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Lindy Hop
Born on the streets of
Harlem and associated with the Savoy Ballroom in the late
1920s, the Lindy Hop is known as the original swing dance
and would probably be best described as "partnered jazz
dancing". The dance has no "hop" in it, on
the contrary, it is smooth and solid with a constant
rhythmic 8-count pulse that you "feel in your
bones". As a performance art, Lindy Hop may involve
ensemble dancing, choreographed routines, and acrobatic air
steps.
 The name "Lindy Hop" was inspired by Charles
Lindbergh’s trans-Atlantic solo airplane hop in 1927. Over
the years the dance evolved into different forms and styles
in different regions of the country. In the 1980's it was
given new life as young dancers connected with and learned
from the original dancers.
The core of Lindy Hop is improvisation - you play, you
improvise, you syncopate. Still, the dance does have a
structure with some basic steps, patterns and moves, which
serve as the basis for innovation. It is mostly
characterized by a breakaway move, known as the
"Swing-Out", where the lead sends the follow out
of closed position and allows both of them to improvise solo
steps. Unlike most ballroom dances, where the dancers float
or glide on the floor, Lindy Hop is danced "into the
floor" - it uses a "pulse" that drives and
connects the dancers. Depending on the music, Lindy Hop can
be fast and energetic or smooth and groovy.
Lindy Hop is mostly danced to swing, blues, and jazz music,
but is not limited to these styles. Although Lindy Hop is a
partnered dance it offers a lot of room for individual
expression within the partnership. Both lead and follow
constantly communicate with each other through connection,
movement, timing, harmony, and musicality. It is said that
good Lindy Hop dancing is a perfect balance between
structure and freedom.
Balboa
Originated in
1935 at the Pavilion at Balboa Island in Southern
California, when crowded ballrooms forced dancers to shorten
their steps. Balboa is a fast, 8-count dance where partners
are basically glued together and perform fast footwork but
not much whole-body movement. Can be comfortably danced to
very fast music.
Another popular variation of this dance is known as
Bal-Swing (or Swing-Bal), which includes different
variations, moves and patterns.
Boogie
Woogie
A swing style
which has its roots in the European 6-count style and is
comparable to the US East Coast style. Boogie Woogie is
famous for its fast, smooth and tricky footwork. In
Competitions Boogie Woogie is danced to original music of
the late 40ies and 50ies with emphasis on an improvised
interpretation of the music without a fixed choreography.
East Coast Swing
A descendant of Lindy
Hop/Jitterbug swing. Mostly 6 count rhythms.
West
Coast Swing (also known as Whip or
Push)
A slower
swing dance done to rhythm and blues music which can also be
danced to disco, house, rock, and country and western. This
dance stays in a "slot" which means that the
follower travels back and forth on a straight line. The
steps usually have 6, 8, 10, or 12 counts and offer a great
deal of customization and stylistic variation. In Texas,
there is a version of West Coast Swing called Whip (it's
called Push in Dallas) that is popular.
Imperial
Swing
Native to St.
Louis. So called because it was nurtured in the Imperial
Dance Club on Florissant Street in St. Louis. It is a
variant of East Coast Swing with a six-count step which
includes eight-count steps similar to the Lindy. A mix of
East Coast and West Coast Swing.
Collegiate Shag
Originated in
the South and has been known as the "Flea Hop" at
times, the Shag was popular in the early 1920's with the
college students. Shag has three main categories – single,
double, and triple. These are determined by the amount of
kicks or hops in the dance (for example, Balboa can be
considered as Single Time Shag). All the existing styles
(St. Louis Shag, Collegiate Shag, Carolina Shag, etc.) fall
under the single, double or triple categories. Shag can be
six-count or eight count and is usually danced in closed
position to fast swing music primarily fast Ragtime-Jazz.
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