Bubble City Bash Class 1 Recap: Sophisticated Swingouts

Nathan Bugh and Erin Morris started their Bubble City class series with an hour filled with foundational swingout tips. They started by having us develop proper distance at the start of a swingout. We practiced being far enough apart to create tension to draw the partnership together. Too far a distance broke the frame of the shoulders. Too close minimized the elasticity.

Next, leads practiced tweaking their starting stance. Instead of facing follows head on, they positioned their feet on a slight diagonal. This stance invites the follow to travel in a straight line and fill the space on the lead’s right side.

As the partnership flowed into the face-off moment, we considered the shape of our arms. To help us, we made sure that the lead and follow were making one distinct shape, checking in to whether either dancer were making a unique, independent shape with the connected arm. Then, as the swingout progressed, we noticed whether that smooth, continuous shape persisted throughout the entire movement, or whether it changed.

We then looked at the continuity of the swingout as a whole. There are distinct moments — the face-off, the redirect, swivels — each of which can be refined individually. The goal however should be to have it look like one continuous idea. In order to achieve this, each dancer should maintain a consistent look or character throughout the move.

Lastly, we refined our foot work. We positioned ourselves in or face off stance, with the lead on their left foot, and the follows on their right. The lead then pulled the follow forward onto their left foot. The step sometimes felt like it was moving through the space of the lead’s legs, so leads had to be quick to move out of the way.

Leads and follows then both practice rolling through the entire foot. I felt the most useful moment to practice this on the swingout was on the 6, when the lead’s left foot is stepping to make room for the follow coming forwards.