Why Post West Coast Swing Videos?
Some of you may know that I dance.... some of you may not. I was recently at a dance competition in Canada, and did rather well in my division. I placed 3rd in Jack & Jill with a leader that I had never met before. We exchanged brief introductions as the music began, and then we danced our way to 3rd place. (Our placement also means I can now move up into the Advanced division.) As we danced, my friend recorded video, which I will share below.
It's rather common to see a bunch of people with phones in their hand, darting around the ballroom to get a good angle of the couple they're recording on the floor. A few years ago, event directors would try to stop people from doing this in an attempt to get event attendees to purchase the event video. This has shifted, and now events are streamed online for a low cost or even free. Directors are seeing the value in this because dancers frequently upload their videos, which indirectly helps market the event. Every dance floor includes a backdrop with the event's name emblazoned on it. When viewers watch videos of dancers they admire, they notice the dance event name and consider attending it in the future.
To show their friends and family.
It's much easier to send a friend a YouTube link, rather than send a large file through email or dropbox. Videos are easily retrievable, which means it can be accessed from anywhere. I don't have to dig through my phone's files to find a video when I can easily find it on YouTube.
To showcase their art.
West Coast Swing (WCS) is an evolving art. It pulls in elements from other dances, which is easy to see after you watch a few videos. WCS includes Hip Hop, East Coast Swing & Lindy, Carolina shag, Zouk, Country 2-Step, and more. You can dance to fast blues music and you can dance to slow contemporary (top 40s) music. The dance has evolved because the dancers try new things, some of which catch on and others which don't.
Have you ever heard of a dance watch party? In WCS, this is a thing. Some of us will get together in someone's living room and watch video after video of dancers on YouTube... FOR HOURS. All you need is the Chromecast, and everyone can add their favorite videos to the queue. Together, we squeal in delight at the amazing things, rewind to re-watch complicated things, and make mental notes of what we want to try including in our own dancing.
Type "west coast swing" into the YouTube search bar. I dare you. I bet you won't be able to stop watching after just one video. Especially when you start watching videos of the professionals, like season 2 winner of So You Think You Can Dance Benji Schwimmer, Orlando-based champion Jennifer DeLuca, or Robert Royston, Tatiana Mollmann, Jordan Frisbee, and... oh gosh, the list goes on. (Start on those videos and enjoy the rabbit hole of awesomeness).
To compare past vs present & improve.
There's no better way to determine how far you've come than to watch an old video right after you watch your most recent one. When I watch videos from when I started WCS, I can't help but cringe at my lack of body control and proper footwork. But, this is clear evidence of my improvement. I can look at a video from 6 months ago and one from last week to figure out if that 'thing I was doing' has finally been fixed from my nonstop practice. I can also see what looks awkward and what I should work on next.
Another great thing about dancers posting on YouTube, is that the rest of the dance community gets to stay up-to-date on what happened at each event. You may hear "OMG, ______ had a KILLER dance for Strictly- you HAVE to watch it!!!" How? YouTube. It's the perfect online tool for the WCS community.
It's rather common to see a bunch of people with phones in their hand, darting around the ballroom to get a good angle of the couple they're recording on the floor. A few years ago, event directors would try to stop people from doing this in an attempt to get event attendees to purchase the event video. This has shifted, and now events are streamed online for a low cost or even free. Directors are seeing the value in this because dancers frequently upload their videos, which indirectly helps market the event. Every dance floor includes a backdrop with the event's name emblazoned on it. When viewers watch videos of dancers they admire, they notice the dance event name and consider attending it in the future.
There are a number of other reasons why dancers upload their videos.
To show their friends and family.
It's much easier to send a friend a YouTube link, rather than send a large file through email or dropbox. Videos are easily retrievable, which means it can be accessed from anywhere. I don't have to dig through my phone's files to find a video when I can easily find it on YouTube.
To showcase their art.
West Coast Swing (WCS) is an evolving art. It pulls in elements from other dances, which is easy to see after you watch a few videos. WCS includes Hip Hop, East Coast Swing & Lindy, Carolina shag, Zouk, Country 2-Step, and more. You can dance to fast blues music and you can dance to slow contemporary (top 40s) music. The dance has evolved because the dancers try new things, some of which catch on and others which don't.
Have you ever heard of a dance watch party? In WCS, this is a thing. Some of us will get together in someone's living room and watch video after video of dancers on YouTube... FOR HOURS. All you need is the Chromecast, and everyone can add their favorite videos to the queue. Together, we squeal in delight at the amazing things, rewind to re-watch complicated things, and make mental notes of what we want to try including in our own dancing.
Type "west coast swing" into the YouTube search bar. I dare you. I bet you won't be able to stop watching after just one video. Especially when you start watching videos of the professionals, like season 2 winner of So You Think You Can Dance Benji Schwimmer, Orlando-based champion Jennifer DeLuca, or Robert Royston, Tatiana Mollmann, Jordan Frisbee, and... oh gosh, the list goes on. (Start on those videos and enjoy the rabbit hole of awesomeness).
To compare past vs present & improve.
There's no better way to determine how far you've come than to watch an old video right after you watch your most recent one. When I watch videos from when I started WCS, I can't help but cringe at my lack of body control and proper footwork. But, this is clear evidence of my improvement. I can look at a video from 6 months ago and one from last week to figure out if that 'thing I was doing' has finally been fixed from my nonstop practice. I can also see what looks awkward and what I should work on next.
Another great thing about dancers posting on YouTube, is that the rest of the dance community gets to stay up-to-date on what happened at each event. You may hear "OMG, ______ had a KILLER dance for Strictly- you HAVE to watch it!!!" How? YouTube. It's the perfect online tool for the WCS community.
So. Did you watch the videos above? Did you suddenly lose track of time?
What did you watch? Share below!
What did you watch? Share below!
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