ARE YOU HEP TO THE ETIQUETTE?

courtesy of Michael Marangio

Jumpin'
It is equally in the groove for a slick chick to ask a glad lad to drag a hoof as vice versa. After all, we are living in the 1990s! Of course it feels good to be asked, angel cake, but you can bust loose and tote your frame out onto the scud track too. When you ask someone, do it directly. Don't nod, wink or give the high sign from across the floor. In a crowd, that fly chick or heaven-sent dude won't know if you're eyeballing them or someone else. Then find a clear spot on the dance floor. It's easier to start dancing in closed position or side-by-side Charleston to get down with the music and your frame. At the end of the dance thank your partner. The leader can help guide his zazz girl off the floor when it's crowded.

If you don't want to shuffle, decline graciously. Don't tumble with some other Jack if you just turned down an invite to dance. And don?t turn someone down just because they are a beginner (unless they are a cement mixer who yanks and jerks partners).

Remember that we all started out as dead hoofers and anyway, a song generally lasts only about 3 ticks.

Jackson
If dancing with a less experienced hep kitten, keep the steps simple at first and build to the level that she can get down with. Think of leading as the art of making things smooth for your partner. Work as a team, don't show off. You look a lot better when your dutchess is looking righteous. Learn to tap dance if you want to hoof without a partner! It's cut-rate to bump your gums correcting your partner on the track (or in dance class) unless they ask for help or are hurting you.

Out on the track, be aware of the hoppers around you! Leaders- you are generally in control of the dance- protect your fly chick! In a crowd, take it slow! Do not swing her out to a spot that your neighbor is heading toward. If you see a hot hose coming into your space, hold out your dukes to let them know that you are there! When you're doing Charleston kicks- cast an eyeball behind you! Take smaller steps. If you bump into someone, immediately apologize whether it was your fault or not. Consider cutting out for a song when the floor is packed.

Bustin' loose with aerial steps and wild kicks should be nixed out on the social dance floor - too many people have gotten hurt. Wild steps work for performances and jams, not for gammin' your partner or friends. If you haven't discussed doing aerials and someone starts to put you in the air, drop your weight. I don't know about you, but I'd rather fall on my caboose than twist one of my prayer dukes or bust my conk.

Fade from the scud track if you're not wrestling. If you are drinking some suds or smoking a gasper, keep off the dance floor. (It's strictly stock - you don't want to ruin your friends threads, do you?) If you work up a sweat, don't be behind the ball - pace your dancing or bring a change of shirt or blouse. A handkerchief works wonders to dry your face after the band starts muggin? heavy.

Frolic Pad Behavior
Lots of clubs are opening everywhere, but several night club owners and managers who formerly welcomed rug cutters now consider them pretty gestanko. Here's why: Club owners have noticed that many dancers drink little or no alcohol, and selling juice is an important part of a night club's income. I'm not saying you need to order jittersauce, but at least collar some bottled moisture or other non-alcoholic drink. Or come early and collar some hash or at least some grass if they serve food. And tip the waitperson well. The club has to pay for the band and employees and other overhead. Why should we expect jelly? Even with a $5 or $6 cover charge, clubs cannot afford to provide live entertainment without the hepcats and kittens buying drinks or dinner. It's cut rate to bring drinks with you or to only order one on the city. Most of us have to be careful about spending our hard earned jack, but we need to support the action so they can continue to operate. Don't freeload- formerly free places now charge to get in. Weren't we better off to buy 2 bottles of club soda for $6 than to pay the same for admission? Lots of dicty places have begun featuring dillinger bands. They expect the hep cats to wear righteous drape. Many B.T.O.s dig getting togged to the bricks with their racket jacket, pulleys, hard choker, sky piece, and two-tone kicks. It definitely takes a little preparation to wear killer dry goods, but to keep the welcome mat out, we need to come on strong with our front. I'm sorry, Jackson, but you're just a yard dog if you fall in to a plush scene in a t-shirt. It's four bars past umcha. Either iron a collared dress shirt, send them out to the cleaners, or cop some dress shirts that are wrinkle-free. You could even get away with a short sleeved, collared shirt that looks relatively new and is clean. Jeans are definitely not Fifth Avenue-if you don't want to get ginned up, at least collar a pair of basic wrinkle free striders for your evenings out. And don't forget, stompers need to fit the drape. Running shoes and bowling shoes are good for dance workshops and practice sessions, but at a lush jump session, they should be nixed out. (To get good arch support, cop some athletic shoe inserts for your snazzy ground grippers.)

Dressing up for a dicty frolic is usually not an issue for kittens. But some righteous outfits are difficult to dance in. Just make sure you can get with your Charleston kicks. But I do have a suggestion for those zeal girls who kick their legs out in aerial steps and dips - can you please collar some darby undergarments? Dance clothing stores sell hot pants or full-cut briefs (dance pants) like the rink rats wear. Or you can cop some tap pants or long-legged frilly shorts. Lycra bicycle shorts do the trick, but they clash with vintage drape. Am I Father Time, or do others feel getting flashed by a wild-kicking, spread-legged zeal girl is nowhere?

Well, you got your boots on now on the manners scene. Hope to bump into you at the next shuffle. But now if we bump conks, we'll both apologize! Let's come on strong and we'll keep a rightous scene. Good-bye gate, I must evaporate. Have a ball!

Definitions:
action - party, gathering, or somethng that is going on
alligator - swing fans or dancers
angel cake - girl
behind the ball - socail outcast
bottled moisture - bottled water
B.T.O. - Big Time Operator
bump your gums - to talk a great deal
bust my conk - hit my head
bust loose - escape one's inhibitions
cast an eyeball - look around
cement mixer - poor dancer
choker - necktie or collar
cold shudder - social misfit
collar - get, purchase
come on strong - to try to creat a strong impression
conk - head
corny- old-fashioned
cut out - leave
cut-rate - social outcast
darby - something good
dead hoofer - poor dancer
dicty - high-class
dig- like
dillinger - fantastic
drag a hoof - dance
drape - clothes, suit
dry goods - clothes
dukes - hands
dutchess - girl
eyeball - look around
fade - leave
fall in - arrive at an event
Father Time - old, old-fashioned
Fifth Avenue - high-class
fly chick- good-looking woman
four bars past - very
frame - body, dance partner
frolic - dance
frolic pad - night club
front - one's appearance
gammin'- strutting, showing off
gasper- cigarette
gate- term of address
get down with - feel comfortable
ginned up - dressed up
give the high sign - wave to attract someone's attention
glad lad - young man
got your boots on - understand what's happening
good egg - popular person
grass - salad
ground grippers - shoes
hard - good-looking, sharp
hash - food
have a ball - have a good time
heaven-sent dude - good-looking guy
hep cats - swing music lovers, dancers (male)
hep kitten - swing music lovers, dancers (female)
hincty - snobby
hopper - Lindy Hop dancer
hoof - dance
hot hose - fast dancer
icky drips - social outcast
in the groove - very good
jack - money
Jack - a term of address
Jackson - a term of address
jam - impromptu musical or dance solo
jelly - free
jittersauce - alcoholic beverage
juice - alcoholic beverage
jump - swing dance
jump session - dance party
kicks - shoes
killer - really good
kopacetic - smooth, agreeable
lay a racket - explain something
muggin? heavy - playing fast
niftic - good, sharp
nix out- eliminate
nobby - high-class

nowhere - not good
off-time jive - bad manners, incorrect
one on the city - glass of tap water
percolate - connect, be agreeable with
plush - fancy
prayer dukes - knees
pretty gestanko - bad
racket jacket - suit jacket
pulleys - suspenders
righteous - very good
rink rats - roller skaters
rug cutters - dancers
scene - situation
scud track - dance floor
shuffle - dance
skypiece - hat
slick chick - good-looking woman
slide my jib - talk
smooth - good, agreeable
snazzy- high-class
stompers - shoes
strictly stock - low class
striders - trousers
suds - beer
swing out - dance
take it slow - watch what you're doing
threads - clothes
tick - minute
togged to the bricks - wearing best clothes
tote - bring, accompany
track - dance floor
tumble - dance
umcha - bad taste
wrestling - dancing
yard dog - low class
zazz girl - good-looking girl
zeal girl - hot girl dancer

GO BACK TO THE LA SWING & LINDY HOP HOME PAGE!