Free Sample
The Purple Guide to Learning Swing Dancing in 10 Days
A no-nonsense 10-day starter plan to learn the basic steps, rhythm, and connection of Swing Dancing — and know if it's for you
by Alumigogo Books
Chapter 1: First Day
Welcome to day one. Before you read another sentence, let's get one thing clear: you are not reading a book about dancing. Today, you are going to stand up and move. That's the whole point. If you're sitting on a couch right now, put the book down, stand up, and find a small open space — about the size of a single doormat in front of your sofa will do. If you're on a train or in a coffee shop, mentally note that you'll need a clear floor space of about three square feet when you get home. You don't need a studio, a partner, or fancy shoes. You need a floor that isn't too slippery, a chair to occasionally hold onto for balance, and about twenty minutes of uninterrupted time.
So what is Swing Dancing, actually? Strip away all the YouTube videos of people in vintage suits throwing their partners in the air, and it's a dance form that grew out of jazz music in the 1920s and 1930s. It's called "Swing" because you're dancing to the swung rhythm of the music — that syncopated, "swing" feel where the beat isn't completely even. But forget the history for now. The practical definition you need today is this: Swing Dancing is a partner dance where you move in a small, rhythmic pattern, using your whole body to feel the music, and you connect to another person through your hands and arms. Today, we're going to skip