Quickstart to Swing : An Easy - to - Follow Guide for Swing Dancing - Beginner through Expert [Paperback]

Jeff Allen (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 1, 2000

The third in the Quickstart dance series deals with the most popular dance in the world from America's most popular author of books on the topic of dance.

100 Swing Variations with Applications in the following 4 Rhythms:

1. Single - Street or Club
2. Double - Jitterbug
3. Double - Kick
4. Triple - East Coast Swing

This text is presented in a logical, easy to understand, cumulative format that includes all the basic and advanced skills necessary for the successful learning, partnering, and teaching of Swing dancing.

Quickstart to Swing is written with Jeff Allen's noted kinesiological approach along with the mental and physical attitudes and philosophies that will make any level dancer successful.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"24 Karat solid gold." A definitive guide for all hipsters of the hardwood. Sure to bring out the Fred and Ginger in everyone! -- Bo Lewis, Host of the Big Band Dance Party heard in 66 countries around the world at www.bolewis.org/

This book provides an excellent introduction for the beginner dancer and offers enough detail and insights to be a resource for the experienced dancer and teacher. -- Aswin van den Berg, - Web master of the popular US Swing Dance Server

About the Author

Jeff Allen is a graduate of the University of Rhode Island who has been self-employed since 1972. Jeff's interest in Social & Ballroom Dancing began in 1960 with social dance classes in the Providence, RI area. Barely a teenager, he attended social dances at schools and community centers with the much, "older kids." At that time, he danced Lindy, Jitterbug, Cha-cha, and Twist in dance contests. "We watched the Jitterbug fade on American Bandstand and then danced to dozens more with the names of insects and creatures. By the late 70's, Jeff's interest in competitive dancing began to consume all of his free time. At that time, Disco dancing and Disco nightclub competition were the main thrusts of his dance activity. These dance competitions were held all over the New England and New York areas where Jeff won thousands of dollars competing. The Disco craze soon subsided and competitive Ballroom, Latin, & Swing Dancing piqued Jeff's interest. He began competing! in national and international dance competitions. Jeff turned professional in July of 1984 after winning the Gold closed level at the North American Championships. In that same year, Jeff began traveling to Montreal, Quebec, a Mecca of Ballroom Dancing, for teacher training and competitive dancing. This journey continued every four weeks for three and one half years. Jeff finished in 4th place in the Canadian Provincial Basic & Standard Professional Latin Championships, won the New England Professional American Smooth Championships, finished 2nd in the Rising Star Closed Latin North American Championships. Two separate times at the Eastern United States Championships, in both the Professional Open American Smooth and Professional Open International Latin Divisions, Jeff was a finalist. His interest in Argentine Tango developed when training in Montreal during 1986. Fascinated by this form of Tango, he took a bold step and added elements of the Argentine style to his pr! ofessional American Tango choreography. Today all top competitors in the American Smooth divisions use Argentine Tango to add drama to the American style. Jeff's greatest pride is the more than 30 Top Teacher Awards he has won and having kept his position consistently in the list of the Top 75 teachers in North America. This was done while competing Professionally and performing an average of more than one show per week.

Jeff holds Membership credentials with the North American Dance Teachers Association and the Pan-American Teachers Association. He also holds Associate credentials with the Imperial Society of Teachers of Dance. In addition to this text, Jeff has completed the 2nd edition of Quickstart to Social Dancing , Quickstart to Tango , The Complete Guide to Slow Dancing, and is completing the 4th of eleven books in the Quickstart Series, called Quickstart to Salsa & Merengue . Jeff Allen is available for coaching and judging as he continues to offer the highest standard in teaching beginner and advanced students including teachers and professional performers. Jeff has been named as a feature article writer for Dancing USA Magazine his first contribution will appear in the April / May 2000 issue

Mr. Allen is available to answer any of your questions regarding this book.

Product Details

• Paperback: 216 pages
• Publisher: Qqs Pubns; First edition (May 1, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0965442330
• ISBN-13: 978-0965442336
• Product Dimensions: 10.5 x 8.2 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (44 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #573,153 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #53 in Books > Arts & Photography > Performing Arts > Dance > Modern

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

17 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Extraordinarily Comprehensive  A Swing Resource for Life, June 19, 2000

By 

H. Fox - See all my reviews

This review is from: Quickstart to Swing : An Easy - to - Follow Guide for Swing Dancing - Beginner through Expert (Paperback)

I've been reading and more importantly using Mr. Allen's book for two months. I have been dancing Swing (not Lindy) for about a year now and can sincerely say that I only wished that this very valuable Swing dance-learning vehicle were available at that early point in my Swing experience. Imitating others and learning from group classes seemed to have produce many distortions in my, "monkey see monkey do," mentality as an approach to this dance and its various rhythms. It almost as if my eyes were lying to me about the application of the most basic movements as I attempted to do what I felt was correct. The various sections on Swing technique in the book have helped me immensely to refocus and prioritize what I thought was actually happening out there on the dance floor. The six pages devoted to just the "Swing Rock," or as some of my teachers have called it the, "Back Rock," are worth the price of the book alone. The way he breaks it down has caused a considerable improvement in my dancing in the way that no ten or twenty dollars worth of lessons that I have taken has!

What I have learned to do with, "Quickstart to Swing," is compare any of the similar steps or moves to what I presently know and simply tune them up. All of my partners have noticed the improvement and now I am able to learn any of the other steps in the book or at classes with ease! Needless to say, I've become a happy Swinger having moved out of the doldrums of frustration. I must admit that I was disturbed to read another reviewer slamming Jeff Allen's book for not including the basics in Lindy Hop. I really wonder if they read in the book's introduction that he states and I quote, "The reader of Quickstart to Swing will develop good potential for growth into the more advanced or difficult forms of Swing dancing. These forms are as follows: The Lindy Hop (regarded as the original and most difficult form of Swing that has retained its unique characteristics since the 1930's).........." Or, in the description of the book's contents above! In California, my neck of the woods, most of the good Lindy Hop teachers require that their students be well versed in the East Coast Swing (one of the 4 rhythms in this book) before they even attempt the Lindy. Perhaps this reviewer would have had an easier time and would have continued dancing if they had not tried something too hard and actually used a more building block approach.

Once again get this book and use it a little at a time and you'll soon find out have valuable it is. I'd give it TEN stars if I could!

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Work with IT, We Do  Quickstart to Swing is Brilliant!, July 1, 2000

By 

"nakupwanda" - See all my reviews

This review is from: Quickstart to Swing : An Easy - to - Follow Guide for Swing Dancing - Beginner through Expert (Paperback)

Quickstart to Swing is 2nd of the Quickstart Series Books that we own. The first is Quickstart to Social Dancing that my new bride and I used for our wedding dance. One of the dances taught in "QtoSD" was the East Coast Swing so this became the rhythm of our choice when we started working with Quickstart to Swing. Like any how-to book, you do not just start reading it you work with it a little at a time. Our goal was to get through the first two lessons for our wedding day and our honeymoon cruise. We were able to do this by patiently working with each other as solos and as a couple. Each step has the technique, an overview, and the step & movement directions. As if this isn't enough, there is virtually a second book within Quickstart to Swing called "The Technique." You could call this section the problem solver or everything you ever needed to know about Swing dancing!

At the ship's nightclub, there were couples dancing to the Swing orchestra - we wondered if some of them were at war with each other? Yanking and pulling, holding on to each other by the fingernails to stop from falling apart with rocking back and forth using their shoulders as an imitation to Swing dancing. The faster the music got the worse they got and some of it looked dangerous. We're from New York and this looked like a reenactment of the Millennium party we attended where we decided to really learn how to Swing dance without trauma. Two physical directions that Mr. Allen uses were incredibly helpful to us - unbelievably the letter "U" and the letter "W" but since we are not supposed to spoil the plot in the review, will just tell you - they work. This book is like a cookbook for Swing dancing; you WILL go back to it over and over again.

By [e-mail]

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars INDISPENSABLE for ANY SWING or SALSA DANCER, August 23, 2000

By 

Ilovesrocknroll (West Coast, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Quickstart to Swing : An Easy - to - Follow Guide for Swing Dancing - Beginner through Expert (Paperback)

I have owned this book since May 2000. It has helped to reshape my Swing dancing. Admittedly as a Swing dancer of several years, I thought I knew a lot and was pretty good. Now I am faster, smoother, and a much better leader. My partner and I work with this book often because its technical instruction during each move presented and the large section at the end of the book are INDISPENSABLE!

Among the discussions are several concerning rotation. Just knowing what makes a rotation successful and when the best time to lead one with respect to my partner's body & foot positions are worth the price of this book.

Unbelievably the overlapping general ideas have actually helped our Salsa dancing tremendously. Many figures can easily be converted to suit Salsa. Once we heard a good teacher say the development of most Salsa figures come from Swing dancing we began to experiment with some of the "Moves," presented in Jeff Allen's book. We have learned to apply "Overhead Swivels," and several of the "Pretzels," to our Salsa. After all Salsa is a sauce with many dance types as the ingredients.

I highly recommend, "Quickstart to Swing," to everyone!