About Swing
What is Swing Dancing?
Great question! Swing dancing actually refers to a group of dances that largely originate from Harlem, New York but also other parts of America. It was created and innovated by Black African-Americans in a time of significant racial segregation. It was made famous in the Savoy Ballroom, which was the first integrated dance hall in America, in 1923. The dance grew alongside the music of the time, which was swing and jazz music of the 1920s to the late 1940s. (Check out some tunes here!) One of the best parts of swing dancing is that “swinging” feeling - you’re grooving with the music and having the best time dancing with your partner. You can create this feeling for yourself too - solo dancing!
Swing dances are social dances and thanks to the mass popularisation in Sweden > Europe in the ’80s, it is danced all over the world once more! If you’re travelling overseas, jump online and find the local community! If you’re ready to take things up a notch there are competitions here in Australia and all over the world as well. There are also massive swing dance camps where you can go to learn and also meet wonderful people to dance the night away with! (Check our resources page for more information.)
The most well-known dance is Lindy Hop, but once you get to know some of the other styles you’ll love them too! Below, you can find information on the various styles of swing dance.
We offer all of these, so you can try them all!
What is Lindy Hop?
Lindy Hop is a type of swing dance from the swing and jazz era. It originated in Harlem, New York. It is a partner dance style all about rhythm, improvisation, and having a good time! Competitive performances and showcases of Lindy Hop often have dips and flips, but on the social dance floor, it is a lot more relaxed. It can be slow and playful, or incredibly fast with amazing acrobatics (‘air steps’ or ‘aerials’).
Either way, this dance is all about connecting with your partner and the music. We take inspiration from the pioneers of Lindy Hop of the jazz era, and well as contemporary dancers today. Check some of them out below!
Lindy Hop ancestor to a huge number of later dances such as jive, rock-n-roll and even break-dancing. It is, arguably, the most well-known swing dance because during the resurgence of Lindy Hop in the 1980’s many of the original dancers (Frankie Manning, Norma Miller, Al Minns, Pepsi Bethel, George and Sugar Sullivan) were still alive to teach and perform it (unlike other styles such as Collegiate Shag).
There are thousands of clips online and there are plenty of archive clips of authentic Lindy Hop (look here - “the inventor” of the dance, George Snowden) such as the clip below. It is one of the most famous Swing Dance clips of all time; a a clip from the 1941 film Hellzapoppin’. It features the group “Whitey’s Lindy Hoppers” and here we can see; William Downes & Frances “Mickey” Jones (0:39). Billy Ricker & Norma Miller (1:09). Al Minns & Willa Mae Ricker (1:29). Frankie Manning & Ann Johnson (1:55)
What is Balboa?
Balboa is a type of swing dance that originated in Southern California in the late 20s and 30s. It shares some roots with Collegiate Shag. It’s all about rhythm, fancy footwork and connection with your partner. It has a more upright stance, closer embrace and much smaller steps; all of which grew out of necessity, to allow for dancing in packed ballrooms. Coincidentally, it also makes it perfect for dancing to fast music! It can also be danced more slowly though as well - a style referred to as “slow balboa”.
Below is one of the famous Balboa dance scenes, The Venice Beach Clip. There’s also a little bit of Shag in there. See if you can pick it!
What is Charleston?
Ohhh… Trick question! There are actually two different kinds! There is the iconic 20’s style Charleston, made famous by Gatsby, with flapper dressers, champagne, fringe and dapper outfits and the later 30’s/40’s style. The music changed, clothing changed - so the dance did too!
The 20’s style is mainly known as a solo dance, but it can be danced with a partner as well! It can be incredibly energetic and comedic. Check it out –
And the 30’s/40’s style which can be danced solo, side-by-side and in tandem is in these clips –
What is Collegiate Shag?
Collegiate Shag is a partnered swing dance that originated in the late 1920s roughly around the same region as Balboa! (Did you spot it in the Venice Beach Clip?). “Shag” has different variations/stylings depending on the geographic origin. What we know as Collegiate Shag is a dance that originated with college kids during the jazz and swing era – usually a 6-count dance with quick and flashy footwork and a chugging rhythm. BUT! It doesn’t always have to be fast! Social shag dancing can be done in a relaxed and comfortable way, so you can shag all night! 😉
If you are curious for more shag history, there is also Carolina and St. Louis Shag.
What is historical (vernacular) solo jazz?
So, this is at the end of the page, but this is MOST DEFINITELY not a reflection on its importance!
The Charleston, Shim Sham, Tranky Do – if you’re familiar with these famous routines, well they are all kinds of solo dancing! Solo dancing was done alongside partnered dancing as it is great fun, but also excellent for improving your partnered dancing! All the great swing dancers believe that it is important to dance with yourself just as much as with a partner and we couldn’t agree more!
We currently don’t run regular solo jazz classes so keep an eye out for our Swinging Sundays!