It has been said that dancing is like dreaming with your feet. Every person that has ever shaken a leg to their favourite tune will certainly relate to this. Now even the most shy of wallflowers will be happy to hear that they can learn to dance like a pro with the best western dance classes in Mumbai. Slingshot Swing, the brainchild of Samuel Ribeiro and Prekshaa Pahuja, is the one-stop destination for training in varied western dance styles.
Samuel, or Sam as he is better known, has been swinging with Prekshaa, his partner in life and work since 2016. His preferred dance form is Lindy Hop because of its connection to Swing and Rock n’ Roll music. As a dancer, he has been trained by numerous master trainers, some of which are internationally acclaimed, through workshops he attended in Bangkok and Seoul. Prekshaa loves Lindy Hop because of its power to connect people. Having trained in places like France, Bulgaria and Seoul, she loves enhancing her technique and form by referencing other styles like ballet and tap. Together, this power couple have made a name for themselves for providing the best western dance classes in Mumbai.
“At Slingshot Swing, we do our best to create a welcoming, fun environment for class participants, where everyone can feel comfortable. Our beginner batches cater to people with little or no dance experience and even those with two left feet! We walk our students through the common mistakes that occur with new dancers and provide constructive feedback. We use easy-to-understand exercises to explain concepts and skills. For more experienced dancers, our comprehensive classes cover musicality, advanced steps and combinations, and individual expression. Many students have found the pace of the class very comfortable and the instructors patient,” they say.
Read on to know about everything that Slingshot Swing in Mumbai has to offer in the field of western dance:
LINDY HOP:
A dance form that originated in the African-American neighbourhood of Harlem, New York in the 1920s, Lindy Hop has always been popular at social events conducted at bars, clubs, restaurants, or dance halls. It grew in popularity along with Swing which is associated with the early Jazz movement. Lindy Hop in particular was a cultural response to the inhumane conditions which this faction of society was subjected to. Along with Jazz and Blues, Lindy Hop became an important avenue of self-expression for this community. These forms were largely influenced by a mix of African tribal dances, European classical dances, Tap dance, and Charleston.
The dance form is characterised by movements in a loose, athletic posture, which include a rhythmic up-down pulse of the upper body, in combination with acrobatic lifts, flips, and dips. It was a huge departure from the other partner dances of the time which were shackled by the expectations of society to be ‘dignified’ and ‘proper’, and never allowed the couples to break out of a ‘closed position’, where one hand would be placed on the other’s shoulder or back, and the other would hold the partner’s free hand.
SOLO JAZZ:
Another offering of Slingshot Swing in Mumbai is ‘Solo Jazz’ which entails dancing to Lindy Hop tunes without a partner. It is aimed at those people who are intimidated by partner dancing but still yearn to learn it. The origins of Solo Jazz lie in West-African traditional dance. It is a wide-ranging term that includes styles like be-bop and rhythm ‘n’ blues music and is credited with the evolution of styles like Hip-Hop and Funk. Sam points out, “Though ‘Jazz’ or ‘Modern Jazz’ also began from the same roots, they were influenced over time by ballet and theatre and therefore retain almost no connection to their roots.”
PARTNER DANCING WITH SALSA AND BACHATA:
When one thinks of the best western dance classes in Mumbai or anywhere, the first thing that comes to mind are the popular dance forms of Salsa and Bachata. However, there is much more to partner dancing than just these two forms. At Slingshot Swing, you get to explore all of these.
Prekshaa explains, “Social dancing is a form of partnered dancing that is spontaneous or improvised and typically happens at events such as social dance nights where people come to dance with each other. A led-and-followed dance form is a dance form where one partner is leading or suggesting certain steps and movements while the other partner is following or responding to those suggestions. While there are routines and the dance can be choreographed, it is typically danced spontaneously to the music.”
HERE’S WHY YOU MUST VISIT SLINGHSOT SWING FOR THE BEST WESTERN DANCE CLASSES IN MUMBAI:
Ever since it opened in 2019, Slingshot Swing in Mumbai has conducted workshops, dance class batches and social events which consist of a night of spontaneous and improvised dancing with partners. “Our focus has always been to ensure that people understand the dance style and find the rhythm to get comfortable with social dancing,” says Sam.
For complete newbies, Prekshaa recommends taking a workshop and then attending a social dance night conducted by them. “It’s not just about the steps; it’s important to dance well to the music. People would see us dance and approach us casually asking us to teach them. We started with private lessons and now we’re sharing the form and helping build a community,” she asserts.
In case you are concerned about not having a partner, rest assured you will be paired with one. Their classes are also, therefore, a great way to socialise and make new friends. Just take it from Sam and Prekshaa, who say, “Lindy Hop is easy to follow, our community is welcoming, and these dance forms don’t require getting too close or intimate with your partner. Moreover, anyone can lead and follow, and partners can switch roles. Most importantly, our teaching style is slow, attentive and patient.”
FIND OUT MORE:
Log on to: slingshotswing.com/register or @slingshotswing
Call: 9773099906
Price per class: Rs 3,200
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This blog post is part of the blog challenge ‘Blogaberry Dazzle’ hosted by Cindy D’Silva and Noor Anand Chawla in collaboration with Mads’ Cookhouse.
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