Swing Dancing To a Plant-Based Beat

"We may think of joy as something that happens spontaneously. Few people realize that it needs to be cultivated and practiced in order to grow" - Thich Nhat Hanh - "How To Walk" The beauty of life is often realized in the simplest of activities. One such activity is dance, a form of art that transcends the physical into the realm of emotion, expression, and unity. This blog post delves into the profound beauty of dance and its significance in celebrating life. Mindful of the Present Moment Life is a series of moments, some fleeting, others impactful, but all worth experiencing. One such moment is when you dance. Dance encourages us to be mindful of the present moment. It offers a respite from the worries of the past or the uncertainty of the future, allowing us to find joy in the here and now. Each step, each movement, is a conscious decision, a heartfelt expression, a moment to be savored. Therefore, take some time each day to just dance, be present, and enjoy the

Swing dancing is a fun and energetic dance style that is enjoyed by people of all ages and skill levels. It is a great way to get exercise, meet new people, and have a good time. Recently, I developed a class that introduces swing by utilizing a progression of swing dances. We started with single-step swing, the simplest form of swing dancing. Once the participants had mastered the basics of single-step swing, we moved on to double-step swing (basis of the Bop) and then triple-step swing (basis of east coast swing and Carolina Shag). I was amazed at how quickly the participants learned the different swing dances. Within 30 minutes, most of the participants were practicing the dance confidently. Here is a brief overview of the progression of swing dances that we used in our class: Single-step swing: This is the simplest form of swing dancing. It consists of one step in each direction, followed by a rock step. Double-step swing: This is a variation of single-step swing where you take two

We've been thinking about this for awhile and after some nudging from our daughter-in-law, Amber, I am working towards allowing the idea to come to fruition. So here it is! Underhill's Swing and Shag Dance Collective is a community service project run by Roger and Denise Underhill, two experienced and passionate swing and Carolina shag dance instructors. We offer a variety of classes for all levels, from beginner to advanced, and we are committed to providing our students with a fun and supportive learning environment. Whether you are new to swing and shag dancing or you are looking to improve your skills, we have a class for you. Our classes are designed to be fun and challenging, and we teach our students all of the essential skills they need to dance with confidence. We also offer private lessons for students who want more personalized instruction. In addition to our classes, we are looking to host regular social dance events where our students can come together to practice

Denise and I teach a mix of beginner and intermediate Swing & Carolina Shag dance classes in 4 to 5 six-week sessions per year. They are currently being hosted by the Colonial Heights Moose Lodge and are available for free with a $45/year Moose Membership. The most recent event flyer is below, feel free to share:

My wife and I started dancing together as a way to enjoy each other's company and have some fun. We quickly found that dance was much more than that for us. It became our place of refuge, recreation, and an escape from the troubles of life. We have faced many challenges in our lives, but dance has always been there for us. When my father was diagnosed with Lewy Body Dementia, we found that dance was a way to cope with the stress and grief. We would dance together in the evenings after a long day of caregiving, and it would help us to relax and forget about our troubles for a while. After my father passed away, we continued to dance as a way to heal. Dance helped us to process our grief and to find joy in life again. We also began to teach dance, which gave us a sense of purpose and helped us to connect with other people. In 2022, we decided to focus on the Carolina Shag. We joined the Competitive Shaggers Association and began to learn from some of the best Carolina Shag dancers in

A real learning environment exists where there is freedom to fail. In fact, I would argue that it is essential for real learning to take place. When students are afraid to fail, they are less likely to take risks and try new things. This can prevent them from learning and growing. The Carolina Shag dance is a social dance that originated in the Carolinas in the 1940s. It is characterized by its smooth, flowing movements and its upbeat, rhythm and blues music. Shag dance competitions are a great way to test your skills and have fun with friends. However, they can also be intimidating for those who are new to the dance. The freedom to fail is an important part of shag dance competition. Everyone makes mistakes, and it is important to learn from them and move on. In fact, some of the best shag dancers are those who have learned to embrace failure and use it as an opportunity to grow. If you are thinking about entering a shag dance competition, I encourage you to do it! It is a great way

Have you ever been to a party or club and wanted to dance, but you were too afraid to get on the dance floor? Maybe you were worried about what other people would think of your dancing, or maybe you were just shy. If so, you're not alone. Many people have a fear of dancing in front of strangers. This fear is called chorophobia, and it's a real thing. It can be caused by a number of things, including: Fear of judgment:  Many people are afraid of being judged by others, especially when it comes to their dancing. They may worry that they'll look foolish or clumsy, or that other people will think they're not good enough. Social anxiety:  People with social anxiety often have a fear of being in social situations, especially if they feel like they're being watched. This can make it very difficult for them to dance in front of strangers. Body image issues:  People who are unhappy with their body image may be afraid to dance in front of others because they're worried ab

The Beginning (Lindy Hop) My wife and I have spent the last couple of years learning and exploring the world of Carolina Shag, the official dance of the state of South Carolina, and what a journey it has been! We started our dancing adventure a little over 5 years ago through some Lindy Hop classes in Williamsburg, thanks to Wendy Lang Craighill and the lindy101.org group. After traveling weekly over to Williamsburg each week, we moved a bit closer to home with what became the Jazz Dance Education Council (JDEC) in Richmond, VA. Although short-lived, this group had a great impact on the vintage swing dance movement in the greater Richmond-metro area by adding many classes and live band swing dances once a month, calling them the R-Town Strutters Ball! JDEC, as the group became known, held classes in several venues throughout Richmond, Va, and offers lessons in Lindy Hop, '20s and '30's Charleston, Balboa, and many other offshoots of swing dances originally performed in

One of the great things about living in the Richmond metro area is the wide variety of high quality music available on most any night of the week. Spanning the genres of blues, rhythm & blues, country, rock, dance parties, grunge, hip-hop...you name it and it is available. I, along with my wife Denise, like to hone in on the blues and rhythm & blues bands and the venues that host them. We also, since taking up swing dancing just about a year ago, look for places that have some room to dance. We have found that dancing is a way to become engaged in the music experience and greatly increases our enjoyment of the performance. Because of this, I have set some criteria for planning an evening out and it goes something like this: The Band - If I have heard them before, then it is not a difficult decision and is predetermined. If not, I begin to search the web for sample music in order to gain some knowledge of the types of music they play and the quality of the performance. Take

My wife and I get out quite a bit and really enjoy good music of all types. There are those nights that are complete misses, where nothing clicks, you wrap up and go home after a short time out. Then there are those nights where the band, crowd and venue all agree and compliment each other perfectly. You find yourself immersed in an other-worldly experience. One that causes you to lose yourself in the moment and, many times, ending the night at an unusually late hour having had a completely wonderful time. Then there is the  RVA Music Trifecta ! A night when 3 great bands are playing at 3 great venues and are arranged in a way that you can get to see them all in the course of one night. This can be a truly fun experience and is what I refer to as an RVA Music Trifecta. We experienced our first RVA Music Trifecta was on a Friday night in February where we caught Andy Poxon ( Capital Ale House ), Doctors of Jazz ( Rose Marie Inn ) and finished with Barrelhouse ( Home Team Grill