In 2013, Hawkeye Swing Festival will feature 5 track levels from Fundamentals to Masters. Auditions will be held for Intermediate through Masters levels on Saturday morning. Class placement is subjective according to the level of dancers at the event.
Class levels to be offered:
Beginner
Intermediate
Intermediate-Advanced
Advanced
Elite
If at the time of audition, you feel as though you were placed in the wrong level, there will be a policy in place so that you may challenge your placement. More information to come.
Class Level Descriptions
Fundamentals (NO audition required)
This track is designed for dancers who are working towards becoming comfortable with all of their basics, and for more advanced dancers to spend a bit of time re-focusing their basic, and looking at new techniques. Dancers in this track may have no experience, or have spent some time on their basics, but are looking to improve their connection, frame, posture, rhythm, and lead/follow skills. This is the quickest way to improve, and feel more confident with your dancing. What is learned in this class will be immediately applicable to your dancing, so learn during the day, and spend the night practicing and putting to use your newly refined skills.
Intermediate (audition required)
This track is for dancers who are already quite comfortable social dancing Lindy Hop on a regular basis. You have a strong understanding of the core repertoire including swingouts, lindy circle, texas tommy, tuck turns, other basic 8 count, as well as common 6 count turns and passes. You easily mix the two. You are strong with your technique, can move easily at a wide variety of tempos (dancing a little faster all the time), you’ve worked on frame, balance, and posture. NOW its time to take it to the next level: Perfecting your movement, dancing consistently, finding new ways to be creative. After class, throw yourself into social dancing, processing the material so you’re ready to move on and learn even more the next day!
Intermediate Advanced (audition required)
This track is designed for those who don’t cleanly fall into either the Intermediate or Advanced categories. Maybe you’re a very clear communicator with strong social dance skills, but have never made a serious study of lines and shapes. Perhaps you’ve done some competing, and are good at busting out classic patterns, even at higher speeds, but things can fall apart during slower social dances. This track will touch a little bit on the full range of topics, giving you the chance to fill out your skills and become a more solid, well-rounded dancer.
Advanced (audition required)
This track is simply for the more experienced social dancers at camp, and will require an audition. You can expect to be drilled on advanced techniques, fast dancing, and familiarity with a huge range of repertoire. This is the kind of track where the instructor can show you a rather complex step or syncopation, and most of the class at least gets the general idea just from watching it. The instructors are asked to push this group.
Elite (audition required)
This track is simply for the most experienced social dancers at camp, and will require an audition. You can expect to be drilled on flawless technique, fast dancing, and automatic familiarity with a all ranges of repertoire. This is the kind of track where the instructor can show you a rather complex step or syncopation, and most of the class can replicate it within a few tries. The instructors are asked to really push this group, rewarding those who work harder by accelerating the pace of class.