Friday, Saturday and Sunday night!

On Saturday night with live music: the band is not confirmed yet.

Details & Registration

The registration is now open! Check out the website (not active anymore) for further informations, available in German and English.

Launch Of DJ Chrisbe’s Swing DJ Resources Email List

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Update 4 September 2012:
Today, Shuffle Projects launched “Swing DJ Resources”. The website is the successor of this email list. Check out the website and subscribe there for free resources & updates!

In 2006 I started swing DJ'ing and in the last years since then I've acquired a lot of know-how.

As you might know, high quality swing music in classes and especially at swing events is a personal matter of me. How we dance is directly linked to the music. Good swing music support the dancers in making progress.

Now the question is what do I understand by high quality
swing music? I also could ask what makes a swing song a
good song for dancers?

I would like to go one step further and share my knowledge
and my ideas about swing DJ'ing with everyone who is interested.
Therefore I have created a new email list.

So, if you are interested in swing DJ'ing or just in regular music tips
then sign up here, it's free!

The newsletter will be in (Sw)English and I'll send updates once or twice a month.

I'm looking forward to many followers and to interesting interactions
with you.

STIR IT! 11 Lindy and More – Registration is open

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Stir It! 2011 Lindy and More Workshop - Registration is openWelcome to STIR IT! 11

International Swing Workshop & Party Weekend
4.- 6. November 2011 in Zürich, Switzerland

Style your lindy, groove your connection, jazz your spirit!

3 days of workshops and parties with live music.
Pre party on Thursday, 3. November 2011

Lindy Hop, Blues and Jazz classes, special track,
taster classes, crash courses, live music in classes, …

5 Lindy Hop levels including “Advanced-Plus”
(Master class) and new in 2011: Authentic Jazz track

Top teachers line-up:

Steven Mitchell (USA)
Mike Faltesek (USA) & Carla Heiney (USA)
Mike Roberts (USA) & Laura Glaess (USA)
Olivier Wan Chort (FR) & Trisha Sewell (GB)
Andrew Twiss (USA) und Evin Galang (USA)
Gerald Bianchi (FR) und Maria Andersson (SWE)

MC Tobias Karsten (DE)

Informations & Registration

More informations and registration on the website (german & english)

Please click LIKE and share this postto let everybody know about the event. Thanks!


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Balboa in Bern mit Marcia & Chris – 2. Juli 2011

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The Swingmachine Proudly Presents:

Balboa in Bern mit Marcia und ChrisBalboa in Bern mit Marcia Bodenmann & Christian Bossert

Ort: Progr, Kleiner Saal (3. OG), Speichergasse 4, Bern

Balboa-Workshop Intermediate/Advanced

Zeit: 14.00-16.45h
Vorkenntnisse: ab ca. 1 Jahr Balboa-Erfahrung
Kosten: CHF 50/40 (2 x 75 Min.)

Workshop Basics fuer Balboa-Neulinge

Zeit: 17.00-18.00h
Vorkenntnisse: keine oder wenig Balboa-Erfahrung
Kosten: CHF 25/20

Balboa-Party mit DJ Chrisbe

Zeit: 21.00-1.00h
Eintritt ohne Workshop: CHF 5; Workshop-Teilnehmer: gratis

Info & Anmeldung:

Susie Trenka

Foto: Jürg Waldmeier, Zürich

Dance Teaching Idea: Ask & Tell

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If you are teaching more advanced swing dancers (Balboa or Lindy Hop) this teaching concept might be interesting for you.

I didn't invent it, though. I got the inspiration from The Balboa Experiment, where it was used in several sessions.

In Ask & Tell lessons the students teach each other. I guess it even goes further: the students get inspired to watch other dancers on the social dance floor and to ask for a step, a variation or a move they like.

How Ask & Tell works

Teaching idea: Ask and Tell

There are different ways to use the concept, here is one possibility

  1. Divide the class in two halfs.
  2. Define a subject (look for foot variations, styling, pure bal, and so on); in this example we take foot variations
  3. Let one half of the class dance and ask them to use foot variations, the other half is watching, then switch and repeat. You can even rotate partners and repeat the whole procedure.
  4. Ask the students to call out a dancer whose foot variation they like
  5. The student who got called out shows now, how he/she is doing the foot variation and teaches it to the group
  6. Divide the class now in small groups of two couples and let them try to dance the foot variation and to give feedback to each other
  7. Option: If the class is on a high level you even could ask them to take the variation as inspiration and let them create a new variation (a variation of the variation). After a defined time, the small groups show their solutions to the rest of the class.

Role of the teacher

The teacher isn't teaching anything, he/she is coaching. He/she is leading the class and giving feedback. If nobody dares to call out a dancer (pt. 4) the teacher does it.


What do you think about this teaching idea? Did you use this or a similar concept already? Please share your thoughts!

Photo credit: melodi2