Lindy hop today
Encyclopedia
Closed position
In partner dancing, closed position is a category of positions in which partners hold each other while facing at least approximately toward each other....
and open position
Open position
In partner dancing, open position refers to positions in which partners are connected primarily at the hands as opposed to closer body contact, as in closed position. The connection is through the hands, wrists, and fingers, and relies heavily on frame and the compression and tension of both...
and is clearly related to the Charleston
Charleston (dance)
The Charleston is a dance named for the harbor city of Charleston, South Carolina. The rhythm was popularized in mainstream dance music in the United States by a 1923 tune called "The Charleston" by composer/pianist James P. Johnson which originated in the Broadway show Runnin' Wild and became one...
. It is the most popular swing dance in most swing dancing communities, and its revival in the 1980s has since seen local communities develop in many cities.
International scenes
While the United StatesUnited States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
is home to the largest number of lindy hoppers in the world, there are also communities throughout Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
(including Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
, the Czech Republic
Czech Republic
The Czech Republic is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Poland to the northeast, Slovakia to the east, Austria to the south, and Germany to the west and northwest....
, Denmark
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
, Estonia
Estonia
Estonia , officially the Republic of Estonia , is a state in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by the Gulf of Finland, to the west by the Baltic Sea, to the south by Latvia , and to the east by Lake Peipsi and the Russian Federation . Across the Baltic Sea lies...
, Finland
Finland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
, Hungary
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
, Iceland
Iceland
Iceland , described as the Republic of Iceland, is a Nordic and European island country in the North Atlantic Ocean, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Iceland also refers to the main island of the country, which contains almost all the population and almost all the land area. The country has a population...
, Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, Lithuania
Lithuania
Lithuania , officially the Republic of Lithuania is a country in Northern Europe, the biggest of the three Baltic states. It is situated along the southeastern shore of the Baltic Sea, whereby to the west lie Sweden and Denmark...
, Luxembourg
Luxembourg
Luxembourg , officially the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg , is a landlocked country in western Europe, bordered by Belgium, France, and Germany. It has two principal regions: the Oesling in the North as part of the Ardennes massif, and the Gutland in the south...
, the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
, Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
, Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
, Ukraine
Ukraine
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...
, the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
, Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
, Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
, and Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
), Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, the Asia-Pacific region (including Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
and New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
, China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
, Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, South Korea
South Korea
The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
, Malaysia, Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
, and Vietnam
Vietnam
Vietnam – sometimes spelled Viet Nam , officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam – is the easternmost country on the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by China to the north, Laos to the northwest, Cambodia to the southwest, and the South China Sea –...
), and South America
South America
South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...
(including Argentina
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
and Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
). The small village of Herräng
Herräng
Herräng is the northernmost locality in Norrtälje Municipality, Stockholm County, Sweden with 443 inhabitants in 2005. It is located along the coast at the bay Singöfjärden, 40 kilometres north of the municipal seat Norrtälje....
in Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
(north of Stockholm
Stockholm
Stockholm is the capital and the largest city of Sweden and constitutes the most populated urban area in Scandinavia. Stockholm is the most populous city in Sweden, with a population of 851,155 in the municipality , 1.37 million in the urban area , and around 2.1 million in the metropolitan area...
) has unofficially become the international mecca of Lindy Hop due to the twenty-nine-year-old annual Herräng Dance Camp
Herräng Dance Camp
Herräng Dance Camp is the largest annual dance camp that focuses on African American jazz dances such as Lindy Hop, boogie woogie, tap, authentic jazz, and balboa...
run by the Harlem Hot Shots.
Culture
Despite the cultural and social differences between local communities, lindy hoppers have much in common. They not only share specific dance forms, but also dance cultures. There is great enthusiasm for social dancing in most lindy hop communities (with of course allowance for regional variation), and lindy hoppers are often keen travellers. The lindy exchangeLindy exchange
A lindy exchange is a gathering of lindy hop dancers in one city for several days to experience the dance venues and styles of that local community and to dance with visitors and locals alike...
culture which developed in the United States and Canada, coupled with a European enthusiasm for holiday camps has seen the development of many large events held throughout the world, which not only attract local dancers but also visitors from other communities. There is a strong culture of hospitality
Hospitality
Hospitality is the relationship between guest and host, or the act or practice of being hospitable. Specifically, this includes the reception and entertainment of guests, visitors, or strangers, resorts, membership clubs, conventions, attractions, special events, and other services for travelers...
in lindy hop culture today.
This emphasis on travel is encouraged and facilitated by the preponderance of online communication in lindy hop culture. Many Internet forums have emerged in local lindy hop scenes. These message boards serve to provide information to dancers about Lindy Hop and dance events in the geographic area. Yehoodi
Yehoodi
Yehoodi was founded in September 1998 by Manu Smith and Frank Dellario. Its central feature is a popular Internet forum currently staffed by six volunteer administrators. Yehoodi.com is one of the oldest and most frequented swing dance community websites online today...
has become the largest of these and now caters to an international audience, although many smaller local forums also exist. Local swing dance related internet forums often reflect the local variations in scenes' cultures and dancing. Because swing dancers travel to dance quite regularly, internet forums are an important medium for communication between local scenes, and for dancers visiting a particular city or country.
Music
While lindy hop developed as a response to swing jazz in the 1920s and 30s, its popularity today can be largely attributed to the popularity of neo swing music of the swing revivalSwing Revival
The Swing Revival was a late 1990s and early 2000s period of renewed popular interest in swing and jump blues music and dance from the 1930s and 1940s as exemplified by Louis Prima, often mixed with a more contemporary rock, rockabilly or ska sound, known also as neo-swing or retro...
in the late 1990s and early 2000s. As swing jazz is not the popular music of the twenty first century, and jazz and its cousin blues
Blues
Blues is the name given to both a musical form and a music genre that originated in African-American communities of primarily the "Deep South" of the United States at the end of the 19th century from spirituals, work songs, field hollers, shouts and chants, and rhymed simple narrative ballads...
have themselves undergone significant changes since the original 'swing era', there are ongoing discussions within the lindy hop community about the types of music which best suit the dance.
Lindy hop is frequently danced to a range of music beyond swing jazz, including blues
Blues
Blues is the name given to both a musical form and a music genre that originated in African-American communities of primarily the "Deep South" of the United States at the end of the 19th century from spirituals, work songs, field hollers, shouts and chants, and rhymed simple narrative ballads...
, rhythm and blues
Rhythm and blues
Rhythm and blues, often abbreviated to R&B, is a genre of popular African American music that originated in the 1940s. The term was originally used by record companies to describe recordings marketed predominantly to urban African Americans, at a time when "urbane, rocking, jazz based music with a...
, jump blues
Jump blues
Jump blues is an up-tempo blues usually played by small groups and featuring horns. It was very popular in the 1940s, and the movement was a precursor to the arrival of rhythm and blues and rock and roll...
, jazz, groove, soul
Soul music
Soul music is a music genre originating in the United States combining elements of gospel music and rhythm and blues. According to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, soul is "music that arose out of the black experience in America through the transmutation of gospel and rhythm & blues into a form of...
and hip hop
Hip hop music
Hip hop music, also called hip-hop, rap music or hip-hop music, is a musical genre consisting of a stylized rhythmic music that commonly accompanies rapping, a rhythmic and rhyming speech that is chanted...
, as well as rockabilly and country in the American South and Southeast.
Despite these differences in taste, lindy hop is historically and practically associated with artists such as Duke Ellington
Duke Ellington
Edward Kennedy "Duke" Ellington was an American composer, pianist, and big band leader. Ellington wrote over 1,000 compositions...
, Count Basie
Count Basie
William "Count" Basie was an American jazz pianist, organist, bandleader, and composer. Basie led his jazz orchestra almost continuously for nearly 50 years...
, Ella Fitzgerald
Ella Fitzgerald
Ella Jane Fitzgerald , also known as the "First Lady of Song" and "Lady Ella," was an American jazz and song vocalist...
, Benny Goodman
Benny Goodman
Benjamin David “Benny” Goodman was an American jazz and swing musician, clarinetist and bandleader; widely known as the "King of Swing".In the mid-1930s, Benny Goodman led one of the most popular musical groups in America...
, Chick Webb
Chick Webb
William Henry Webb, usually known as Chick Webb was an American jazz and swing music drummer as well as a band leader.-Biography:...
, Lionel Hampton
Lionel Hampton
Lionel Leo Hampton was an American jazz vibraphonist, pianist, percussionist, bandleader and actor. Like Red Norvo, he was one of the first jazz vibraphone players. Hampton ranks among the great names in jazz history, having worked with a who's who of jazz musicians, from Benny Goodman and Buddy...
and so on. Lindy hoppers are particularly fond of big band
Big band
A big band is a type of musical ensemble associated with jazz and the Swing Era typically consisting of rhythm, brass, and woodwind instruments totaling approximately twelve to twenty-five musicians...
arrangements by and featuring these (and other) musicians.
Live music is still very popular with lindy hoppers, and many dancers have formed close relationships with local artists in their own communities. Newer artists such as George Gee (bandleader)
George Gee (bandleader)
George Gee is a Chinese-American swing big-band leader. Born in New York City, he grew up with a fascination in the big band music of the 1930s and '40s. In 1980, he founded the retro 17-piece George Gee Swing Orchestra . In 1998, he formed the ten-piece Jump, Jive, and Wailers...
and the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra have proved particularly popular with lindy hoppers. Despite this relationship with live music, recorded music, DJed by dancers, is the most popular musical medium for lindy hoppers today. DJing itself has assumed great significance in lindy hop culture, with dancers and DJs alike hotly debating which types of music should be played, and when. The SwingDJs discussion board http://www.swingdjs.com is a clear example of an online community within the lindy hop community which has developed solely around the playing of music for dancing lindy hop.
Local influences
Lindy hop as it is danced today varies not only between local scenes through the influence of local cultures and teachers, but as individual dancers model their movements on the styles of influential dancers of both contemporary and past eras. These historical influences may include the African American lindy hoppers of the Savoy Ballroom (including Frankie ManningFrankie Manning
Frankie Manning was an American dancer, instructor and choreographer. Manning is considered one of the founding fathers of the Lindy Hop.-Early years:...
and the Whitey's Lindy Hoppers
Whitey's Lindy Hoppers
Whitey's Lindy Hoppers was a professional performing group of Savoy Ballroom swing dancers, started in 1935 by Herbert "Whitey" White. The group took on many different forms, with up to 12 different groups performing under this name or one of a number of different names used for the group over the...
), white dancers from the west coast (including Dean Collins
Dean Collins
Dean Collins was an American dancer, instructor, choreographer, and innovator of swing. He is often credited with bringing swing dance, or Lindy Hop, from New York to Southern California...
and Jewel McGowan
Jewel McGowan
Jewel McGowan was a dancer of Lindy Hop, a form of swing dance, in the 1940s and 1950s. She is known among dance aficionados as the frequent partner of dancer Dean Collins. Jewel was considered by her fellow Los Angeles dancers to be the best female swing dancer who ever lived. In addition to their...
), or dancers from even more specific periods in history.
The 'style wars' of the 1990s and early 2000s (where lindy hoppers debated the relative merits of different eras and dancers) resulted in terms such as Savoy-Style Lindy Hop
Savoy-style Lindy Hop
Savoy-style Lindy Hop is a contemporary term used to describe Lindy Hop as danced by African American dancers at the Savoy Ballroom in Harlem in the 1930s and 1940s. It has been used in contrast with the terms 'Hollywood-style Lindy Hop' or 'Smooth-Style Lindy Hop', popularly associated with Dean...
(generally associated with original New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
African American dancers) and Hollywood-Style Lindy Hop
Hollywood-style Lindy Hop
Hollywood-style Lindy Hop is a variety of Lindy Hop, an American vernacular dance. It is also sometimes referred to as Dean Collins or Smooth-style, but these terms also sometimes refer to different styles of Lindy Hop....
(based on the Lindy Hop of white dancers in Hollywood films). The current international lindy hop community recognises a far greater diversity not only in lindy hop styles than is accounted for by these two terms, but also in swing dances more generally.
Lindy hop today is not only influenced by historic dance forms, but also by popular contemporary dances and music such as soul
Soul music
Soul music is a music genre originating in the United States combining elements of gospel music and rhythm and blues. According to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, soul is "music that arose out of the black experience in America through the transmutation of gospel and rhythm & blues into a form of...
, groove, funk
Funk
Funk is a music genre that originated in the mid-late 1960s when African American musicians blended soul music, jazz and R&B into a rhythmic, danceable new form of music. Funk de-emphasizes melody and harmony and brings a strong rhythmic groove of electric bass and drums to the foreground...
, hip hop
Hip hop music
Hip hop music, also called hip-hop, rap music or hip-hop music, is a musical genre consisting of a stylized rhythmic music that commonly accompanies rapping, a rhythmic and rhyming speech that is chanted...
, West Coast Swing
West Coast Swing
West Coast Swing is a partner dance with roots in Lindy Hop. It is characterized by a distinctive elastic look that results from its basic extension-compression technique of partner connection, and is danced primarily in a slotted area on the dance floor...
and salsa
Salsa (dance)
Salsa is a syncretic dance form with origins in Cuba as the meeting point of Spanish and African cultures.Salsa is normally a partner dance, although there are recognized solo forms such as solo dancing "suelta" and "Rueda de Casino" where multiple couples exchange partners in a circle...
while others explore jazz
Jazz dance
Jazz dance is a classification shared by a broad range of dance styles. Before the 1950s, jazz dance referred to dance styles that originated from African American vernacular dance. In the 1950s, a new genre of jazz dance—modern jazz dance—emerged, with roots in Caribbean traditional dance...
, tap
Tap dance
Tap dance is a form of dance characterized by using the sound of one's tap shoes hitting the floor as a percussive instrument. As such, it is also commonly considered to be a form of music. Two major variations on tap dance exist: rhythm tap and Broadway tap. Broadway tap focuses more on the...
, blues
Blues dance
Blues dancing is a modern term used to describe a family of historical dances that developed alongside and were danced to blues music, or the contemporary dances that are danced in that aesthetic...
and other traditional jazz and African American
African American
African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
dances as resources to expand and enrich lindy hop.
Types of lindy
Many dancers with an interest in lindy hop as a historical dance insist that social dancing is essential to developing the skills of an accomplished dancer. These dancers frequently cite Frankie Manning's insistence that his dance troupes social dance every night as well as train for performances, in order to maintain their dancing at its highest level.Lindy hop today, however, is danced as a social dance
Social dance
Social dance is a major category or classification of danceforms or dance styles, where sociability and socializing are the primary focuses of the dancing...
, as a competitive dance
Competitive dance
Competitive dance is a popular, widespread activity in which competitors perform dances in any of several permitted dance styles—such as acro, ballet, jazz, hip-hop, lyrical, modern, and tap—before a common group of judges...
, as a performance dance and in classes and workshops.
In each, partners may dance alone or together, with improvisation
Improvisation
Improvisation is the practice of acting, singing, talking and reacting, of making and creating, in the moment and in response to the stimulus of one's immediate environment and inner feelings. This can result in the invention of new thought patterns, new practices, new structures or symbols, and/or...
a central part of social dancing and many performance and competition pieces. Solo sequences in Lindy Hop are sometimes executed as part of a partner dance when one or both of the partner initiates a "breakaway" causing the partners to separate their connection and dance solo with each other using (if at all) visual lead and follow cues. These sequences may include charleston
Charleston (dance)
The Charleston is a dance named for the harbor city of Charleston, South Carolina. The rhythm was popularized in mainstream dance music in the United States by a 1923 tune called "The Charleston" by composer/pianist James P. Johnson which originated in the Broadway show Runnin' Wild and became one...
moves, traditional jazz moves (such as boogie steps, Shorty George, Suzie Q, etcetera) and contemporary jazz and modern dance movements.
Choreographed routines are frequently danced on the social floor as well as in competitions, performances and classes, with some of the most famous examples including:
- Shim Sham
- Dean Collins Shim Sham
- Jitterbug StrollJitterbug StrollThe Jitterbug Stroll is a swing line dance choreographed in 1992 by Ryan Francois, a Lindy Hop dancer and teacher. Ryan Francois is the creator of The Jitterbug Stroll and it saddens him to see someone teaching the wrong steps in the wrong timing and worst, posting it on You Tube...
- Lindy Chorus
- Big AppleBig Apple (dance)The Big Apple is both a partner dance and a circle dance that originated in the Afro-American community of the United States in the beginning of the 20th century.- Origin :...
- Tranky DooTranky DooThe Tranky Doo is a Jazz Dance choreography. It was choreographed by Frankie Manning and first appeared at the Savoy Ballroom in Harlem during the 1940s ....
- First Stops
Social dancing
Etiquette and traditions
Social lindy hop dancing varies in each city and country, with each local scene having its own unique dance etiquetteDance etiquette
Dance etiquette are the conventional rules which govern the social behavior of dance by its participants. Such rules include the way in which the participants should look and the way in which they approach, dance with and leave their partner...
and social conventions.
Generally, lindy hop is danced by a lead and follow
Lead and follow (dance)
In partner dancing, the two dance partners are never equal. One must be the Lead and the other will be the Follow.The Lead is responsible for choosing appropriate steps to suit the music , and leading the Follow by hand pressure and signals to complete the chosen steps smoothly and safely...
partnership, with the lead most frequently being a man, and the follow being a woman. This gender
Gender
Gender is a range of characteristics used to distinguish between males and females, particularly in the cases of men and women and the masculine and feminine attributes assigned to them. Depending on the context, the discriminating characteristics vary from sex to social role to gender identity...
ing is not essential - men are as capable of dancing the follow role as women, and vice versa. In many local scenes women often feel more comfortable dancing with other women, though there are frequently wider social and cultural conventions which discourage men from dancing together.
Dance floor etiquette varies in each scene, where, for example, one scene may encourage men to ask women to dance; another encourage advanced dancers to ask beginners; and, in a third, only friends ask each other to dance. In some scenes it is considered rude to leave a partner without having a second dance, while in many scenes there are unspoken conventions about teachers dancing with students, more experienced dancers dancing with beginners, and so on. There are no consistent rules between local scenes, though there are often national or international patterns.
Social lindy hop not only involves partners dancing unchoreographed dances, but also a range of other traditions and activities. Jam circles, are a tradition dating back to the 1930s and earlier in African American vernacular dance
African American vernacular dance
African-American cultural dance has developed within African American communities in everyday spaces, rather than in studios, schools or companies. These dances are usually centered on folk and social dance practice, though performance dance often supply complementary aspects to this...
culture, and have much in common with musical cutting contest
Cutting contest
Cutting contests were a form of musical battles between various stride piano players between the 1920s and 1940s, and to a lesser extent in improvisatory competition on other jazz instruments during the swing era...
s in jazz. Malcolm X
Malcolm X
Malcolm X , born Malcolm Little and also known as El-Hajj Malik El-Shabazz , was an African American Muslim minister and human rights activist. To his admirers he was a courageous advocate for the rights of African Americans, a man who indicted white America in the harshest terms for its...
describes 'jam circles' in his autobiography as a loose circle forming around a couple or individual whose dancing was so impressive it captured the attention of dancers around them, who would stop and watch, cheering and clapping. This tradition continues in most lindy hop communities today, with other couples interrupting, joining, or replacing the original couple in the cleared 'circle'. Dancers usually leave or enter at the end of a musical phrase.
Traditionally, these jams are spontaneous and unchoreographed, though many jams are planned, as a conventional expectation (such as fast final songs in a song set), or as a recurring event at venue to show off moves that might be more dangerous on a crowded social floor. The latter situation may also include choreographed routines.
The jam format is often used to celebrate a special event (a birthday, engagement, wedding, etc.), to welcome a visitor or to farewell a local. These jams are often announced by the DJ or MC, the focus dancer or couple begin in a cleared circle, with other dancers gathering to clap and cheer. These watching dancers will 'cut in' or 'steal' one of the partners in a couple, or the 'special' dancer to dance with them in the circle until they are in turn replaced.
Events
Social dancing events run by dancers are diverse and vary in duration, theme and venues between local communities. Dancers usually distinguish between regular events or 'after-class' practice sessions, dancing to live bands at 'public' events not run by dancers(known as "Lindy Bombing", in which a group of dancers shows up at an event not originally intended as a dance event) and special 'dances' or the more formal ballBall (dance)
A ball is a formal dance. The word 'ball' is derived from the Latin word "ballare", meaning 'to dance'; the term also derived into "bailar", which is the Spanish and Portuguese word for dance . In Catalan it is the same word, 'ball', for the dance event.Attendees wear evening attire, which is...
. Social dancing events may be held as part of a lindy exchange
Lindy exchange
A lindy exchange is a gathering of lindy hop dancers in one city for several days to experience the dance venues and styles of that local community and to dance with visitors and locals alike...
or camp, or be regular parts of the scene's calendar. Live bands frequently provide the opportunities for social dancing in many new or small scenes, and attract groups of dancers attending gig
Gig (musical performance)
Gig is slang for a musical engagement in which musicians are hired. Originally coined in the 1920s by jazz musicians, the term, short for the word "engagement", now refers to any aspect of performing such as assisting with performance and attending musical performance...
s at local bars or clubs to dance socially.
Social, dancer-run lindy hop dances are held in a range of spaces, from private parties to church and town halls, bars, gymnasiums, university halls, night clubs, pub function rooms, and any other space with enough room for a dance floor. Individual events may attract anywhere from ten to a thousand dancers, and may run from as little as half an hour to all night.
Music may be provided by DJs, by live bands, or by music left to play unattended on a sound system, depending on the local scene's conventions and the nature of that particular event. DJs and bands may play a range of music from the 1920s to today, tending to concentrate on big band
Big band
A big band is a type of musical ensemble associated with jazz and the Swing Era typically consisting of rhythm, brass, and woodwind instruments totaling approximately twelve to twenty-five musicians...
music from the 1930s and 1940s. Live bands play a wide variety of music for lindy hoppers, from big band standards and blues
Blues
Blues is the name given to both a musical form and a music genre that originated in African-American communities of primarily the "Deep South" of the United States at the end of the 19th century from spirituals, work songs, field hollers, shouts and chants, and rhymed simple narrative ballads...
to original compositions. There are ongoing debates about the types of music most appropriate for lindy hop and other swing dances, with the discussions focussing on whether the music should be historically accurate (i.e. matching a dance style with the popular music of the day) or include other musical styles and forms.
Social dances attract dancers from a range of ages and backgrounds, and dress may range from rigorously 'vintage' or historically accurate to a particular 'swing era' (1920s, 30s, 40s, 50s, etc.) to casual sports or street wear, again depending on local culture and the event itself.
Performance dancing
Aerial (dance move)
An aerial is a dance move in Lindy Hop where one's feet leave the floor. The term has come to mean a wide range of special and unusual dance moves, including dips, slides, and tricks....
steps for which it is perhaps most famous. Contemporary lindy hoppers often recreate or perform historical choreographed routines found in films or taught by 'swing era' dancers such as Frankie Manning. The most well known of these include the Lindy Chorus, the Hellzapoppin routine from the film Hellzapoppin'
Hellzapoppin' (film)
Hellzapoppin' is a 1941 Universal Pictures adaptation of the musical of the same name directed by H.C. Potter. The cast includes Ole Olsen and Chic Johnson , Martha Raye, Mischa Auer, Shemp Howard, and The Six Hits.The credits for the movie assert that "any resemblance between Hellzapoppin and a...
(1941) and the Big Apple
Big Apple (dance)
The Big Apple is both a partner dance and a circle dance that originated in the Afro-American community of the United States in the beginning of the 20th century.- Origin :...
from the film Keep Punching (1939).
Performances are often held at social dancing events as part of a brief floor show, often to showcase a visiting teacher, a local troupe or to display a particular dance style. Solo performances and performances by couples are as important as troupes, and performances of all types are often integrated into a social dancing event rather than held as separate events. There are exceptions to this, with The Rhythm Hot Shots
The Rhythm Hot Shots
The Hot Shots is a collective name for two closely related Swedish dance companies based in Stockholm, Sweden: The Rhythm Hot Shots and the Harlem Hot Shots. The Hot Shots specialize in faithful reproductions of African-American dance scenes in American films from the 1920s, 30s, and 40s...
touring internationally and holding swing dance
Swing (dance)
"Swing dance" is a group of dances that developed with the swing style of jazz music in the 1920s-1950s, although the earliest of these dances predate swing jazz music. The best known of these dances is the Lindy Hop, a popular partner dance that originated in Harlem and is still danced today...
shows as part of a teaching tour.
Lindy hop dance schools and clubs frequently include a performance troupe, with membership in these troupes determined by a range of factors, from general auditions, by invitation, as a prerequisite for a teaching position with a school or to display a rare dancing skill or style.
Performance groups that had an impact on the development of Lindy Hop include the following:
- Whitey's Lindy HoppersWhitey's Lindy HoppersWhitey's Lindy Hoppers was a professional performing group of Savoy Ballroom swing dancers, started in 1935 by Herbert "Whitey" White. The group took on many different forms, with up to 12 different groups performing under this name or one of a number of different names used for the group over the...
(aka Harlem Congaroos, Hot Chocolates, the Big Apple Dancers), New York CityNew York CityNew York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, founded in 1935 - The Rhythm Hot ShotsThe Rhythm Hot ShotsThe Hot Shots is a collective name for two closely related Swedish dance companies based in Stockholm, Sweden: The Rhythm Hot Shots and the Harlem Hot Shots. The Hot Shots specialize in faithful reproductions of African-American dance scenes in American films from the 1920s, 30s, and 40s...
, from SwedenSwedenSweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
, founded in 1985, now called the Harlem Hot Shots. The Hot Shots have been a major driving force in the worldwide revival of Lindy Hop from the 1980s onward.
Lindy hop performance troupes are often quite different to a professional modern dance or ballet company. They are usually amateur groups, their members may vary in experience and ability, and they often serve as promotional vehicles for lindy hop schools and clubs.
Lindy hop's nature as a predominantly social dance with its roots as a self-learned vernacular dance, combined with the comparative lack of experts, resources, and public demand in many local communities also contribute to its differences. As does the fact that most lindy hoppers come to the dance in the twenties or late teens, rather than as children who train for many years before joining performance groups.
Reasons to form or be in such a troupe vary, but usually belong to one or more of the following categories:
- Artistic reasons (pursuing the art of dancing, and the continuous artistic expression through jazz dance and lindy hop),
- Commercial reasons (to perform at paid "gigs" - essentially continuing the tradition of VaudevilleVaudevilleVaudeville was a theatrical genre of variety entertainment in the United States and Canada from the early 1880s until the early 1930s. Each performance was made up of a series of separate, unrelated acts grouped together on a common bill...
and supplying entertainment for those who pay for it), - Competition (to compete with a selected team, set choreographies and test one's skills versus other dance teams)
- Practice (to enhance the dancers of the participating dancers, work on new materials or engage in dance movement that is not possible on the social dance floor - such as aerials or other moves that require pre-arranged agreement between the dancers/partners)
- Pleasure (in performing or dancing)
- Promotion (for a particular lindy hop school or club, or to encourage people to take up the dance)
Competition dancing
Competitions have a long history in lindy hop, from the informal dance rivalries carried out in jam circles and on the social dance floor, to more formal competitions such as the Harvest Moon Ball competitions of the 1920s and 30s, where Shorty George SnowdenGeorge Snowden
"Shorty" George Snowden was an African American dancer in Harlem during the 1920s and 1930s. He is popularly credited with coining the name "Lindy Hop" for a popular partner swing dance of the day...
is popularly attributed with naming the dance. Today, lindy hop competitions vary in form and intent, from lindy hop categories in ballroom dancing and dancesport
DanceSport
Dancesport denotes competitive ballroom dancing, as contrasted to social or exhibition dancing. It is wheelchair dancesport where at least one of the dancers is in a wheelchair....
competition, to 'national' events run by particular schools or dancing associations, to competitions held as part of a camp or exchange weekend, to small and informal competitions in local communities.
There are ongoing discussions and debates about the relevance of competitions in lindy hop culture, from criticisms that formal, showcase type events encourage a movement away from the improvised spontaneity and energy of lindy hop as a vernacular dance, to arguments that competitions hone dancing and performance skills. Whichever position a dancer takes on the issue, it is suffice to say that different competition forms and specific events develop different dancing skills and serve different social, political and economic purposes.
There are a range of competition types, and competition nights frequently feature categories in each of the following styles. There are some exceptions, such as the Hellzapoppin' competition, which only features the 'no-rules' competition format.
Almost all of these competitions are couple dances, though some involve elements of solo dancing.
Many lindy hop competitions distinguish between professional and amateur dancers, include invitation-only categories, offer cash prizes and are judged by well respected lindy hop dancers. Most are not regulated by any national or international body.
Jack and Jill
Jack and Jill competitions imitate social dancing. Dancers enter as individuals, as either a 'jack' (leader) or 'jill' (follower). Most competitions do not dictate jills be female or jacks male. There are, however, 'jack and jack' and 'jill and jill' competitions where men and women are paired separately. Entrants are paired with partners randomly and then dance to music (whose duration varies). They are then allocated another random partner. Jack and Jill competitions vary in strict format, with some ending at this point, and judges awarding points for performances to that stage. Many Jack and Jills often continue, with dancers paired with a third partner (or remaining with their second) for the remaining rounds of the competition.Partners dance to different tempo and style songs, either in 'all skates' where all dancers are on the floor, or 'shines' (also known as 'phrase battles') where couples take to the floor alone, usually at phrase-long intervals.
Entrants are judged on their ability to 'lead' and 'follow', though criteria and judging style and importance vary between competitions and scenes.
Showcase
Entrants in showcase competitions perform choreographed performance routines. Showcases can be for pairs or groups (though usually not in the same competition), can involve pairings of 'amateur' and 'professional' dancers (pro-am), and can be judged by any combination of criteria.No-rules
The 2000s have seen the increasing popularity of lindy hop competitions 'without rules'. The Hellzapoppin' competition, named for the film Hellzapoppin'Hellzapoppin' (film)
Hellzapoppin' is a 1941 Universal Pictures adaptation of the musical of the same name directed by H.C. Potter. The cast includes Ole Olsen and Chic Johnson , Martha Raye, Mischa Auer, Shemp Howard, and The Six Hits.The credits for the movie assert that "any resemblance between Hellzapoppin and a...
, was held for the first time in 2002 and coordinated by the American Institute of Vernacular Jazz Dance. It was originally designed as an alternative to the strictly regulated and ruled 'showcase' type competitions which dominated the lindy hop competition culture at that time. These were frequently run by competitive or performance dance organisations such as Dancesport
DanceSport
Dancesport denotes competitive ballroom dancing, as contrasted to social or exhibition dancing. It is wheelchair dancesport where at least one of the dancers is in a wheelchair....
or by dancing academies who did not emphasise or promote social lindy hop dancing. The no-rules style competition was presented as an alternative to these formal competitions, and were designed to emphasise social dancing skills and some references to the vernacular dance tradition of Lindy Hop.
The 'no-rules' approach was just that - any dance move or style was allowed - again a reaction to the heavily codified showcase style competitions. Despite this 'no-rules' mandate, couples are frequently disadvantaged if they use extensive choreography in their performance. No-rule competitions often involve some degree of audience approval judging.
These competitions usually involve the turn-taking and shine/all-skate formats described in the Jack and Jill section, though in a range of combinations. While they may also be invitation-only, they are frequently open to all competitors, from all experience levels.
Despite the emphasis on partner dancing in these sorts of competitions, there is often much interaction between competitors and between the audience and competitors, frequently in the employment of comic devices (such as "silly walks" or impersonations) or showy and physically impressive "stunt" moves such as aerial
Aerial (dance move)
An aerial is a dance move in Lindy Hop where one's feet leave the floor. The term has come to mean a wide range of special and unusual dance moves, including dips, slides, and tricks....
s. This type of interaction is typical of the call and response
Call and response (music)
In music, a call and response is a succession of two distinct phrases usually played by different musicians, where the second phrase is heard as a direct commentary on or response to the first...
of West African and African American music and dance. In this call and response, audiences and fellow competitors encourage dancers with cheers, shouts, applause, physical gestures and other feedback.
Major competitions
- World Lindy Hop Championship (a World wide competition with an emphasis on showcase and impovisation organised yearly under the umbrella of the World Rock'n'Roll ConfederationWorld Rock'n'Roll ConfederationWorld Rock'n'Roll Confederation was registered in 1984, although its history traces to 1974. It is an umbrella organization for national professional and amateur Rock and Roll dancesport federations...
) - Hellzapoppin' Lindy Competition (a no-rules competition, held annually in the USA, though with local rounds in countries such as Australia)
- Ultimate Lindy Hop Showdown (an American competition weekend including categories from all competitions styles)
- American Lindy Hop Championship (an American competition with an emphasis on showcase categories)
- Canadian Swing ChampionshipsCanadian Swing ChampionshipsThe Canadian Swing Championships is an annual event held since 2002 to showcase Canadian swing dancing. It is held near Montreal over the Victoria Day weekend...
(a Canadian competition weekend including categories from all competitions styles) - Harvest Moon Ball
- National Jitterbug Championship
- World Jitterbug Championship
Dance movement, moves and patterns
The basic step of lindy hop, a swingout, is the basis of a large number of the traditional lindy hop moves and is done to eight counts of music. While the basic step is generally universally similar, the resurgence on lindy hop in the 1990s lead to two distinctly different styles of the basic step: the "Brooklyn" style and the "smooth" style. In the Brooklyn style of the basic step, the lead leads a follow to take a step back on the first count of the step (similar to the footwork of the basic step in east coastEast Coast Swing
East Coast Swing is a form of social partner dance. It belongs to the group of swing dances. It is danced under fast swing music, including rock and roll and boogie-woogie....
) whereas, in the smooth style, a lead leads the follow to take a step forward on that same first count. From scene to scene, dancers are often familiar with completely different styles, steps, moves, and patterns of lindy hop. When a number of local scenes come together in events such as a lindy exchange
Lindy exchange
A lindy exchange is a gathering of lindy hop dancers in one city for several days to experience the dance venues and styles of that local community and to dance with visitors and locals alike...
, dancers can often be seen exchanging dance moves with one another.
See List of lindy hop moves for a list of lindy hop dance moves.
Partnering technique
Partnering technique is the element of lindy hop which controls the communication of the dancers engaged in the dance - the dance partnersPartner dance
Partner dances are dances whose basic choreography involves coordinated dancing of two partners, as opposed to individuals dancing alone or individually in a non-coordinated manner, and as opposed to groups of people dancing simultaneously in a coordinated manner.In the year 1023 the German poet...
. Partnering technique allows both dancers to lead and follow
Lead and follow (dance)
In partner dancing, the two dance partners are never equal. One must be the Lead and the other will be the Follow.The Lead is responsible for choosing appropriate steps to suit the music , and leading the Follow by hand pressure and signals to complete the chosen steps smoothly and safely...
dance movement, move together, and/or communicate dance ideas to each other either in an open conversation or a call and response structure.
See also: Connection
Connection (dance)
Connection is essential to all partner dancing and is the primary means to communicate synchronized dance movement between the lead and follow. It is especially important in Argentine Tango, Lindy Hop, Balboa, East Coast Swing, West Coast Swing, Salsa, Contra dance, Modern Jive and other styles of...
Dancers at social events usually have a wide range of skill levels, so cooperating with one's partner matters as much as dancing skill. Dancing with a new partner is a study in flexibility and calibration. What can the new partner do? What are his or her limitations? What does he or she like to do? Dancing with a regular partner is an opportunity to play and practice difficult moves, such as aerials (which are dangerous without regular practice).
More important than moves is connection (in simple form, any point of body contact between partners is connection), which allows both partners to communicate. Social dancers are generally concerned about connection, whether their partner "feels good," rather than whether their partner is capable of doing a number of moves in succession. This connection also allows both partners to style with each other and the music, resulting in a totally improvised, musical dance.
Musicality
MusicalityMusicality (dance)
Musicality is a noun that means sensitivity to, knowledge of, or talent for music. The word also refers to the quality or state of being musical A musical person has the ability to perceive differences in pitch, rhythm and harmonies...
is the skill allowing the dancer to create and execute choreography
Choreography
Choreography is the art of designing sequences of movements in which motion, form, or both are specified. Choreography may also refer to the design itself, which is sometimes expressed by means of dance notation. The word choreography literally means "dance-writing" from the Greek words "χορεία" ...
(either prepared in advance or improvised on the spot on the dance floor) to match - and, more significantly, represent the music
Music
Music is an art form whose medium is sound and silence. Its common elements are pitch , rhythm , dynamics, and the sonic qualities of timbre and texture...
- including the melody
Melody
A melody , also tune, voice, or line, is a linear succession of musical tones which is perceived as a single entity...
and the rhythm
Rhythm
Rhythm may be generally defined as a "movement marked by the regulated succession of strong and weak elements, or of opposite or different conditions." This general meaning of regular recurrence or pattern in time may be applied to a wide variety of cyclical natural phenomena having a periodicity or...
.
Dancers with a good sense of musicality respond to all elements of the music to which they are dancing. They may choose to accentuate certain elements to make an artistic statement about the music through movement. When watching dancers with good musicality, viewers should be able to "see" the song in the dancers' movements, so that even without music, the song would still be recognizable through the dance itself. In jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
music, there are many elements in a song to which a dancer could respond. These elements could be the melody, the counter-melody
Counter-melody
In music, counter-melody is a sequence of notes, perceived as a melody, written to be played simultaneously with a more prominent lead melody. Typically a counter-melody performs a subordinate role, and is heard in a texture consisting of a melody plus accompaniment...
, the phrase
Phrase (music)
In music and music theory, phrase and phrasing are concepts and practices related to grouping consecutive melodic notes, both in their composition and performance...
s and break
Break (music)
In popular music, a break is an instrumental or percussion section or interlude during a song derived from or related to stop-time – being a "break" from the main parts of the song or piece....
s in the melody, the beat
Beat (music)
The beat is the basic unit of time in music, the pulse of the mensural level . In popular use, the beat can refer to a variety of related concepts including: tempo, meter, rhythm and groove...
, the back beat
Beat (music)
The beat is the basic unit of time in music, the pulse of the mensural level . In popular use, the beat can refer to a variety of related concepts including: tempo, meter, rhythm and groove...
, the drum
Drum
The drum is a member of the percussion group of musical instruments, which is technically classified as the membranophones. Drums consist of at least one membrane, called a drumhead or drum skin, that is stretched over a shell and struck, either directly with the player's hands, or with a...
s, the bass
Double bass
The double bass, also called the string bass, upright bass, standup bass or contrabass, is the largest and lowest-pitched bowed string instrument in the modern symphony orchestra, with strings usually tuned to E1, A1, D2 and G2...
, the keys of the piano
Piano
The piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
and any other musical or rhythmic components.
Musicality develops slowly over time. New dancers frequently focus on moves independent of the music, whereas more advanced dancers will match their movements to what they hear in the music. In order to dance with musicality a dancer must have a strong sense of rhythm and a good ear for music, as well as a solid base of knowledge about the techniques and basic moves for his or her style of dance.