Customer Reviews

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

5 star:		(31)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(7)

 

 

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!

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 Nakupwanda@aol.com

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!

WOW what an extraordinary book!!! I learned Swing dancing by swaying my shoulders at the top like an upside down swing more like a metronome. I venture to say that millions of new Swingers have and continue to learn the same way. Then when it came to learn Triple Swing or Lindy Hop it was hopeless. Was I that bad or was there something really wrong with the way I was dancing? I read the reviews about Allen's book and they seemed to fall into two classes - The more successful dancers seemed to think it was the best thing since "sliced bread," the least experienced seem to be "nit pickers." Now I know why! If your Swing technique is wrong like mine was you could really resent this book and want to slam it that is of course unless you want to put in a little hard work and straighten it out! I loved dancing so I followed the technique from "Quickstart to Swing" literally from top to bottom and really found out that Swing is a fabulously powerful controlled rhythmic dance that never gives up balance or stability.
Not only was I able to finally master Triple Swing but also I leaned that earthy controlled center that Allen talks about and I am now competing on a Lindy Hop team. Without the mindset and body changes that this book revealed to me all my good athleticism was wasted in dance frustration!

In addition to the description and technique of about 100 patterns for Swing dancing there is a second section in this book called "Quickstart to Swing the Technique." You will find solutions and ideas to fix and or improve the following: The Swing Rock, Rhythmic Body & Leg Movements, Usages of your feet, Framing & Handholds, Arms, Wrists, & Hands for Leading & Following, and a killer course on Rotation & Spin. All I can say is there is nothing but gold, platinum, & pearls of wisdom on every single page of this book. Don't miss the wealth. One more thing you don't read a how-to instructional, you get off your seat and use it like I did (and still do) and make the changes necessary to Jump, Jive, & Wail for a lifetime.

My wife and I have had the most enjoyment and satisfaction utilizing this book and watching our dance improve tremendously. I initially purchased this for us to use in conjuction with our private and group lessons. It has been an irreplaceable tool. We found this book an ideal resource covering the choreography in a logical progressive fashion and is indexed to allow quick access before and after each lesson.

We were actually more impressed with the whealth of information offered on topics concerning technique of the rock step, leg movement, and partnering skills. Such information applied to our dancing has transformed our swing and improved our dancing in general.

I feel as if it has answered many of my questions concerning our dancing. Working through the lessons has ironed out wrinkles in my leading, technique and footwork. I would recommend it to any level dancer.

A Swing Class in Florida made up of 8 couples has very successfully completed a Beginner / Intermediate Level Lesson Series. In my attempt to find the strongest teaching tools and dance resources available, I decided to resort to the oldest of teaching techniques - a Teacher and a textbook. "Quickstart to Swing," was my choice for this Swing class after previously reviewing several of the books out there with very stringent criteria. This class was primarily made up of beginners who had taken classes elsewhere in the region. Their goal was to improve in rhythmic skills, leading and following, speed, and much better rotational skills using both new and old Swing figures found in Quickstart to Swing.

Upon signup, they were all required to purchase a copy of the book along with a weekly syllabus. With their new study guide, and my assignments they were to report to class having already worked with Mr. Allen's book. The class would primarily focus on a review of their practice work at home. It was exciting to see this group progress as quickly as they did easily covering the objectives at the start of class. Some of the comments of class members right from the first session were: "I never used my knees properly before - now I am much smoother and my ankles are not bothering me," " My shoulders no longer cause me to pass beyond my control," and "My partner and me seem to be in a more desirable position," "I do not have to use as many basics to get back into position between steps!" I was very happy especially because they were happy. Not one student made reference about the use of a book during class as a crutch for me as their teacher, instead they were happy they did not have to memorize or forget important techniques offered during class time. They all seemed pleased to have a reference at hand. "Why hadn't they thought of it before?" was one of the favorable comments.

One of the publicized comments about this book and the others Mr. Allen has written is that they become a tool that works coincidentally with a competent teacher during class. This book definitely lives up to its billing! UNLIKE,"The Complete Book of Ballroom Dancing," by Stephenson or "Let's Dance! : Learn to Swing, Jitterbug, Rumba, Tango, Line Dance, Lambada, Cha-Cha, Waltz, Two-Step, Foxtrot and Salsa With Style, Grace and Ease," by Bottomer which are very inaccurate renderings of Swing dancing, QUICKSTART to SWING by Jeff Allen is easy for any instructor to use without the fear of contradiction between competent teaching and a book's contents. Teachers if you are able to put ego aside this book is a wonderful way to build respect from your students and increase their capacity along with their speed in learning. I cannot recommend this as a great dance resource enough. Email me at: Dance Reviewer@aol.com and I'll be happy to tell you more!

When reviewing any of the Quickstart Series I asked myself why are these books about social partner dancing, the only of this genre, that have been competently reviewed by outstanding professionals and important periodicals? The answer became apparent through the process of reviewing all of the most popular text to do with this topic, most of the others are loaded with so much technical error that a competent dance professional would tear a hole through their slick but inaccurate presentations! I do not find this problem with "Quickstart to Swing," in fact; Mr. Allen really attacks the technique of the Swing dancing with a partner and gives the reader many ways and directions to become a much, much better dancer.

This the latest of his series really respects all communities of non-dancers and dancers alike as it is written in gender non-specific language, the way all good teachers in the more cosmopolitan areas are dealing with the general public. "Quickstart to Swing," has a unique approach to the overlapping choreography of the Single, Double - Jitterbug and Kick, and the all important and most popular Triple Rhythm known as the East Coast Swing. It is called the "Unit Method," that easily breaks all of these six count rhythms into THREE, two beat units. It really only takes a few minutes to get used to this approach and I personally found it a lot of fun as a workable perspective for counting. The writing style found in the choreographical section of the book is very conversational and similar to the presentation of an actual teacher. We found that when read aloud a non-dancer could actually deliver a very competent lesson - we chuckled and said, "Watch out this book could be too good making everyone a `Swing Teacher!'" Among the hundred or so figures most of which having overlapping rhythm potential, there are also adaptations of figures from the Lindy Hop that are presented in a form that is well-matched for their inclusion in the other rhythms. This gives dancers a good taste of the potential for diversity and the general evolution of Swing. Throughout the choreographic section of the book are the cross references to important aspects applicable technique. This makes it so clear to the new dancer that it takes much more than just foot directions to be successful and really have fun! The hundreds of pictures in the text could have been a slightly higher resolution but are not a distraction, perhaps that is because each and everyone of them has a description as an overlay of it's outstanding depiction.

My favorite section of the book is called "Quickstart to Swing: The Technique." It starts with a check-off list for success and then goes on in more detail topically than any other book or articles that I have ever seen written about Swing dancing. Topics included are: The Swing Rock; Exercises to create a rhythmic body and legs; How to do the various rhythms; The feet; Framing & handholds; How to lead & follow using arms, wrists, & hands; The composition of a dance step; Rotation & spin; Attitudes toward the mental and physical aspects of Swing dancing.

My inclination is to tell you to run not walk to buy this book especially if you have any inclination to dance, take a lesson, or even teach the Swing. - by Dance reviewer@aol.com

From the August / September 2000 issue of Dancing USA Magazine

Jeff Allen continues to deliver the goods to dancers with his newest book. Quickstart to Swing is the latest in his series of dance books that provides the building blocks, insights, and skills necessary to be an accomplished dancer.

The book is about creating a foundation of skills and then adding on to it, learning new things and fine-tuning abilities. Quickstart to Swing helps you become the Swing dancer you always wanted to be.

An excellent resource for students, as well as dance teachers, Quickstart to Swing avoids confusing charts of overlapping footprints and replaces them with clear, cogent descriptions that better allows the reader to absorb the material. Allen's approach to Swing dance is to break down the dance into distinct units. Each of these units easily coalesces into the following unit.

The material covered in this book includes: basic patterns, underarm turns, and hand changes, double hand-holds (normal / pretzel), progressive, tucks and spins, swing rock, rhythmic body and leg movements, and rotation spin and torque. It also provides a checklist to help gauge technical success and progress Guaranteed to get you out on the dance floor as soon as possible, Quickstart to Swing is a must addition to any dancer's library.

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!

Wow! Jeff Allen has produced a book Quickstart To Swing that teaches the basics to a beginner AND gives additional technique to the experienced dancer. The movements required to produce good Swing dancing are broken down and explained in detail. The details include the technique that "makes it work". Mr. Allen also includes common errors and specifically addresses how to fix them. I have been dancing for about 4 years now, both competitively and socially, and I found this book to be filled with information that has helped to improve my dancing in general, and more specifically my Swing dancing. I gave this book to a fellow dancer and by following the excellent technique given in the Swing Rock description, he no longer pulls my arm out of the socket when we dance Swing! He also learned to stay closer to his partner, keep his steps smaller and can lead an underarm turn! The technique used to correct these problems was never even spoken of by his "instructor". The resurgence of Swing's popularity has also dramatically increased the population of "Swing Teachers". Unfortunately the US does not require any credentials to be a "teacher" of dance so anyone who thinks they know a few "moves" can - VOILA - be a dance teacher. For those out there who fit this description, do yourself a very big favor - Buy Quickstart To Swing , read it and learn it ! Thank you Mr. Allen for finally providing an easy to read, `how-to' book on Swing dancing that all dancers can learn from no matter what their experience or level!