ABOUT SWING

What is Swing?

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Swing is both a style of Jazz that developed in the United States during the late 1920s and early 1930s (becoming the dominant popular music of that era) and a rhythm present within that music characterised by splitting a beat into a longer note followed by a shorter note. Some well-known examples are Splanky, T'Ain't What You Do and Flying Home.

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Swing dance is an umbrella term for a set of dances that emerged to fit Swing music. Swing dance is known for being upbeat, flashy and acrobatic, but it has the range to cover slow and sensual tempos where it smoothly blends into Blues dance.

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The cultural dominance of Swing was brought to an end by World War 2 (in particular the taxes levied on dance halls after the conflict) and the advent of Rock and Roll, but the music and dance persisted in the Black American community. The current worldwide swing scene was set in motion in the 1980s, a period in which interest in swing grew significantly in Europe and the USA.

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What is Lindy Hop?

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Lindy Hop is a partnered dance that was created in Harlem, New York by Black American dancers during the Swing era. It was traditionally danced to Big Band Jazz music and evolved from dances such as the Charleston, Tap dance and the Breakaway. ​The name "Lindy Hop" is taken from Charles Lindbergh, as a result of his making the first non-stop flight from New York to Paris in 1927.

 

The dance is closely associated with the Savoy Ballroom (now closed), and Whitey's Lindy Hoppers, a legendary performance group featuring Frankie Manning, Norma Miller, Al Minns and Leon James amongst many others. You can see their work in this famous sequence from Hellzapoppin' (1941).

 

Don't let the acrobatics scare you though! While modern dancers certainly try to emulate their work, the average dancefloor is much more sedate. The modern Swing dance scene remains in awe of their achievements.