Lindy Hop level 2: Modifying your swingout! | Paul Riding | Skillshare

Lindy Hop level 2: Modifying your swingout!

Paul Riding, Dancer and Twitch Broadcaster

Lindy Hop level 2: Modifying your swingout!

Paul Riding, Dancer and Twitch Broadcaster

Play Speed
  • 0.5x
  • 1x (Normal)
  • 1.25x
  • 1.5x
  • 2x
10 Lessons (31m)
    • 1. Introduction

    • 2. Lindy Hop Recap

    • 3. Come Together

    • 4. Swivels Part 1

    • 5. Swivels Part 2

    • 6. Kick Ball Change

    • 7. Levels

    • 8. Arms

    • 9. Recap

    • 10. Project

  • --
  • Beginner level
  • Intermediate level
  • Advanced level
  • All levels
  • Beg/Int level
  • Int/Adv level

Community Generated






About This Class

This is  the second level class in our lindy hop series.  If you haven't taken the first two lindy hop classes, we suggest starting there.  We break down some fun variations to the swing out, one of the core moves done in lindy hop.  Paul and Laura teach lindy hop in Southern California and are very excited to bring classes to a global platform.  Paul also live streams a lot of his social dancing and competitions on twitch.  You are welcome to stop by there, say hi, get a feel for the dance, and ask questions.

Lindy hop is a partnered dance that came about in the late 20s in Harlem, New York.  It was danced to jazz and big band music predominantly by black dancers in clubs like the Savoy and Alhambra Ballrooms.  By the 1940s, swing music and dancing took the world by storm.  Today it is danced all over the world and continues to bring joy to dancers of all ages, ethnicity, and backgrounds.  We suggest learning more about lindy hop, the classic dancers that helped create and define this dance, and more.  This site and the Lindy Hop Wikipedia pages are great places to start.  

Meet Your Teacher

Teacher Profile Image

Paul Riding

Dancer and Twitch Broadcaster


Hi!  My name is Paul and I'm a dance instructor and twitch streamer from Southern California.  In September of 2019 I quit my full time desk job to pursue my dreams of opening a ballroom in my local area.  I believe we can make the world a smaller place when we dance and create art together.  Swing dancing has brought me so much joy in my life and I'm passionate about passing it on to others through lessons and live streaming.  

I am live streaming my creative journey and experiences in the world of lindy hop. Utilizing, I work to share, inspire, educate and invite people to the lindy hop community. My regular broadcasts include my competitions, rehearsals, social dancing, dance lessons, travels and other entertaining segments.  P... See full profile

Class Ratings

Expectations Met?
  • Exceeded!
  • Yes
  • Somewhat
  • Not really
Reviews Archive


Your creative journey starts here.

  • Unlimited access to every class
  • Supportive online creative community
  • Learn offline with Skillshare’s app

Why Join Skillshare?

Take award-winning Skillshare Original Classes

Each class has short lessons, hands-on projects

Your membership supports Skillshare teachers

Learn From Anywhere




1. Introduction: how low? I'm Laura. I'm bowl and welcome to Lindy. Hop level to modifying your sweet. This class is meant to be taken after living up. One should go without saying, but we're gonna mention it anyway. So if you're discovering us for the first time, make sure you go back to Arlen. You have Level one class. Learn that first because we're gonna be building off the concepts we laid it for you there . So in this class, we're gonna give you some fun stuff toe add onto your swing out. So we're gonna do a little bit deeper into technique and how we accomplish this move. And also, we're gonna give you some fun flair and variations to throw in a swell. Yeah, so just a kind of a recap on how to take this class most efficiently. Make sure you've got space. Clear some space in your room to dance. If you've got a partner, ask them to take the class with you. It can be taken separate, but it's definitely more efficient. Teoh practice with a partner. That's the way that we designed The classes take each lesson in order after each lesson or even during each lesson participate, dance along with us and then only after that, then move onto the next lesson. Take him in order because we will build upon each concept on then feel free, of course, to go back and review in that sort of thing. Also, we if you're taking this level to class, we really, really want to see some projects at the end of the class. It's really important as dance teachers, especially to see our students grow. We want to see. See that? So we can give you feedback and give you a little tips to tip toe work on. Don't worry. Everyone starts at the same place as a beginner. So no judgment coming from us seeing you dance. We do want to see those projects, though. Enjoy the class. Have fun. We'll see you there 2. Lindy Hop Recap: All right, Let's just jump into it. We're going to do a little bit of recap right at first from our open position for lady. Okay, so we're doing a swing out. 123456 70. If this looks alien to you, go back to the first class. You should know how to do this. Okay. So far, First off, we're going to start off with with Leeds thinking about your rock step. I want you to always think that your rock steps are going to be driven by your hips. Okay, Act. Activate those hips. And what we want to do is make that want to kind of almost like a starting back for a sprinter, anything. 12 and move forward. Okay, so watch it again. 1234561234 678 It doesn't have that. Emphasise that, too. But I do want it to I want to feel like it's it's got some power behind it when it comes forward. Follows, uh, double notes for you. We are going to be doing something slightly different with your swing out in these next several classes. So it's very important to think about keeping your feet underneath you and not moving before you're asked to. So for now, what you've learned so far is to walk forward on your one and two. But that's not always going to be the case. So assume that you are stepping in place and move when your read it gives you a cute that's very important to build off. Yeah, so with that in mind lead to make sure we're giving them a direct queue for one to come in . 12345678 Sure thing. The hips go back, the body goes back the arm, Really, the shoulders go back with and the arm tick goes back with that and follow comes with should be. Do you shoot? 2123456 Tate. 3. Come Together: Alright follows. We're gonna start with a little tip for you. You'll notice if you're out social dancing. If you danceable a lot of different people in a night, a lot of different leads, all them feel a little bit different and they all lead a little bit different. And that's OK. We're gonna teach you how to be adaptable and how to respond. But we're also gonna break that down a little bit and teach you sort of why that happens and what you can do about it. Okay, So when we're doing this dance, we up until this point, we've always shown you to come in on water, right? 123 and four. So on. Okay, now we're going to actually change that, allow you to bring in on two or even three. Okay, so the difference here watch when we bring it on 1123 and four. Versus I asked my father to come in on two. 123 and four. So I leads. What you're doing now is starting to independently allow this hands to expand away from your body. Even though you're rock stepping away from the partnership. Okay? You can think of it as if you're holding on the partnerships holding onto a pole here. And we're spent expanding away from the pool on, then using the rest of that to come back together like normal. Okay, so on a two, it would look like this. 123 Painful. 561234567 and eight. And follows. This is where it starts to be really important that you don't jump ahead and do something that you are not lead to. Dio. So Paul is waiting to bring me in on two. I'm not going to step forward with my right foot. I'm gonna step right. Meet me because he didn't ask me to come forward. I'm gonna wait until the second beat the 2nd 2 step with my next foot. Now we can also delay that even Mawr and come in on a three. So again saying concept, we're gonna pretend that bull is there. 123 and 456 and 8123 and 4567812 Great temple. A little more on two. Yes, so follows. Up until now, this is all stuff is really challenging and kind of breaks The leads. Eso Let's give you something to break. You, too, will make it. It's kind of if we have a lead that's free nesting on two or three, it's not summer fine up to just right underneath. You feels a little bit boring, a little bit stagnant, so there's a lot of options tons of cool stylings that you can learn. We're gonna give you two of them today, so the 1st 1 is. We can also do a rock step to match our leader if we want to. And this only works if you're really brings you in on two and three, because if they bring you in on one, your movement was going forward and there's no way you can move backwards. What if you have a space? Here's what it looks like to do a rock step on either the two or the three. Whatever cultures is well done. 12345678123 and 45678123 and 4567 Now, going through these, I want you to know that none of these are wrong like these are different choices that you will experience out on the dance floor. They are different feeling, though, and if you're trying one of them for the first time, it's going to break your swing out. It's going to feel weird because it sends you towards each other, different velocities at different times. So just be aware of that. Try it out. Yes, one more note for the follows. The rock step is actually a choice. The lead. It does have the option of leading a rock stuff that could be done Beacon sending backwards . But in this case, he's not. He's not asking for anything. He's literally leaving in place, and I'm choosing to rock step. So, for example, if he's just here, I can choose rock step. I do the same thing stretching away my arm. But there are other things that I could do also, so just be aware it's not lead. It's a choice. The other thing to keep in mind leads. Don't worry about trying to push your partner like if this is not let with this arm. Metal were naturally expanding away from each other, and it's not a push tryingto 4. Swivels Part 1: Alright, follows. We're gonna give you some fun stuff deployment right now for me to teach you a variation Cults levels, which is one of my favorite things. Uh, let's go out and demonstrate, actually, so you could see what it looks like. I'm gonna do a couple thing out, just regular, and then I'm gonna add vegetables and leaders. Just a fair warning. We're not gonna touch on content for leaders during this time. However, I would suggest learning it too, cause if nothing else, it will give you a whole lot of respect for what you're follows doing. Okay, So e g 00 clue do you do? So that's what it looks like. Stools are that fun, little twisting motion that we have on our one and two. So this is basically replacing your step. Step for your rough step and there's a couple of important things to know before you try it . We have three laws of swivels. Number one is our footwork stays the same. So no matter how far or how little you twist, you must still take two full steps. So it is still a step step, and then into your triple step So that's what I see. People dio they come out of their trouble. Step. They're setting up for some really bottomless and schools, and they twist twist, but they don't actually take your steps, not allowed. You gotta take yourselves. Hey, lot number one long over to his swivels happen underneath your body. So this is especially important given that you don't know when your leader is gonna bring you in. If he brings you in on one that you're gonna do it stepping forward. But I need you and he brings you in on two. Then you're gonna stay in place and then move, but still underneath you or my favorite nest one. And he brings you in a three. You just do in place and making nice and juicy little spill on A regardless, If your balance of your over your feet prepared for ending, let's hope so. That's number tooth. Law number three is schools having below the rib cage so you don't necessarily wonderful body agent. You don't want to move your shoulders. You wanted to have it only from the hips. And this is especially important because we're connected. If I start moving my shoulders look what that does to Paul's are it takes it all over the place, and it kind of messes up whatever he's leading or whatever he might have been preparing to . So But if we keep it small, keep it only from tips from the shoulders. Then he is free to leave whenever you would like. And it's my own style. That's that before we want Teoh trying it together. However, give it a try by yourself, and what we can do is we can march our eight count forward place and then we can try adding the swivels. So I'm doing follows work, so we're gonna start with a regular one. And then when we get to the one into, we're gonna add in Arsenal's 56 234 get that shot. 5. Swivels Part 2: All right. So hopefully you've given your super try on your own, and now we get to put them. Um So before we do it, though, I'm gonna give you one more note about symbols. What you can do is we can kind of twist into it to set them up. So if we come out, I'm gonna use Paul for a minute. We come out, we have our triple step. We can at the end of the triple step point armies to our left, and that's going to set us up for a nice twist to the right. So we have our trip Full twist. I'm facing this way. And then we have our step step after that in context Little like 12 free and full time six twist When you're trying this feel free to take it nice and slow Leaders give your follows some space to work on this So again, even if feel super unnatural try breaking your follows in on three. For now. Okay, so you've got that rock step rock step Triple step, step, step, Triple step, Rock step, Triple step Said trip. Okay. The other thing is, I think as as a lead. Sometimes I feel a little bit mawr cold or more counter mounts or weight from my follow while they dig into those swivels, Um, leaders. You need to show them support by giving them that counterbalance, because then they'll take more of it if they want. And what we mean by this, like safe Laura wants get super deep and super like sassy with their swivels, she's gonna sit against it. Looks like this one, too. 456 and eight. Obama 23 and four. But there's no way that she could get to that point if I don't give her something to hang off. Okay, think about you. Is like this, really? Here you just go, which, by the way, that is a great way to practice that. So if you have a partner, great, that's the best. But if you do not have a partner, you grab a door handle or any surface. That's about this height that you can hang off. I didn't grab it and go to town. Also, more notes. You can really crack them, however you would like so you could make that small dainty. You could make the down and dirty even twist far less. It's really flexible and really fun, so enjoy it. Find your swivel identity. Yeah, 6. Kick Ball Change: all right. Hopefully, those schools are looking sweet. We're gonna move on to another type of way to level up your dancing. Another another little variation that we're gonna do before we started this. However, I would like to mention that whatever thing you're practicing, say if your work focusing in connection, just focus on connection. If you're focusing on a rhythm variation which will describe what that is, just focus on that. You don't have to dance perfectly all the time. You don't have to try to get all the concepts under one thing. Just focus on the individual parts you're trying to make better. So rhythm variations. What is that? Up until this point, we have been doing step step, step, step, step, step, step, step. This dances improvised. We can change a whole bunch of that, including a whole bunch of like our moves are shapes everything else. We can adjust these rhythms. They don't have to be set. So what we're gonna do is replace one of our steps steps with a kick ball change. So what? That looks like iss. Actually, Binkley The name describes one of this. So we're going Teoh follows. Let's put your weight on your left foot. You're ready to kick with your right foot because we have just finished our triple step and this is replacing our one into which will be our rock step or symbols or step. Step leads, Obviously full of all, will be on your right foot and we're going to kids and then place the bowl of our foot down and change it. So we have a kid call change, and that's our church. Just so you know, you can do that with either foot, but betting on the foot that you were dancing on, that's what you use within the version. So we're going to replace R 12 It'll look like this. We're going to first do a normal one together. 123 and 456 A kickball change trip. Full step, step, step, step, kick, ball change. Step, step, step. Trip will set. Yeah, you can change the shape of this to say we want to get away from each other. Kid ball changed. Full step, step, step. Other thing to know is that this does not. This is not letting follow. Okay? Like follows. You might be able to pick up on something that the latest doing. But this is designed to be like choose your own adventure. So, for example, if I wanted to just be super vanilla, I want Teoh wear time. So wait, I want more. I have a challenge for the follows because by now you are swivel masters. Your challenge is to kick ball, change into do swivels. Looks like this. There's no change. Do you get? 7. Levels: all right. Another new concept for you. We're talking about levels. Yes. So what we mean by levels is exactly what? Laura, just just show we're gonna talk about changing kind of the hike or the shape of your Bess. This is an easy way. Really easy way to modify what the dance looks like if you have the strength for it anyway , So what we're gonna do first show you what a pike looks. OK, so is where you actually take the bend at the hips here now. Ah, lot of people. When they're learning to do this with their lindy hop, they kind of let this pike. But then they let everything else crumple, and they're dancing like Spiegel way don't want to collapse the shoulders. And everything is literally just a pipe here. Everything else is going to stay in good posture. You want to make sure, so we will show you. And again, there's no right or wrong here. It's however you want to dance, so we'll show you on an upright swing out first. So 1238 and then maybe a pump swinging 146 Okay. So you can play with the angle that your body is. Um, do you do that any time? That does not have to be only swing out, so I could be anything of any part of this dance. Ziegler's far Let's talk about just changing life in general. Just so So we talked about changing the angle of the hips, but we talk about the which we dance. Laura mentioned bending your knees. That's a real nice way to keep this stance musical. Okay, so we're here, and we wanted to just maybe the pulse. And the other thing is, these could be specific choices. According to the music, you don't have to commit to one thing for the whole dance, right? So say we dio dio Jew. But you do that. You do. You do? Uh, yeah. No, I didn't actually, I would like to mention there are a whole bunch of different styles of play, and it's different all around the world. So you noticed. Like dancers from Sweden, they usually gets very bent over and have other symbols there, out out from the world. Mom, an old traditional like California style or Hollywood style, would be very right and very still in the upper body and there is no right or wrong answer . It's just lots of options for you. Yeah, that's good. 8. Arms: So there is, of course, a question we are often dancing in. Open position to close position, position. This is connected. But what I do with this, we have a free arm. This is the age old question. So don't freak out about it too much way have all practiced for your It does not necessarily. Contractually, it didn't for me. So here's some options if we have these lovely swivels going on, but we have a Derby little arm here con takes away from what we're doing. So here's some suggestions. Number one, if you can just simply put it out that maybe kind of a nice angle. So just that's right here, dear Symbols. And then it doesn't take away from a one option just out. Yeah, Another option is you make a circle while people do this. It's kind of look like this 67 And then there's what war that kind of specifically goes with a styling California Hollywood style, and a lot of the old follows would keep their arm behind them and challenging their hits do all the sand on top. I was like this. So those objections, please. So my favorite choices to do with this arm completely ignore it and make it look like trash . That's probably the main one. Now you could let it let it hang. Just let it hang. But what do you do? I want you to think about continuing energy all the way through to your fingertips. Because if you just let it hang with no energy, it's gonna bounce around and look really distracting. So think about energy all the way through your fingertips. But you're just let let me hang out. Boom, Boom. You do. You do. If you don't like the way that feels or looks, you can bring it in here and just kind of have it here as like a just holding this position . See, a lot of that you can match whatever your follows doing in general, I think for both legs and follows. Continuing momentum out from the body never looks back. Right? So if we come out here 12 and foreign body shoot shoot, you could make those choices. And then the last little I wouldn't generally suggest this for a default swinging, but one that's kind of fun is a big release of your follow and hold that angle with your arms. It looks like this. 23456 Boop! That's not because it makes me want Teoh. Yeah? 9. Recap: All right, We're gonna show you some social dancing with concepts that way. Talked about just basic basic swing. And then how about that? Let's play with arms. Fact about levels, Okay? And just to reiterate, we could do that. All of these concepts with all the different moves, yeah. 10. Project: All right. Those are the concepts for this class. Uh, yeah. We want to see a video. We want to see you dancing. No matter what level you think you're at, we would love to see you compile a social dance. So you now have three different classes, Three different Lindy hop classes at the time of the shooting to borrow from. And this should be the most advanced one. No. So take the material from those classes, including all your moves and everything, and see if you can adjust all that material with with the things that we talked. You could also, if you want to send in a video of maybe you just practicing swivels or just your kick ball change, that's also perfectly fine. Um, yeah, but we would love to see what you're doing with these things that were teaching you. Yes, yes. Thank you so much for taking our class. If you want to learn more about dancing, you can always head over to Paul dances, not TV. Um, and we also know I also broadcast on twitch w w dot twitch dot tv slash paul Ince's Come on over and hang out and ask questions live see live dancing, Thea Other thing is the lessons and everything. I always tell this to my students in person. I took three years of Spanish in high school and I speak zero Spanish because I did not practice it. So the goal with this is eventually you'll want to take it out and go social dancing with it. That's where this dance lives is at the social dances. So where the fun is? Yeah, exactly. If you need help on finding a venue to dance at Hit us up were very were open toe communicating with our students and, uh, yeah, just building a community here. So thanks again for taking the class we'll see in the next one.