Underhill's Swing and Shag Dance Collective

Y ou’ve finished the 6-week beginner series. You know your Rock Step from your Triple Step. You can count to six. But then, you walk into a social dance venue—perhaps our local Richmond Shag Club or one of our Collective events—and you freeze. The lights are dim, the music isn't the same track we used in class, and the floor looks like a chaotic, swirling puzzle. You know the steps , but you don't feel like a dancer . This is the "Gap." It is the terrifying space between Classroom Performance (executing a move when a teacher counts it out) and Social Dancing (navigating a crowded floor with a partner in real-time). We built our new 6-week course, "The Kinetic Connection Bridge," to close that gap. We are moving beyond the mechanics of "where do I put my foot?" to the deeper substance of the Carolina Shag and Swing legacy: the art of non-verbal conversation. It’s Not About the Move; It’s About the Movement In our digital world, we are often disco...

POWHATAN, VA – Underhill’s Swing and Shag Dance Collective is proud to announce a new partnership with the Community Matters Adult Enrichment Program in Powhatan County to offer free Beginner Swing Dance classes to residents of Powhatan and surrounding localities. This initiative represents a unique regional collaboration between Colonial Heights Recreation and Parks and Powhatan County Parks and Recreation . Colonial Heights Recreation and Parks is providing the lead instructor, Roger Underhill, a Recreation Specialist who has spearheaded the dance curriculum. Powhatan County Parks and Recreation is hosting the program, providing facilities to bring this opportunity to their residents. Dance as Wellness This program is more than just dance lessons; it is designed as an Active Lifestyle and Wellness program. Under the direction of Matt Spruill, Director of Colonial Heights Recreation and Parks, the curriculum was developed to emphasize the physical, mental, and social health benef...

The Morning After the Night Before You know the feeling. You wake up in the morning after an incredible night of social dancing—maybe it was fast Lindy Hop, high-energy Salsa, or Carolina Shag. Your mind is still buzzing with the music and the amazing connections you had on the floor. Then, you try to get out of bed. Ouch. Your calves are screaming, your quads feel like concrete, and walking down the stairs seems like an impossible task. You aren’t injured, but you are profoundly sore. There is an old gym cliché that says, "Soreness is weakness leaving the body." It sounds tough, but it’s biologically wrong. As dancers, we need a better mantra. A more accurate way to look at that morning-after hobble is this: Soreness is inflammation gathering to repair your body. Here is the science of why fast dancing beats you up, and why that pain is actually proof of progress. It’s Not the Speed, It’s the Stops Why does a night of dancing often hurt more than a steady 5-mile run? It come...

Have you ever stood on the edge of a dance floor, watching couples spin effortlessly, and thought to yourself, “I am just not that kind of person” ? If so, you aren't alone. You are suffering from a cultural symptom that Dr. Peter Lovatt—a psychologist and passionate advocate known as "Dr. Dance"—has spent years trying to heal. Recently, we came across a quote, in a BBC piece "Why Dance Is Key To Our Humanity" , by Dr. Peter Lovatt, author of The Dance Cure , that perfectly articulates the battle we are fighting here at Underhill’s Swing and Shag Collective. He says: “A large portion of society thinks that they are not the right type of person to dance. Because we take something that’s really fundamental and natural and expressive in movement, and then we codify it. We make it very strict, We judge people for it. People feel self-conscious when they do it, and then people stop doing it.” At Underhill’s Swing and Shag Collective, we consider Dr. Lovatt a partner ...

"Are you sure this is it?" Pam asked from the back seat, her voice laced with skepticism my wife, Denise, and I had come to expect from past visits with friends. I glanced in the rearview mirror, a smile playing on my lips. "Positive," I said. "This is it." The car crunched to a stop in the gravel lot. Before us stood a plain, concrete block building that looked more like a forgotten warehouse than the destination I’d promised. The last light of Saturday was fading, and the building offered no clues to the life inside. I saw Susan shoot Pam a look that clearly communicated, What has he gotten us into? Inside the Modern Woodmen Dance Hall in Crewe, VA "Alright," I laughed, glancing over at Denise in the passenger seat before turning off the engine. "I know what you're thinking. But the rule of this place is simple: you can't judge it from the outside. Just trust us." We grabbed our cooler and the bag of snacks we’d packed. The fr...