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What is Swing Dancing?
Swing Etiquette

What is Swing Dancing?

Put simply, swing dancing is dancing to swinging jazz music.

The most celebrated of the swing dances is the 1930s partner dance 'The Lindy Hop', also known to many as 'Jitterbug'.

The Lindy Hop

The Lindy Hop is familar to many people because of its acrobatic 'air steps' (aerials) - where the dancers are thrown over their partner's heads, but this is only one aspect of the dance. A couple dancing the Lindy Hop move with each other in a variety of combinations, sometimes together (closed) and sometimes apart (open). When done well, their movements are characterised by improvisation and rhythm, just like jazz music. The essence of social Lindy Hop is the focus on partner connection, working the floor, and moving as one with the music. Exuberance and craziness are encouraged!

Click below to watch some crazy Lindy Hop action from the 1940s!

Lindy Hop is thought of as a fast and energetic dance, but as it is danced socially it ranges through all tempos - anywhere from fast and explosive, right down to slow, graceful & sexy! It's a joyful dance suitable for all ages, but most importantly the emphasis is always on fun!

To see some of the best examples of Lindy Hop, check out the dance sequences from the films 'A Day At The Races' (1937) and 'Hellzapoppin'' (1941). You can also find it in modern films such as 'Malcolm X'(1992), 'Swing Kids'(1993) and Outkast's 'Idlewild' (2006).

History

Named after aviator Charles Lindbergh's epic first solo flight across the Atlantic, the Lindy Hop evolved from the Charleston and other dances in late 1920s New York.

Click below to watch early Lindy Hop (1929 style!)

Harlem's popular Savoy Ballroom was the place to be, attracting the best big bands of the time and dancers ready to revel. This atmosphere, along with friendly rivalry between the dancers, helped give birth to the dance. The better dancers invented wilder, fancier and more spectacular moves in an attempt to out-do each other.

Big band swing, played by the likes of Duke Ellington, Cab Calloway, Benny Goodman and Count Basie, grew in popularity throughout the 1930s and into the 1940s. The Lindy Hop craze spread with it across the US and throughout the world.

Stylistic and regional variations of the dance developed, and in popular culture it became known as 'The Jitterbug' - as it was known in Australia. Australia caught the Jitterbug craze with the influx of American servicemen during the Second World War. Aussie Jitterbuggers could pick up the latest steps by carefully studying American newsreel footage and films at the local theatres.

The Second World War split up many of the swing bands, and along with shifting music trends it was difficult to maintain a big band in the post-war era. As a result, the popularity of Lindy Hop and other swing dances had largely faded by the mid 1950s. Rock 'n' Roll music took over and Jitterbuggers adapted to what become entirely different styles. ('Rock n Roll' and 'Jive')

Fortunately, the Lindy Hop was kept alive - being slowly revived during the 1980s independently around the world by curious and dedicated dancers. The revival was complete by the mid 1990s, with wide media recognition and a fad for retro swing bands such as Royal Crown Revue and Big Bad Voodoo Daddy. Swing dancing was back!

Other Swing Dances

Other more regionalized swing dances developed in the Swing era, such as 'Balboa and 'Collegiate Shag'.

Balboa for instance, is a more compact and subtle dance that came from Newport, California. Because the footwork is kept small, it can be danced to extremely fast tempos.

Collegiate Shag came out of New Orleans in the 1920s and is distinguished by hops, kicks, jumps and furiously fast footwork, with very little movement from the waist up. It was named for it's popularity amongst college kids.

Not all Swing dances are partnered. 'The Big Apple' is an group dance where dancers typically form a circle and respond to a leader calling out jazz steps. There are also jazz line dances such as the popular Shim Sham Shimmy and the challenging Tranky Doo.

An evolution of swing dancing is the Blues dance. 'Blues dancing' emphasises the partner connection aspect of dancing thru typically slower music from a range of genres (though most frequently to jazz or blues). It is often described as a certain feeling to the dance, rather than a particular set of steps or rhythms.

West Coast Swing developed in the 1960s. West Coast is a smoother style incorporating steps from other contemporary dances such as the Cha Cha, Mambo, The Hustle & Lambada. Although based on the Blues, it is danced to many music genres. The generally slower tempos used allow all ages to dance all night long without approaching exhaustion.

Community & Exchanges

You can now find an active swing dancing community in many major cities internationally. Many of them host large annual events (camps or exchanges) which draw in swing dancers and instructors from around the world. Perth has its very own annual Exchange known as Hullabaloo, usually at the end of April.

For more information about swing dancing, including where to find classes, visit our links section.