Find swing-outs hard? Imagine you've only one arm...

Dom Eagleton & Jimmy Valentine demonstrating that there are few obstacles to Lindy hop 

During my last trip to Galway I got chatting with a fairly fresh London-based Lindy hopper who was that little bit different to most of the other dancers in attendance, and what set Dom Eagleton apart was something that immediately obliterated any excuse you could possibly hear for not dancing: Dom has only one arm.

I've since had the pleasure of getting to know Dom that little bit better and coupled with his own discovery that one of the much revered Whitey's Lindy Hoppers - Jimmy Valentine - achieved greatness missing another limb (he had only one leg), I decided to get in touch with Dom to ask him a few questions about this discovery and his early steps into the world of Lindy hop.

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So, Dom, how long have you been dancing and where are you based?
I'm so deliriously obsessed with swing dancing that the day I started – 1st September 2014 – is up there with my birthday in terms of its significance. Perhaps this makes me a born again Lindy hopper?! And the auspicious moment was a class taught by Johanna Johanssen and Tony Jackson, so, for teaching a great lesson and getting me hooked on the spot, those two have a lot to answer for!

I live in London so I'm spoilt by the vast number of classes and socials we have here, as well as – just as importantly – a lovely, supportive and super-friendly swing dance community.

What attracted to you partner dancing and swing dancing especially?
I’d like to say that I began learning Lindy hop to further my deeply creative impulses and immerse myself in the bohemian traditions of the swing era... but really I started because internet dating is rubbish!

I know that might sound a bit shallow as there were other reasons, including curiosity about how on earth you do those dazzling spins and turns! But mainly I tried it out as a way meeting people, as even though I share it with 8 million others, London can be a lonely place.

So I went to a class and sure enough I met new people, though little did I know it would also open up a whole new universe and turn my world upside down. I’ve found swing dancing to be a powerful antidote to the social isolation that modern life can bring – so much so that I wonder, only half jokingly, if they should offer it on the NHS. Although I still haven't found a girlfriend through swing dancing so I'm thinking about packing it in and going back to AmputeeFetishDating.com* (joke!). 

[*in a selfless act of saving your browser history from a dodgy entry (and born purely of journalistic curiosity), theswingslate can share that amputeefetishdating.com is not actually a real website...]

I imagine lesser mortals would have been put off by such an obvious disadvantage - what drove you to overcome this?

It might seem counter-intuitive but in some ways having one arm gives me an advantage. It basically acts as a spur, making me more determined to get good at things that people might assume I can’t do. When I was a teenager for example, I got massively, geekily into juggling. I became technically proficient and, although I didn't plan it, ended up busking in a Bangkok shopping centre and getting on Thai TV. That's another blog in itself though…

When I first started swing dancing I was also encouraged by the existence of Tim Baggaley, a legend of London's scene who's in the same very exclusive club as me as he likewise only has one arm, although the similarity ends there as he’s been dancing 13 years to my one year. When I first heard about him I felt like I'd arrived at a party to find a guy wearing the same very loud shirt as me, but Tim very kindly gave me a private lesson and a few tricks that I've been dining out on ever since.

I can't think of many other partner dances that have the same physical demands as swing dancing, so why it? The music? The style? The people? Or simply the look of the dance?
Because swing dancing is the most beautiful thing ever invented by humanity, of course! Also, doing it with one arm is probably easier than people might think, as a lot of it has to do with things that have little to do with left hands, like shifting body weight, getting a good connection with your partner and being responsive to changes in the music.

Plus swing dancing is infinite: there’s no limit to the number of moves and variations you can do with two hands, and the same rule applies with one. There are many things I like about having one arm, and one of them is that it forces me, my partners and teachers to be creative – to put our heads together and cook up ways of adapting moves or invent new ones – which is exciting and rewarding. 

What aspects of the dance provide the biggest challenge?
Swing outs! Obviously they’re a challenge for everyone, but doubly so for me. If you’ll allow me to geek out for moment – as I’ve no choice but to use my right hand when I bring a follow in from open on a swing out, quite naturally they often rotate anti-clockwise (as if doing a change places) instead of staying facing me. This uncertainty leads to a lot of failed swing outs which, needless to say, is unfortunate given it’s the signature swing dance move.

Some of the finest minds in lindy hop have tried to help me solve the mystery of the one-armed swing out. I’m massively grateful for all the help they’ve given, though I’m starting to think that – short of changing the laws of physics – there’s no way round it, and that it’s more of a case of finding ways to up my success rate than a failsafe solution.

How do non-dancers react to your revelation that you are a Lindy hopper?
Not as incredulously as when I tell them that I used to be a juggler!

This might sound outrageously vain but sometimes I feel sorry for all you two-handed swing dancers, as to stand out from the crowd you have to be exceptionally good. Whereas people seem to take an interest in me just by dint of my being on the dancefloor.

Well, I have spoken to a few follows who danced with you in Galway who were impressed by how well you compensated!
That's very sweet of them to say, although I think they're being generous given I'd only been dancing for six months by the time the Galway Lindyfest happened! I’m never going to forget the glorious pub crawl that a group of us went on after the event, in which we found ourselves swinging out to live pub rock bands that were playing Bon Jovi covers, with locals absolutely loving it and joining in circle jams. The whole atmosphere of those pubs changed when we started swing dancing.

You said recently that you had a chat with Skye Humphries, Peter Strom and Naomi Uyama - what tips did they have for you?
That was a surreal moment! After taking a class with Peter and Naomi at the London Swing Festival, I went up to Peter and said I had an odd question for him: whether he knew any one-armed lindy hoppers in America as I’m on a mission to track them down. He asked why, and I said it’s mainly because I’m struggling with swing outs and that other one-armed dancers might’ve found a solution.

Next thing you know he called Naomi over and they both started performing surgery on my swing out. Then Skye Humphries just happened to be walking past and Peter called him over to help out too. I left the room in a bit of a daze, thinking there can’t be that many people who can say they’ve had a free private lesson simultaneously with these three.

Also, I assume that your recent discovery that Jimmy Valentine was a hugely talented dancer in the Savoy and a member of Whitey's has become an inspiration - does it help knowing others have blazed similar trails with such success?
I was fascinated to learn about Jimmy Valentine – he’s definitely an inspiration. A while ago someone mentioned to me that they thought there was a one-legged guy who danced at the Savoy in the 30s and 40s, but they were hazy on detail which made me think that if he existed, he would've been historically pretty insignificant. So to stumble across a blog about Jimmy by Peter Loggins and find out that not only did this guy exist, but that he was a member Whitey's Lindy Hoppers(!!) and that there are photos and written records of him was a real revelation.

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During my time in Herräng I had the privilege of chatting with one of the original Savoy dancers, Norma Miller, who told me that Jimmy Valentine was immensely popular, not just for his affable personality, but for the respect he gained for overcoming the obvious obstacle before him to become one of the finest dancers in the Savoy and equal to the best on two legs.

From chatting to Dom it is clear he shares many similarities with Jimmy, and although he humbly (and somewhat understandably) would prefer that no such burdensome parallels are made, Dom's fervour for swing dancing evidences a similar refusal to see a disadvantage in his 'disability' as he has instead embraced what makes him unique and is very much using it to his advantage.

Many thanks again to Dom for taking the time to help me produce this article and for the subsequent editing suggestions!