Q&As with Kuen-Wah Cheung

Kuen-Wah Cheung is moderator of The Shuffle Dance Community on Facebook and creator of this website. He has written the first ever shuffle dance instructional book, ‘Charleston Variations,’ as part of a brand new series called The Quick and Dirty Guide To Shuffle Dance. Here he explains what’s the deal with this new book:

1. What’s your dance background?
KUEN-WAH: When I was younger, I was very much into b-boying (breakdancing), popping and locking. It came as a natural outgrowth from dancing in nightclubs in Brighton, UK. Then in 2007, there was a BBC documentary called Dance Britannia which included a Lindy Hop instructor Julie Oram demonstrating Charleston moves such as the scarecrow, cowtail and the basic Charleston and it blew my mind. I went up to London to ‘Jitterbugs' to do her five week Charleston workshop which was tremendous fun. For a while, I kept typing in ‘Charleston dance Brighton’ in search engines hoping to find something more local without much success. Then in Summer 2014, I found myself dancing at Brighton Spiegeltent festival, kept bumping into the same friendly folks, was given a flyer by one of them, and started attending MyCharleston classes (then known as I Charleston Brighton), taught by Elena Burslem and Fiona Ring at the Happy Cell Studio in Hove. 

2. How did you discover Shuffle Dance?
KUEN-WAH: I’m not entirely sure if it was a shared compilation video on Facebook or if it popped up on YouTube, but when I saw it, it really captured my imagination. It was like a Charleston of the 21st Century. The music, the modern look with all those LED light-up shoes, and the vibe really spoke to me. Without words, it said to me that we don’t have to hark back to racially segregated USA of the 1920s as some kind of golden era, with white flappers stealing the limelight from the black African-Americans who created the dance, that instead we can create a new scene that represents who we are now. Gabby J David and Elena Cruz’s tutorials, along with Anderson Jovani, Guerrorojah and Mark Tore videos, made essential viewing for me in those formative months of learning to shuffle. They were doing the Charleston and Happy Feet, moves I already knew, but they were doing it in a slightly different way, and had variations I had never seen before. And they mixed it up with new moves to me such as the Running Man and T-Step. With the soundtrack of Deamn’s ‘Save Me’ and other iconic tracks, they presented Cutting Shapes in a very appealing, exciting package. Over time, I’ve learnt to appreciate other styles, such as the Melbourne Shuffle and Malaysian Style. I also built up knowledge about the history of shuffling in the UK, from the jazz-funk fusion pioneers such as Foot Patrol, to the 1980s UK rave scene to the early 2010s London Cutting Shapes scene.

3. What inspired you to write a book about shuffling?
KUEN-WAH: I have quite a collection of hip-hop dance instructional books, such as ‘Breakdancing - Let Colin and Venol Show You How’. A lot of these were much more superficial efforts designed to cash in on the ‘Breakdance’ craze of the 1980s. There is even this one featuring Alfonso Ribeiro which I would dearly love to acquire:

There has actually been a ‘How to Charleston Correctly’ book by Bemis Walker from 1925, but the diagrams and symbols are very confusing, as well as other flaws such as rather whitewashing the black African-American roots of the dance. 

I wanted to add to this rich collection of literature, but do one that genuinely helped dancers to learn rather than being more style than substance. I started writing my book after many years of drawing stick figures and writing notes to help me remember choreography learnt at various dance classes. And i knew these worked. At least for me. I figured a tidied up version could be ideal for others to pick up moves at their own pace and in their own time.

4. Why not just do a video? Why a book? 
KUEN-WAH: There are already a lot of videos of shuffling. Probably over 100 Running Man tutorials, and over 100 Charleston ones. I wanted to create something unique, and no-one has yet written a dance instructional book about Shuffle Dance, something that you can take out of your bag to practise anywhere you want, such as a studio, car park or your kitchen, with or without decent internet access. 

In The Shuffle Dance Community group on Facebook, which has over 8,000 members, we often get posts from beginners, asking “Where do I start?” This from people who clearly know how to use YouTube, TikTok and Instagram. It is because there is an information overload. A book is a great way of organising learning in a logical way, unlike scattered videos all over social media. Learning from a book also has its advantages. As Madeleine Fairfax wrote in The Shuffle Dance Community: “I love it when people break things down step by step because half the time, videos go way too fast. Usually I have to slow a video down, pause it a million times and try to jot the steps down."

I also sense that people welcome something tangible that they can hold in their hand to represent our time as shufflers. A book does a better job of that than video held online, which may not be easily accessible in 20 or 30 years’ time. Someone could just close their account, or video hosting company goes bust, and - BOOM! - all that knowledge will be gone. 

5. What will we gain from reading ‘Charleston Variations'?
KUEN-WAH: You will learn 45 different Charleston variations, including different stylings, and how the Charleston combines with other moves such as the Running Man, T-Step, Switchblade, Happy Feet, kicks and jumps, slides and glides, and spins and turns. There is also a history of the Charleston and explanatory information about how Charleston fits into Shuffle Dance as a whole. There are also preparatory exercises for anyone learning the Basic Charleston for the first time. Plus an interview with ex-Prodigy dancer Leeroy Thornhill, who helped introduce the Charleston to the rave generation.

6. What have you learnt from writing the book?
KUEN-WAH: I’ve learnt that arrows on diagrams really help! That it’s not enough to give a text description to go along with an illustration. This is one of the key points I have gained from asking for feedback from the Shuffle Dance Community. I’ve also learnt how to use 3D modelling software. The process of self-publishing had to be learnt from scratch. From the beginning, I was determined not to seek an established book publisher, as I firmly believed that going it alone, aided and abetted by the shuffle community, would be more fun and more in keeping with the spirit of grassroots level dance.

I’ve also learnt how much work is involved in writing and designing a book and polishing it up on my trusty Apple Macintosh computers, and getting it ready for prime time via a lengthy proof-reading process. It’s been a real labour of love during lockdown. So many energy have been expended on this project at weekends, often into the early hours of the day, until I’m bleary eyed. It’s been like going to a rave, but sitting down!

7. How dirty is the book going to be?
KUEN-WAH: I don’t think you can expect a ‘Position of the Fortnight’ in it!

“Quick and dirty’ simply means it’s not promising to be without flaws but that it gets the job done.

That said, the quality of the printing is breathtakingly good, with a hard cover, 24 full-colour lay flat pages and beautifully lush matte finish. You’ll love it!

8. What are you future plans?
KUEN-WAH: I hope to add other books in the series, with ones on the T-Step, Running Man, Switchblade, Happy Feet, Kicks and Jumps, Slides and Glides, and Spins and Turns. All these moves, techniques and stylings of shuffle dance deserve to be archived and shared, and I hope my books help towards achieving this.

The book is available for purchase as of today. Just click to add it to your Shopping Bag, make sure you enter your shipping address and check out……

Free Shipping worldwide! £25 is about $34 USD.Need customer service? Contact kuenwah@me.com

Rebel Industry

Q&As with Sabrina Caputi
(article by Tanja Viti)

I started private online lessons with Sabrina Caputi, a.k.a Rebel Industry, about two months ago.

I’m 45, have no previous dance experience. However, I had a foundation of some moves that I had learned on my own from watching videos. Sabrina introduced me to the Melbourne Shuffle with an emphasis on the correct execution of the Running Man, T-Step, and rocking combined with spins and glides.

She has a professional and competitive dance background in different dance styles (jazz,ballet, modern, hip hop, contemporary etc). Her approach to teaching goes beyond just showing you some steps. She gives you the ability to appreciate and better understand the art of dancing and its technique.

I found that she has endless patience and a very motivating way to teach and push you forward. She is so encouraging and enthusiastic and you can tell that she loves sharing her extensive knowledge with her pupils.

She takes time to really explain technique and the feel of each movement. I wouldn’t hesitate in recommending her as an excellent teacher to anyone, any level and age.

She was also happy to answer my questions for her:

1. How did you start your shuffle journey, what were you inspired by?
SABRINA: I began my shuffle journey back in 2014. I was inspired by the countless dancers I would see at music festivals and events, along with the growing trending videos on Instagram. Since 2010 when I started raving, I was always extremely passionate about the music; specifically house, trance and techno. I realized that shuffling could be a way to experience the music on a soulful level, therefore I decided to begin my journey. 

2. You already had a solid dance background. Did you find it difficult though?
SABRINA: My dance background was focused around ballet, along with other styles like contemporary, modern, jazz and tap. I quickly learned that what was required for shuffling was much different than other dance styles, especially due to the extreme speed and muscle memory that was required. I wouldn’t say it was easy but having a dance background definitely helped in areas like technique and anatomy, since I could distinguish what was necessary in order to embody the movement. The practice took me a great deal of time either way, since the style is extremely intricate and fast paced.

3. Do you have a favorite Shuffle style and if yes which one?
SABRINA: I absolutely love all the styles of shuffling. I have done a great deal of work and research becoming versed in Melbourne, Cutting Shapes and Cali styles, along with having some understanding of Malaysian. If I had to decide it would be Melbourne. Not just because it is an originating style but because it helps with smoothness, fluidity and overall flow. I prefer to mix all the styles as I dance, in order to form more of a hybrid style.

4. What did you struggle most with?
SABRINA: I definitely struggled the most with being able to embody multiple styles of shuffling. This is because there is a different muscle memory required for each. Therefore training must be rigorous in order to have a developed understanding. I found it was hard to practice one style without integrating movement from another, so a very disciplined form of practice is what helped me achieve what I was looking for. I have perfected this method of learning to pass on to my students so that they in turn can embody multiple styles and create a depth to their flow like I do.

5. Your favorite shuffle song?
SABRINA: It’s hard to pick just one song, but my go to artist would definitely be Above and Beyond especially if I’m working on flow. One particular song I’ve always loved by them, especially from my early days of raving is 'Love Is Not Enough' with vocals by the wonderful Zoe Johnston. A vocalist can truly spark a feeling when you’re dancing that lends itself to musicality.

6. What sort of people usually book your classes?
SABRINA: I work with all types of levels and ages so I wouldn’t say just one! My youngest student is 6 and my oldest is 64. It is my belief that any age can learn! I often start with complete beginners, however I have a range of intermediate students that are looking to develop their movement base. I also train advanced levels as well, in achieving and developing personal style, working with complex concepts and movement, and even assisting in professional choreography advice for commercial shufflers. I absolutely love working with all stages and offer a wide range of lessons and concepts that will transform my students. I have also been teaching shuffling for 4 years, so I have developed a multitude of teaching methods to suit each dancer’s needs.

7. What style of shuffle dance classes do you teach?
SABRINA: As previously mentioned, I offer a wide range of lessons. Since I teach all different levels, the types of classes vary from student to student. At a beginner level, I focus on technique and building the foundations in order to develop a proper movement understanding. As the level of the student progresses, different exercises, drills, combos and choreographies are utilized. I always start with a Melbourne focus for beginner students, as I believe this is an important foundation for freestyling and understanding the dance form. Units of focus on different styles help the student learn new pathways as well as develop their own style.

8. How do you inspire and motivate your students?
SABRINA: I have been obsessed with shuffling since the day I began practicing. My passion for this style became so much a part of my life that I quit my job as a project manager to pursue it full time. I share this passion with every single student. I am so grateful and excited to help them every step of the way on their own journey. By becoming their own personal cheerleader, I hope to inspire them to continue their practice, despite whatever obstacles they face. I hold my students accountable and have frequent interactions with them, through messaging apps rather than strictly through email. Students are encouraged to send videos of their practice so they can get feedback between sessions along with being able to ask any questions they may have. It is my hope that they see me as both a mentor and friend, which has helped me develop a wonderful relationship with all my students.

9: How important is technique when it comes to shuffle dancing?
SABRINA: My opinion on technique stems from my experience with dancing professionally for a majority of my life. Technique is extremely important and I spend a great deal of time making sure that movement is demonstrated with this being the primary focus of understanding. Since I have such a strong background in other dance styles, I ensure that my students understand the technique behind dance concepts like pirouettes or glides. Shuffle technique and form also assists in maintaining healthy body function. When movement is executed improperly, tension, pain or ultimately injuries can occur. So yes I believe technique is one of the most important things a dancer should be educated in.

10: Describe your dance class in three words…
SABRINA: Technical,enlightening, passionate

11: Advice for anyone who wants to start their shuffle journey?
SABRINA: My best advice is just to begin! We can make all kinds of excuses not to do something when in reality taking the first step is not so hard. Commit and dedicate yourself to what you want to accomplish, because as I tell my students, you can do anything you set your mind (and body) to do. There are a plethora of resources out there, much more than when I began my own journey. So take that first step, and you’ll be happy you did! If you don’t know where to start and you’re looking for mentorship I would be honored to share this passionate dance with you!

Thank you!

Sabrina offers private shuffle lessons in Toronto or worldwide on a online base. Online lessons can be booked for a single person as a private lessons or collective for a group. Due to her teaching experience she offers a personalized program developed on the need and request of every single dancer. Also workshops with different techniques/styles and ranging from beginner to advanced are available on her website rebelindustry.ca