Electro Swing Academy – Dance Tutorials With Smilin
Ladies & Gents! We start with the Electro Swing Academy in our self-produced dance tutorial video series. As a tutor we have the well-known and much appreciated female Electro Swing dancer Smilin, from Bavaria in Germany, on board. We are sure you already know her from loads of great dance video performances!
Smilin shows you the neoswing basic dance moves in 10 short tutorial videos, all quick and easy explained. The more detailed description of the individual steps can be found in each video endcard and description and of course here in the blog post. If you want to know more about the dancer, check the interview with Smilin HERE!
We publish two videos a week on our social channels, you can watch the tutorials on YouTube, Facebook, Instagram and TikTok.
Dance Moves: T-Step, Stub Out, Kickball Change, Charleston, V-Step, Running Man, V-Jump, The Spongebob, Cowtail-Step, Moonwalk + variations!
This blog post will be always updated, so at the end you’ll find all ten tutorials bundled here, plus a final dance video including all moves in one music clip!
If you have any questions, ideas or wishes, feel free to write them in the comments. We wish you a lot of fun watching, learning and dancing! #MakeSwingGreatAgain #ElectroSwingDance 🔥 💃 🎩 🙌
MERCH: check the “Electro Swing Academy – It Must Schwing” fashion collection HERE!
Tutorial #1 – T-Step
1. Start position: stand shoulders wide in a „V“
2. Bend your right leg while the foot of the other leg turns right
3. Put your left heel inside while the right foot taps to the side
4. Repeat step 2
VARIATION: you can also tap your foot in front or behind of you, or instead of tapping you can kick
IMPORTANT: your tapping/kicking foot is always the free leg
Tutorial #2 – Stub Out
1. One foot stubs out a cigarette with the ball of the foot, while the other foot stubs out with the heel
2. Combine both steps and create one line
3. Now we change the foot; the foot which was using the heel, uses the ball right now and so on
TIP: use your arms to get more swing
Tutorial #3 – Kickball Change
1. Kick with the right foot to the front and go back
2. The kicking foot becomes the supporting leg, which holds all the strength
3. You do the T-Step (heel of the right foot goes inside while the foot of the other leg taps to the side)
4. The heel goes back
5. The foot, which was tapping now, kicks to the front
6. Repeat all steps again just on the other side
TIP: It Must Schwing! 😎
Tutorial #4 – Charleston
1. Start position: stand shoulders wide
2. Move your heels to the inside and outside and create a „V“
3. Now combine those steps while doing two steps forward and two steps back
(whenever you step, your heel goes in)
4. To generate more energy, use your swinging arms
TIP: Everybody loves Charleston!
Tutorial #5 – V-Step
1. Start position: feet are in a „V“ position
2. Swivel in the toe of your left foot, while you swivel out the heel of your right foot
3. Go back to the start position in the same way you came in
4. Swivel out the heel of your left foot, while the toe of the right foot swivels in
IMPORTANT: weight change! When the weight is on the toe, the weight on the other foot must be in the heel!
TIP: grab a chair to practice
VARIATION: bend both of your knees in an extreme way, when both of the toes showing to the inside. It makes the move more energetic.
ARMS: you can move your arms in circular motions (circle in/out, travel navigator by Sven Otten)
Tutorial #6 – Running Man
1. Start position: one leg stands, the other one is bended
2. The leg which is bended makes a step forward, while the other leg makes a step back. Important: it must be at the same time! Otherwise the illusion won’t work.
3. Go back to the start position, but this time the other leg is bended
4. Repeat step 2
VARIATION: Running Man with touch: same steps, but you don’t lose the contact to the floor (imagine a big magnet which keeps your feet on the floor)
Tutorial #7 – V-Jump
1. Jump to the right in a „V“ and the right foot lands on the heel
2. Swivel the foot, which was landing on the heel to the left, while the other leg is bending
3. Now jump to the left in a „V“ and the left foot lands on the heel
4. Swivel the foot, which was landing on the heel to the right, while the other leg is bending
5. Repeat all steps
TIP: stretch your arms out, so that people can focus on your footwork & try to jump wide, so the illusion will be perfect
Tutorial #8 – The Spongebob
1. Jump, while the left foot goes up
2. Now, jump with your left foot to the side while your right leg kicks to the side
3. Now jump again, this time your right foot goes up
4. Jump with your right foot to the side while your left leg kicks to the side
5. Repeat all steps
TIP: push to the side very hard, it‘ll look more energetic
Tutorial #9 – Cowtail-Step
1. Imagine doing a circle with your foot behind you
2. Whenever you start with the circle, your heel goes in
MORE DIFFICULT: imagine doing an „8“ with your foot, so your heel goes in twice: once when you start doing the 8 and also in the middle of the 8
TIP: you can practice with a chair, if you have problems at the beginning
Tutorial #10 – Moonwalk
1. Start position: one foot is on the ball of the foot, the other one is standing
2. Slowly roll down the foot, which is on the ball and try to slide (at the same time!) the other food back. The sliding foot has to land on the ball of the foot
3. Now you stand on the start position, but this time your other food is on the ball. Repeat the steps on the other foot, too
IMPORTANT:
- Keep the upper part of your body straight.
- The roll down and slide back MUST be at t he same time.
- Your roll down has to look smooth and fluid.
TIP: Use the right shoes for the Moonwalk and the floor must be smooth to work really well!
CREDITS & PRODUCTION
VIDEO PRODUCTION
Splitfield.Productions
– Editor: Steven Melzer
– Camera: Luka Ljubicic
– Cutter, Audio Mix & Sound Design: Wolfgang Lohr
– Color Grading: Giulio Rasi
– Location: Frannz Club (Berlin/Germany)
GRAPHIC & MOTION DESIGN
Alannah Lietz
MUSIC PRODUCTION
– Track ID: Wolfgang Lohr feat. Emma Lea & Ashley Slater – Keep On Smilin
– Composer & Producer: Wolfgang Lohr
– Lyrics & Trombone: Ashley Slater
– Vocals: Emma Lea, Ashley Slater
– Saxophone: Martin Scheran (Deladap)
– Trumpet: Alex Valdés (Deladap)
– Guitar: Guglielmo Cassinelli (Free Shots)
© + ℗ Electro Swing Thing 2021