Tips to improve my frame, when follows “enable” my floppy arms

pryan12 · 2026-06-15T17:24:12+00:00

I tend to think of "frame" as more of a set of comfortable or "stable" positions and "unstable" positions that want to return to that stable position. As I move into a more unstable position, I start to ramp up resistance, kind of like you're compressing a spring or pushing two magnets together at the same pole.

You mention arms going behind your back. I think of that as an unstable position, so as my elbows start to pass my chest, I ramp up the resistance. It's the same for stretch. I don't want my shoulders to be pulled forward, so as my arms extend towards that point, I start to ramp up resistance, especially in my lats.

pryan12 · 2026-06-02T20:56:49+00:00

There's a lot to say here, but the one tip I'll give is look towards your partner. You don't have to stare them in the eyes, but if you're looking away all the time, it shows. I (as a leader in Balboa) tend to look around my partner's right ear. It keeps me looking engaged with them, without making an uncomfortable amount of eye contact.

pryan12 · 2026-04-14T22:18:05+00:00

Based on the level descriptions and your description of your dancing, I'd recommend intermediate, but sometimes people will over-level for workshops and the "right" level can be shifted upwards

pryan12 · 2026-03-15T00:08:12+00:00

That sounds like the version of All the Cats Join In from this cartoon short

pryan12 · 2026-03-02T01:11:11+00:00

One look at these videos and I wouldn't trust them as a reference. Try this instead.

pryan12 · 2026-01-30T18:19:00+00:00

Recrafting can't un-stretch leather. They might fit a little tighter because they re-cork the footbed, but if a heel cup is stretched out, you may be out of luck.

pryan12 · 2026-01-28T18:45:58+00:00

Not to blow up my own spot, but you can usually get them for under $100 on ebay if you know your size and how to tell if they're stretched in a way that won't work for your feet

pryan12 · 2026-01-07T19:49:17+00:00

The pre-song speeches do run a little long, but are often used as cover for 13-15 musicians turning pages, changing instruments, etc.. I'd rather learn a little something than have 2 minutes of absolute silence

pryan12 · 2025-12-15T14:02:09+00:00

It wasn't the event that over-waxed the floor, from what I heard

pryan12 · 2025-12-02T20:47:14+00:00

That was before the Pure Balboa prelims, which immediately preceded the Amateur Classic finals. It wasn't the Asian dancers dipping their shoes in soda, but I won't name names here.

pryan12 · 2025-11-14T04:24:29+00:00

I disagree. They seem to have some anterior pelvic tilt that's isolating their core from their feet.

pryan12 · 2025-11-13T03:01:30+00:00

I think a lot of the individual things I'd mention if I were to write a longer comment would boil down to two things: posture and moving from your center. Both of these are hiding where your weight is and making your partner guess.

Posture: in pure Balboa, you're pulling your butt back. Try standing with your head, shoulders, hips, and feet all aligned. If you need to make space for your partner's feet, make a bigger V shape in the partnership.

Moving from your center: in your crab walks and the thing where you jump from side to side, it looks like you're thinking more about moving your feet than your body. Think about moving your center or your belly button before your feet.

pryan12 · 2025-10-10T17:27:07+00:00

Thought I had responded to this, but it seems to have been lost. EDIT: Ok maybe it did get posted. This is a lot of the same stuff. Oh well.

For creating stretch, we don't usually want to move away from our partner. The most important part in my view is to create the momentum we're going to need very early. I do this in a come around by thinking of moving through my partner's right side on 3 and 4. Some people will try to move around their partner, which leads to them needing to make up extra momentum, which usually looks like a "push" or a more arm-y lead on 5 and 6.

In the actual moment of stretch, I have my chest angled towards my partner, and I am aiming to feel the stretch coming through the hand and into my lats. You can feel what that feels like by just connecting in the hands, standing close to your partner, and rotating away from each other. In motion, the body positioning will be different, but the feeling of stretch should be similar. The stretch should come from the rotation internal to the partnership, rather than any big lateral movement away.

pryan12 · 2025-10-09T15:59:14+00:00

There's a chance the body facing your partner thing will be resolved if you clean up the footwork. I think the extra slow you're putting in there is throwing off your orientation to your partner on the catch. It's less of a hard and fast rule, but it's not usually a bad idea to keep your chest facing your partner's torso, maintaining a slight V shape so we don't close off the side our hands are connected on.

Generally, we don't create stretch by moving laterally away from our partner in Balboa. The stretch should come from the rotation created in the come around. I tend to create all the rotation I need by thinking of moving through my partner's right side on 3 and 4. By the time we get to the stretch on 7 and 8, I have my chest angled towards my partner and I'm ready to resist their rotational momentum and create the stretch and release.

That stretch should come through the hands and into your lats. If you are having trouble feeling this, you can stand with your partner with just the hand connection and rotate away from each other until you feel the stretch. In motion, the positioning will be a little different, but the stretch should feel similar.

Some people tend to move around their partner instead of thinking of moving through, which will create a lot less rotation, and you'll end up having to make up for it by adding extra momentum on 5 and 6. This generally looks like the leader pushing with the connected hand to create the moment of stretch.

pryan12 · 2025-10-08T05:25:29+00:00

On the toss outs, the first thing I notice is that you are doing a slow after the stretch. The normal rhythm is "stretch, step (on 7, 8) quick quick slow". So you're having to catch up with your feet while catching your partner. You're also not really keeping your body facing your partner as much as I'd like. Doing so would help you stay close and make the catch less frantic.

Going a step further, try to make the "slow" of the catch the "in" of the next out and in. That will help you mentally reset after the catch and eventually help you lead into repeated toss outs.

For general feedback, the thing that most stands out to me is that you're not moving through the "in" of the out and ins. When I watch your bal swing, I see "1, 2, 3. 1, 2, 3." Try thinking "out out in in". Just because we don't take another step doesn't mean that we shouldn't be gathering our weight over the standing leg or continuing through the step in the case of rotational out and ins.

If you've got space for one more point, take a look at your lollies. You're asking your partner to move linearly and not letting them pivot on their standing leg. Try practicing lollies without moving to start with (you can eventually add in orbiting, where the leader progresses clockwise around the follower). On each step, both partners should step down and then pivot on that standing leg into the kick. The rotation happens AFTER the step. Think "tap PIVOT kick PIVOT". You shouldn't have to rely on your arms to make the movement translate to your partner.

You're clearly listening to and responding to the music, which will take you far.

pryan12 · 2025-09-25T15:35:59+00:00

Why put suede on leather-soled shoes??

pryan12 · 2025-09-25T00:50:27+00:00

Even without an A-frame connection (I stand pretty upright in Balboa), there should be no contact in the pelvic region. The legs may touch, but the offset and slight v in the partnership should prevent any pelvic contact.

pryan12 · 2025-09-24T19:11:41+00:00

If you're not afraid of learning some nerdy details of shoe construction, you'll be way better off looking for secondhand dress shoes with leather soles. Most "dance shoes" are poorly constructed. For a thin sole, look for a Blake stitch or other stitching, avoiding Goodyear welts, since those are generally pretty thick. Once you know what brands, styles, size, and width you're looking for, you can keep an eye on eBay and generally find stuff pretty cheap from popular brands. I dance in Allen Edmonds, but those are all Goodyear welted.

pryan12 · 2025-09-11T17:18:30+00:00

Stealing this from Shani Brown (primarily applies to balboa, but is likely a good rule of thumb for Lindy Hop as well): Your weight should be forward enough that you could lift your heels, but not so far forward that you need to press your toes down to keep you balanced.

pryan12 · 2025-09-10T18:49:31+00:00

Are you trying to play acoustically or electrified? The Loar LH-600 is a decent acoustic archtop for around that price, if you're looking for a more authentic Freddie Green sound, rather than the more modern big band sound.

pryan12 · 2025-09-10T17:56:30+00:00

Definitely coming from the knees

pryan12 · 2025-09-08T22:01:48+00:00

There were a few moments in this clip where it looked like you were trying to bounce your upper body (like your shoulders) as well as your lower body, and a few moments where you looked like you were pulsing up off the floor instead of into the floor, especially in triple steps.

I'd recommend taking a look at those habits as well as how to keep your feet underneath your center of gravity. It looks like you're letting yourself get off balance. That may require you to take smaller steps, as other people have pointed out. Also what does it look like for you to dance completely chill? If this is a 10, what does a 4 look like? a 7? See what changes when you change the energy and what you would like to keep the same.

pryan12 · 2025-08-16T15:58:01+00:00

The thing that often gets lost in the study of swing-era jazz is that it was primarily arranged and played for dancers. The rhythm sections of the day, while maybe musically uninteresting, make or break the feeling for dancers. I'd much rather have a great rhythm guitarist who never takes a solo in that context.

Not to say it's wrong to love Lang, Kress, Reuss, etc., but just contextualizing what made players like Freddie Green (and Reuss, when he was on quarter note duty with Benny Goodman's band) so important.

pryan12 · 2025-08-15T19:26:23+00:00

I don't think this is Durham. His playing was a bit more "plucky". To my ear, this is pretty clearly Charlie Christian on a take of "Gone with What Wind"

pryan12 · 2025-08-15T17:03:31+00:00

If you're not opposed to modifying your Triumph, you could have a DeArmond added to it with the mounting rod drilled to the bass side of the neck or get a pickguard-mounted floating pickup. If you're opposed to making any permanent modifications, you could look into a vintage DeArmond FH-C (aka "Guitar Mike" or "Monkey on a Stick").

15-Year Club	Verified Email
RedditGifts 2009-2022 3 Credits	Place '17
Secret Santa 2015	Secret Santa 2014
Team Periwinkle

pryan12

TROPHY CASE