In case anyone who actually lindy hops and is trying to get better at it ever reads this blog, I want to start out by saying that it will take years to truly learn how to triple step and even longer to figure out how to swing out. Swivels, the sexiest part of the swingout, are no exception.
I've been feeling like my swingout is utterly broken later, especially after a lesson with adam where I realized that I'm not even grounded throughout it. It's for the best, because being grounded is foundational and just focusing on this has been really helpful. For example, I realized I don't thin, I've ever felt grounded on the 7 of the swingout before. This was my first aha moment with issues regarding my swivels as the 7 is a crucial step for them.
Beyond being "up" on the 7, the biggest insight came from myself and my dance parter staring at and comparing videos of my swivels vs the lindy greats. We noticed that my left foot was always way behind me on the 8, where with others it was parallel with their right or ahead of it. This then led us to realize that I was essentially swiveling on a tightrope. I was keeping my feet super close together, which was ungrounding, not a great look, and kept my upper body moving a lot. Instead, I'm now trying to get my legs super wide on the "&8" and keep my torso in place across from my lead. It feels so much more stable and grounded and I also feel my abs working more! The look is getting there, too.
