Sharon and Juan had a great time at this years’ Stockholm Jazz Jam, and were proud to be finalists in all three contests!  Together Sharon and Juan competed in the finals for the Lindy Hop Battle, and both individually made it to the finals of the Jack & Jill, and the Solo Jazz Battle as well! With finals and preliminaries all in one evening, Sharon and Juan were the only dancers to dance six rounds in the space of a few hours! Phew!

But best of all, Sharon won 1st place in the Solo Jazz Battle – and that’s the same title Juan won in 2009!

Here’s a snippet of the jazz competition:

In response to a few queries, yes, we’re teaching at Herrang Dance Camp in Sweden this year! We’ll be teaching the Lindy Hop tracks in Week 5, and we’ll be at the camp for a month, from week 2 onwards. If you’re interested in taking a private lesson, you can get in contact a few ways:

1. Email us at info@sharonandjuan.com
2. Leave a message for us at HDC reception
3. Grab us out on the dancefloor sometime!

The Killer Dillers performed a variety of acts, including their new jazz routine The Bellboys, choreographed by Sharon in tribute to Gene Kelly (featuring Sharon, Kevin and Jo):

Juan, Nathan and Kevin also presented for the first time their recreation of the Berry Brothers 1930s number Berry Me Not, with soft-shoe tap, cane tricks and acrobatics:

Sharon presented her new feather fan dance, in tribute to Sally Rand, with her ostrich feather boa fans, tight-lacing corset and pointe shoes, to Louis Armstrong’s version of La Vie En Rose:

All numbers were a big success! Videos will be posted on YouTube very soon.

Sharon and Juan were also finalists in the annual Camp Jitterbug Lindy Hop Couples competition, check out the video:

And Juan was a finalist in the Charleston Battle, check it out:

Little known fact: Sharon is  a total nerd. This is what happens when she has a cold, and two days of “bed rest” with a nice wifi connection. Enjoy!

How iDance.net Works

Lesson Packs

On iDance.net lessons are grouped into packs, which contain a series of lessons all with the same instructor, relating to a certain theme. You can choose to buy individual lessons within a pack for $1.99 each, or you can conveniently purchase the entire lesson pack. It’s just like music albums on iTunes – you can choose to buy individual songs, or you can buy the whole album. These are Sharon’s lesson packs available on iDance.net:

1. Juan & Sharon’s Swingout Philosophy

The swingout is at the heart of Lindy Hop, so if you want to truly investigate someone’s dancing, you will study their swingout! This pack peels back the layers of Juan and Sharon’s powerful basics, sharing with you their perspective on this most powerful of figures. Lessons in this pack are:

1. Making your Swingout Linear
2. Angles & Body Positions
3. Grounding on Count 6
4. Dynamic Hand Positions
5. Equal & Balanced Countertension
6. Passive vs Active Rocksteps
7. Alternatives for Leading the Follow In
8. Alternatives for Leading the Follow Out

Click here to preview & purchase this pack on iDance.net

2. Sharon & Juan’s Airsteps

This pack contains all of Sharon and Juan’s airsteps filmed to date for iDance.net. Their clear instructional style, focus on body mechanics, and clean timing will win you over and get you working on some of the most exciting material in the world of Lindy Hop! Lessons in this pack are:

1. Tandem Charleston Front Flip
2. Snatch
3. Spin to Hip Flip
4. Al Minns Back Flip

Click here to preview & purchase this pack on iDance.net

3. Sensual Solo Blues & Burlesque Movement

Sharon bares all her knowledge for you in this comprehensive exploration into sensual solo blues and burlesque dancing. From perfect bump and grind technique to the integration of challenging classic jazz steps, this lesson pack will take your dancing to impressive new places, adding layers of texture and expression of which you never thought yourself capable. Lessons in this pack are:

1. Burlesque Bumps
2. Burlesque Grinds
3. Burlesque Shimmies
4. Blues Booty Moves
5. Blues Camel Walks
6. Sensual Snakehips
7. Blues Breezy Knees
8. Blues & Burlesque Lowdowns

Click here to preview & purchase this pack on iDance.net

4. Stylish Hand-to-Hand Charleston, with Sharon & Juan

1. Hand-to-Hand Charleston Basic
2. Tuck Entrance to Hand-to-Hand Charleston
3. Hand-to-Hand Charleston Exit
4. Come Together Hand-to-Hand Charleston
5. Arm Variations for Hand-to-Hand Charleston
6. Hand-to-Hand Charleston Change of Place
7. Hand-to-Hand Charleston Sweep
8. Hand-to-Hand Charleston Popeye Break
9. Hand-to-Hand Charleston Popcorn
10. Hand-to-Hand Charleston Break Spins

5. Chorus Girl Charleston & Jazz, with Sharon & Jo

Sharon and Jo steal the show with this dazzling and girly collection of twists, struts, and jazzy riffs to add to your solos! Lessons in this pack are:

1. Shoulder Roll Charleston
2. Swivel & Swirl
3. Broadway Walks
4. Head, Shoulders, Knees & Toes
5. Bees Knees
6. Wiere Brothers Cartwheels

Click here to preview & purchase this pack on iDance.net

6. Harvest Moon Ball Lifts & Tricks

This is a series of lifts and tricks inspired from Harvest Moon Ball original footage. Expect complete Lindy Hop craziness, broken down into processable units for your learning enjoyment. Lessons in this pack are:

1. T-Drop Throwout
2. The Helicopter
3. A-Frame Variation
4. Ragdoll Lifts
5. The Spread Eagle Lift

Click here to preview & purchase this pack on iDance.net

7. Harvest Moon Ball Lindy Moves, with Sharon & Juan

This lesson pack reaches into that deep well of classic footage known as the Harvest Moon Ball competitions, with an emphasis on transcribed steps from their infamous Lindy Hop divisions. Time to go nuts with your Lindy Hop! Lessons in this pack are:

1. Harvest Moon Switches
2. The Stab
3. Harvest Moon Drags
4. Side-by-Side Digs
5. Lindy Charleston Sequence

Click here to preview & purchase this pack on iDance.net

8. Swing Out Clinic with Juan & Sharon

Does your swingout need a checkup? Or perhaps major surgery?! Visit Juan and Sharon’s swingout clinic, which is a lesson pack that will address most of the common issues people develop with their swingouts, and practical solutions for turning your basic step into one of the best ones out there. Lessons in this pack are:

1. Common Swing Out Problems for Follows: Hands & Arms
2. Common Swing Out Problems for Follows: Counts 1 & 2
3. Common Swing Out Problems for Follows: Counts 3 & 4
4. Common Swing Out Problems for Follows: Stretch & Countertension
5. Common Swing Out Problems for Follows: Counts 7 & 8
6. Common Swing Out Problems for Leads: Hands & Arms
7. Common Swing Out Problems for Leads: Footwork
8. Common Swing Out Problems for Leads: Managing Distances
9. Common Swing Out Problems for Leads: Which Side to Lead From
10. Common Swing Out Problems for Leads: Stretch & Countertension

Click here to preview & purchase this pack on iDance.net

9. Dean Collins & Jewel McGowan Style Lindy

Dean Collins & Jewel McGowan were two powerful and widely influential dancers whose sheer volume of on-camera time has made their dancing truly immortal. This lesson pack breaks down many of their signature steps for immediate use in your social dancing! Lessons in this pack are:

1. Introduction to Dean Collins’ Swingout
2. Introduction to Jewel McGowan’s Swingout & Swivels
3. Dean Collins 3-Wall Swingout
4. Dean Collins & Jewel McGowan Switches
5. Dean Collins & Jewel McGowan Sugar Pushes
6. Dean Collins & Jewel McGowan Cheek-to-Cheek Sequence
7. Dean Collins Lindy Circle
8. Dean Collins Rhythm Circle & Spin

Click here to preview & purchase this pack on iDance.net

10. Looking Good: Style for Your Lindy Hop

This pack looks deep into the visual side of this art form, arming you with a gorgeous palette of decorations and stylized movements for use in your social Lindy Hop – because we know you wanna look good! Lessons in this pack are:

1. Lindy Hop Style: Posture & Body Shapes
2. Lindy Hop Style: Armwork
3. Lindy Hop Style: Swivels for Follows
4. Lindy Hop Style: Beginner Swingout Variation for Leads
5. Lindy Hop Style: Intermediate Swingout Variation for Leads
6. Lindy Hop Style: Advanced Swingout Variation for Leads
7. Lindy Hop Style: Beginner Swingout Variation for Follows
8. Lindy Hop Style: Intermediate Swingout Variation for Follows
9. Lindy Hop Style: Advanced Swingout Variation for Follows

Click here to preview & purchase this pack on iDance.net

11. Powerful Pop Turns: Basics & Variations

The pop turn is one of the most challenging turns in Lindy Hop, and one of the most fun to mess with! This pack takes you from fundamental pop turn technique through a huge collection of variations you never would’ve imagined possible to add spice and variety to the texture of your social dance! Lessons in this pack are:

1. 6-Beat Basic Pop Turn on the Spot
2. 6-Beat Sendout Pop Turn
3. Butterfly Pop Turns
4. Sending Your Pop Turns in All Directions
5. Circle Break Pop Turns
6. Circle Break Pop Turn to Tango Lunge
7. Orbit Pop Turn with Arm Lock Break
8. Hip Catch Pop Turn with a Lead Spin

Click here to preview & purchase this pack on iDance.net

12. Texas Holdem: Texas Tommy Variations

This pack cracks open the old Lindy Hop figure Texas Tommy and treats it not as a stand-alone move but as a jumping off point for a whole range of new movements and their associated techniques, starting simply, and getting down to serious business by the end. Lessons in this pack are:

1. Texas Tommy 8-Count Basic
2. Texas Tommy 6-Count Basic
3. Texas Tommy with Outside Turn
4. The Texas Boyfriend
5. Texas Boomerang
6. Handshake Texas Tommy
7. Double Texas Tommy to Tango Lunge
8. The Texas Girlfriend
9. Spinning Top Texas Tommy
10. Rewind Texas Tommy

Click here to preview & purchase this pack on iDance.net