Dancing Through Doubt: Lessons from the Jam Circle

The jam circle is a Swing institution. For those who are new to the scene, a partnered or solo jam circle is the place to show off your best moves. It’s where those crazy airsteps that you see in the old movies, forbidden on the social floor, finally get a chance to shine, and it’s where your solo jazz vocabulary is put to the test. The dancers in the middle of the circle are cheered on by a clapping, stomping, hollering crowd awaiting their turn to enter and showcase their moves. This blog will focus on solo, rather than partnered, jam circles because it deals with the common resistance to performing alone and perceptions of “showing off”, as well as solo jazz’s capacity to set us free.

I’m going to be honest. Solo jam circles make me panic. Sure, it can be fun and inspiring to watch great dancers pull out their best moves, and I admire their bravery and confidence. But the thought of jumping in makes my palms sweat, and there is something about the energy I perceive around me, which may be a projection of my own reaction, that puts me on edge.

I feel reasonably confident when I social dance, and I often solo jazz on the sidelines. At parties and gigs, I dance my socks off without much care for who is watching. In my younger days, this would require vast amounts of alcohol, but now dancing feels so natural that I don’t need a drop. But put me on a stage or in a circle and I freeze. I don’t know what to do with my limbs, and I seem to lose all sense of rhythm. Cape Town Swing’s first competition was introduced last Swing Camp – The Jazzicat Solo Jazz Competition – and I was chuffed to be selected to compete, but soon horrified. My minute or so went by in a whirl of uncoordinated amnesia: I had forgotten almost every solo move I’d ever learned. Perhaps a Hallelujah Rock and a Camel Walk made it in there, I’m not sure- I daren’t recall. Luckily, we danced in pairs, and I was with my dear friend, with whom I’ve shared many a silly dance, and who gets far less fazed by these things, and he reminded me to just have fun.

I know I’m not alone. I’ve spoken to many people who recoil at the idea of jam circles, whether birthday steals, partnered jams, or solo performances. We are all infected with the “I’m not good enough” epidemic so prevalent in our society. We watch others let go and enjoy being the centre of attention, and believe that something is fundamentally wrong with our personality because we can’t feel the same abandon. We worry about being rubbish, so our anxiety makes us rubbish. I’m being open about my feelings in the hope that others will find comfort: you are not alone!

Indeed, this focus on the self as being separate from the collective, and the subsequent feeling of exposure and vulnerability, is a symptom of our individualistic, Western culture. Through capitalism and urbanisation, we have lost, to a large degree, our sense of interconnectedness, and we strive for individualism and personal success. I could go on at length about the causes and effects of the “cult of the self” that has emerged over time, but don’t worry, I’ll stick to dancing.

I find it interesting that despite the overwhelming resistance to jam circles, they are pushed in the Lindy scene. The introduction of the Jazzicat competition in Cape Town Swing was an endeavor to introduce a competitive element, raise our dancing standards. We can’t just comfortably plateau forever; we need to leave our comfort zone and find new levels to conquer. It’s difficult to argue that there’s nothing like competition to raise the bar. Back at the Savoy Ballroom, regular competitions inspired new, innovative moves: Frankie Manning was famous for inventing competition-winning aerials. The desire to win catapulted Lindy Hop from a niche social dance to a global phenomenon. Whitey’s Lindy Hoppers became so good that they travelled the world and featured in Hollywood movies.

But then again, Lindy Hop back then was very different from what we know now, and let’s not forget that its roots lie in African American culture, influenced by African philosophy. The jam circles that our Western minds fear were born from the idea “we are because I am”, of being a unique individual within a collective, a place where individuality is celebrated in community.

While drafting this post, I received input from CTS teacher, Rozanne Jonck, that has changed the way I view jam circles, and, in fact, makes me feel guilty for holding such negative ideas. It’s always good to have unhealthy thoughts challenged and realise that it’s not the situation or other people, but you who holds you back!

Rozanne’s take on jam circles

I totally get why many people dislike jam circles. It’s easy to see them as “oh look at me” moments, and that can feel uncomfortable. But I think that perspective comes from looking at them through a more Western lens, where being in the spotlight = performance = showing off. Maybe there is a small component of showing off, but I think there is much more to it than that.

In the original cultural context, jam circles aren’t about ego. They’re a celebration of life and individuality within the community, rooted in African traditions, where call-and-response, Ubuntu, and collective encouragement are central. The circle exists so the group can lift you up, not judge you.

With social media mainly being a platform where the best “you” is shown, and with independence and isolation of most areas of our lives being the norm (like living alone, being financially self-reliant vs living in community), it makes sense that we are uncomfortable with this at first.

Of course, confidence plays a big role. Most people don’t feel ready, and that’s normal. But confidence doesn’t arrive before we try; it comes from doing. In a way, faking it is the best way to find it. Like being thrown into the deep end, it feels scary, but that’s how you learn to swim, or shall we say to “swing”. The more we practice anything, the more natural it will feel. It’s just a matter of keeping on putting your most authentic self out there.

For me, jam circles aren’t about “showing off.” They’re about being inspired, encouraging others, and allowing yourself to be vulnerable in a joyful, supportive space. When handled with inclusivity and warmth, they can shift from a feeling of pressure to one of empowerment and celebration – no matter the level of the dancer. Oftentimes, I have enjoyed seeing people‘s smiles on the dancefloor, doing silly, made-up moves more than carefully thought-out choreographies.

They help condition us out of imposter syndrome. They ask us to initiate our own participation rather than being pressured into it, even if it feels uncomfortable at first. That act of stepping in willingly and without direct invitation is what makes it powerful.

So, in short, I think it is mostly a mindset change that will be the most impactful in handling that discomfort, but practicing solo jazz and really just dancing your heart out in a room with no judgment, whether by yourself or in a non-judgmental community, can help build confidence. But ultimately, throwing yourself in there (regardless of confidence) is going to be the best way to overcome the fear.

The power of choosing to step in

Although solo jam circles still fill me with dread, I want to step out of my comfort zone and embrace their joy and liberation, because nothing good ever comes from listening to the voice that says “I’m not good enough”. And I love the idea that your uniqueness as an individual is vital to the collective: that you are no better or worse or more or less important than anybody else – you are an integral part of the whole. This idea shifts attention away from the self and onto the cohesiveness of the group, which I find quite comforting.

But let’s be honest, it’s not all about philosophy, psychology, and the human condition. As Rozanne pointed out, part of the reason I dread solo jam circles is that I simply don’t train enough! I forget the moves because I don’t learn them with intention. I dance around on the sidelines, not thinking too much about which move is which and if they fit together coherently. It’s kind of like speaking a language that you never really studied, and not giving too much thought to grammar, as long as you have some basics to get by. You can enjoy your holiday, but you’re not going to give a presentation to a board of directors.

So, Cape Town Swing community (and beyond, I hope), how can we feel more confident about our solo jazz? I reached out to the team and got some great ideas from them.

Jazz’s training tips

• I find doing solo jazz by myself at home and filming it to be the most helpful thing.
• Pick a few moves and drill them, and then add them to lots of different songs. I have a pretty decent vocabulary, but it’s really hard to remember in the moment.
• Learn some solo routines because when you learn a choreography, you have to drill it, and then you’ll just have it in your back pocket. You can choose a phrase from the trickeration to throw into a solo jazz circle, because it’s just much easier to remember that way.
• Write down on a piece of paper a few solo jazz moves, stick it to the wall, put a song on (doesn’t have to be a swing song- try different genres), and play around with the same few moves. Having them written down on a piece of paper means you don’t go blank, and then you can play with musicality in different genres.

Rozanne’s training tips

• Throw yourself in there more often.
• Try dancing more alone during socials to become comfortable solo dancing in front of people.
• To find your own voice – dance your heart out alone in your own home, without any eyes on you.
• ⁠Watch videos or attend solo jazz classes to practice the moves to get them part of your muscle memory (Laura Glaess and so many resources are on YouTube). That will definitely lessen the discomfort to some degree, but I don’t think it is required to have fun in a jam circle. Come as you are, and if you have more to give, give what you have! Because it might just inspire someone or bring a smile to someone‘s face.

Nicole’s jam circle tips

• Keep it short to start – you don’t have to feel you need to be in the centre for the full “chorus”.
• Prepare an entrance (eg, Camel Walks/Suzy Qs/Shorty Georges) and exit (boogie back/fish tails) you can always use to “round off your turn”.
• Go into the middle with someone else (you could do a call and response)
• If you have another dancing background, feel free to throw in your own style/moves to make it your own.
• When you enter, exaggerate moves (big movements with body/arms/legs, and maybe add a height change. Snapping/clicking might also be a cool addition) to make it clear to the person in the middle that you are coming in. It also makes a stylish entrance!
• Fake it till you make it! The audience resonates with confidence rather than fancy moves.

Both Jazz and Nicole recommend participating in the Jazzuary challenge. Several people at CTS have undertaken this challenge and agree that the daily practice and accountability have a big impact on dance confidence and fluency. You can read about Jayne’s Jazzuary journey here.

Solo jazz makes us better dancers

It’s not all about the circles. Having fluency in solo jazz improves our partnered dancing exponentially. You add little flourishes and bring the dance to life. Jazz told me, “I’m super passionate about [solo jazz], and it has made me a far better dancer, especially follower, as I have learned to find every single second that I can experiment and play with. And I think a better leader, too, because I have fun doing simple things but in an interesting, new way, and I think it makes me a more considerate leader, I hope, leaving more space for my followers to play.”

This playfulness is key to Lindy Hop. You don’t want to stick to a “rock step triple step, triple step” forevermore, do you? No, you can do so much more within a dance: play with the music, experiment, express yourself, and interact with your partner in different ways, as long as you stay in time and don’t mess up your partner’s experience. My favourite dances are not the ones with a load of complicated moves, but the ones where we play with the music and with each other, where one of us does some footwork that the other likes and then copies, and maybe two phrases later, you sync that footwork and you get a rush of exhilaration because you connected so seamlessly and invented your own little dance conversation.

Let’s solo jazz and join those jam circles! Because it’s fun (once we let go), because it makes us better dancers, and because we get to connect to a partner or group as a unique individual. And remember, no one is judging you except yourself!