Product Details

• Actors: Big City Swing Dance, Chris Yee, Julee Mertz
• Directors: Hans Shale
• Format: Color, NTSC
• Rating: NR (Not Rated)
• Number of tapes: 1
• Studio: Big City Swing Inc
• VHS Release Date: June 1, 1999
• Run Time: 90 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (35 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B00000K1VZ
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #21,125 in Video (See Bestsellers in Video)

Editorial Reviews

Review

Julee Mertz and Chris Yee, two of Chicago's top instructors, teach the basics of 6 count and detailed tips for leading and following. This is the most in depth coverage of leading and following techniques on the web! Ya can't dance it if ya can't lead it or follow it. --Andy Mcgovern, President, SwingThings.Com,

Product Description

Swing (a derivative of Lindy Hop) is a truly original American dance. Developed in the late 1920's in the ballrooms of Harlem, the dance swept the nation, crossing social and racial lines with unprecedented popularity. Today's resurgence of this soulful dance has enriched the lives of young and old. This video will provide the basic tools needed to enjoy this social dance for years to come.

An Introduction to Six-Count Swing begins with the fundamental tools of leading and following. Without those skills, you cannot give or respond to the signals that result in great moves. After mastering just a few exercises in leading and following, we focus on the basic footwork of six-count swing. With that under our belts, we jump right into the basic steps and turns of swing, introducing 17 moves and combinations, each with clarity and plenty of time to practice.

To add to the experience, we asked some great Chicago musicians to lay down some of their original swing tunes for the video.

At the end of the tape (and with some practice), you will be able to lead or follow anyone else who has completed a basic swing class, as well as look and feel like a polished team with your dance partner.

To enhance learning, Julee and Chris recommend Big City Swing's "Ready to Lindy Practice CD". This custom CD was produced with the beginning Swing dancer in mind, with 6 tracks of swingin' tunes, arranged from slowest to fastest, so that dancers can build their skills gradually, while listening to great music.

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

121 of 121 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The finest instructional dance video I've ever bought!, January 27, 2001

By	Dance Day and Night (Montreal, Quebec Canada) - See all my reviews

Of the 22 dance instructional videos I've purchased (mostly all on swing) this is undoubtedly the finest. It is also the perfect video for the beginning swing dancer, since it provides clear, lucid and detailed instruction on steps, arm motion, leading and following. Most instructional tapes either omit such information or do a poor job of it. In fact, this is the only tape I would recommend for beginning swing dancers. We had been dancing several months, taking very good dance lessons and still derived enormous benefit from this tape. This tape provides a critically important instruction in proper leading and following useful both to the novice and bronze-level dancer. As a first tape to watch, it provides the skills necessary to be able to derive benefit from other instructional tapes. It also teaches enough steps for your to effectively swing your heart out on the dance floor -- I've been impressing even the instructors where I take my dance lessons!

54 of 56 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars From Zero to Swinger in 90 minutes!, February 7, 2000

By	Jeffrey Mertz (New York, NY) - See all my reviews

Let's just say that it's about time someone put together an instructional video you can actually follow and learn from and then replicate in a public environment with confidence. Guys, you're nervous for maybe 30 seconds...then watch out. Wait till you see the expression on your friends' faces when you walk THEIR dates out onto the dance floor and look so smooth.

An Introduction to 6-Count Swing is a simplified, easy to follow format on learning the basics of swing. The video is an excellent approach for those who are dancing inclined and perhaps more importantly, those who leave much to be desired (myself!). The enthusiasm of the instructors is great and the "live" music made it easy to watch over and over again. Thanks Julee and Chris!

38 of 38 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Best of the Best for Beginning 6-Count Swing, August 10, 2001

By	Daniel A. Wilson (Lakeland, FL United States) - See all my reviews

My wife and I started a beginning swing dance class last week. We were hooked. The class meets once a week on Thursdays for one hour with practice afterwords. We wanted more and couldn't wait till next Thursday, We bought 4 dance video's and this is the one we watched over and over. Chris & Julie made it look easy and the instruction was excellent! We are ordering the second video for the Intermediate 6-Count Swing. If you are interested in learning swing dancing, save yourselves some money, this is the video to get you dancing.