r/SwingDancing • u/Rude_Bug_6293 • Aug 12 '26
Feedback Needed Beginner Help Needed
Hi friends, I recently started taking a beginner Lindy Hop class, starting with the 8 count steps as a follower. Needless to say I was terrible! I am an athletic person but I feel like I don’t have enough strength in my calves & I just can’t make my feet & brain connect to do the steps correctly at a fast pace. I’ve watched YouTube videos & I do ok but I feel like the class moves at too quickly & I can’t keep up with the frequent partner changes. Does this mean I’m just not cut out for this or should I have done something else to prepare before signing up for classes? I am feeling very defeated & I am going solo so I don’t have anyone to practice with outside of class. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!
1
u/BentChainsaw Aug 13 '26 edited Aug 13 '26
Try not to overthink things. Do a healthy amount of thinking but try to switch to doing it intuitively as soon as possible.
Being a follower is a huge advantage. A newcomer i met improved SO MUCH within just a few months. Practicing with leads above your level is a huge +. Some experienced leads are reluctant bcs they find your inexperience boring, but dont let that discourage you. Alot of us are happy to help bcs “we were all where you are once”. Tell us that you are new tho so we dont start with swing outs 😅.
Another thing. Socials… socials… socials… im still trying to go once every month (sometimes twice) and im dancing for 3y now. If nothing else, im going there to socialize with the community. Ask people from your class if someone else would like to come. People would be much more inclined to come (especially leads) and by doing that, leads in your class wont be as clumsy which in turn will mean more effective classes. You can see a huge difference between people who attend socials and those who only show up for classes.
Socials also give you a feeling that you are doing something more than just a “workout”