Al & Leon Shim Sham

The Shim Sham is a classic! Find out how different it can be when some of Lindy Hop’s inventors add their own style to it. Al Minns and Leon James were two of the most famous lindy hoppers of their time, and in this course you’ll learn their interpretation of the Shim Sham. Their steps and combinations are a bit more challenging than the classic shim sham version that we modern lindy hoppers got from Frankie Manning, so the routine gives you a lot to dig into.

Aside from just being a fun routine, the combos are really great for putting into your dancing, whether you’re choreographing or improvising, and it gives you a window into how Al and Leon injected their own style and flair into the dance.

Join us and put a whole new spin on your Shim Sham!

What will I learn in this course?

Of course you’ll learn the routine itself, we’ll guide you step-by-step through all the moves and sequences you need to be able to dance Al & Leon’s Shim Sham with confidence. But you’ll get much more than just a routine out of this course! You’ll also train important concepts that will improve your dancing overall:

Basic rhythm, groove and posture

Swinging rhythm; Ball-changes, Half-breaks

Classic but challenging moves: Full-breaks, Eagle slides, etc

Combining kick movements with other jazz elements

What should I know before I join this course?

This course is mixed-level solo dancing, from beginner-intermediate all the way up – anyone can benefit from this course, even advanced dancers. We will build up each movement “from scratch” with no assumptions about which moves you know, but we’ll dig deep so there will be a challenge for any level.

If you haven’t done any solo jazz before, you might feel more comfortable starting off with our Solo Jazz for Beginners course. On the other hand, if you are eager to work hard or a fast learner, you can even give it a go without any prior experience.
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