Product Details

• Actors: Marcus Koch, Bärbl Kaufer
• Directors: Marcus Koch, Bärbl Kaufer
• Format: Color, NTSC
• Number of tapes: 1
• VHS Release Date: January 1, 2000
• Run Time: 87 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B00005KI4A
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #476,415 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)

Editorial Reviews

About the Actor

Marcus & Bärbl are originally from Munich, Germany. They already dance together for more than 10 years and are famous swing dancers and teachers all over the world. Through competitions, teaching, and their worldwide available instructional videotapes they were responsible for bringing Swing in many corners of the globe. Their excellent knowledge of many different Swing styles was achieved by long hours studying the original dance scenes frame by frame and by working personally with the best dance masters from the original Hollywood movies, like Gil Bradey (“Don’t Knock The Rock”), Jean Veloz (“Swing Fever”, “Groovie Movie”), Frankie Manning (“Hellzapoppin’”), etc.

Marcus & Bärbl won the German Championship in Boogie Woogie five times in a row, have been World Champion 1993, World Vice Champion 1995/97/98, got 3rd place in the World Lindy Hop Championship 1999/2000, and won tons of other titles. They received the Feather Award 1996 (Dancers’ Choice) for “The Most Outstanding Global Swing Dancer" and again 1997 for ”The Best Swing Dancers Outside The USA”. Beside competing and teaching Marcus & Bärbl are also successful choreographers and performers.

With an excellent synthesis of Boogie Woogie, Lindy Hop and Hollywood Style they formed their own style with an own outstanding character. This unique character, their happiness, and their enormous energy made them so popular all over the World. But besides all of these merits their teaching is a guarantee for a lot of fun and laughing that reflects the soul of Swing dancing.

“We hope you will enjoy the video and fall in love with swing as we did.”

The World of Swing video series comprises nine different videos with Marcus & Bärbl so far. Other videos will follow soon.

WOS #1 – 40s Hollywood Style WOS #2 – Boogie Woogie/Advanced East Coast WOS #3 – Footwork Fast & Fancy WOS #4 – Advanced Hollywood Style WOS #5 – How To Jitterbug WOS #6 – From Partner Charleston To Lindy Charleston WOS #7 – Master Trick Steps: Part 1 – Guys WOS #8 – Master Trick Steps: Part 2 – Dolls WOS #9 – Secrets Of Improvisation/Dancing To The Music

Product Description

Level: Intermediate/Advanced

On this tape Marcus & Bärbl will teach you the foundation of improvisation in Swing dancing. Learning steps means learning vocabulary. But knowing great words doesn't mean being able to tell a great story. So learn how to tell fascinating stories with your steps. Understand the most important thing about dancing. Learn to make your steps fit the music and enjoy a new dimension in your dancing. This will probably be your most important and influencing instructional videotape.

To really benefit from this video you should have experience in Swing dancing. You should be familiar with the foundation and the common standard moves. The video contains theoretical and practical parts. Because the emphasis of this video is on the connection to the music, those steps that are employed to demonstrate the concept are not broken down. But don’t worry; the used steps are mostly standard steps. If you want an explanation or a break down we can recommend you the other videos from the World of Swing series.

Marcus & Bärbl set great store by getting you a good foundation and feeling for the dance. It makes you able to understand the dance, to feel comfortable, and to have fun.

All steps in the World of Swing series are demonstrated to great music that will stick in your ears and makes your feet wanna move. As a bonus you can see Marcus & Bärbl jamming together with other great swing dancers after the instructional part on all the videos.

And most important of all: Don’t take dancing too serious. It’s all about having fun. You will see it when you watch the videos of Marcus & Bärbl.

Content:
Phrases
Doing Moves On The Phrases
Fill-Ins
Music Structure
Dancing To The Music Structure
Swing Chorus 2
Blues Chorus
Hitting Breaks In The Music
Break Steps
Stretching & Shortening
Rhythm Base
Changing The Rhythm
Leading For Improvisation
Straight, Laid Back & Driven Forward
Light & Shadow

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Required Viewing For Dancers of All Levels, August 15, 2001

By 

J. Taylor "Lindy Hopper" (Altadena) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: World of Swing #9 - Secrets Of Improvisation/Dancing To The Music [VHS] (VHS Tape)

This is my favorite video tape of the entire series. Marcus and Baerbl produce quality instructional tapes, but I've found this one valuable for dancing to the music - even if it is Shag, Balboa, Lindy Hop, or any other form of Swing.

I've owned the tape for a year, and every time I view it something new sinks in.

This tape explains music structure and the concept of musicality so that even beginners can understand, but then takes the concepts and applies them to the actual dance. Marcus and Baerbl demonstrate and instruct how to apply this knowledge with easy to learn moves.

It is a must have for any dancer that wants to learn how to really dance to the music instead of run through a script of choreographed moves.

2 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Incredible, August 15, 2001

By 

Yannick HARDY (Belgium) - See all my reviews

This review is from: World of Swing #9 - Secrets Of Improvisation/Dancing To The Music [VHS] (VHS Tape)

I can say that it's the tape that I look the most. All the time I look it, I learn each time new things. If you are interesting in swing dancing, in the music, the structure, the phrase, ... you must buy this video.

If I must save one videotape in my collection, I think it's this one.

2 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Every Swing dancers basic stuff!, August 22, 2001

By 

Hannu (Finland) - See all my reviews

This review is from: World of Swing #9 - Secrets Of Improvisation/Dancing To The Music [VHS] (VHS Tape)

On this tape Marcus and Bärbl have descripted and demostrated the most important things about swing music, improvisation and dancing to the music. And they have done it very well!