Swing has one name but encompasses many dances… Lindy Hop, Charleston, Balboa, Boogie Woogie and jive. Lindy Hop is the original street dance from 1930s Harlem and was a fusion of African and European dances. It is a fun and creative dance which can be wild and crazy or smooth and cool…Lindy has cool rhythms, jazz steps and the Charleston in it.
In 1927, when Charles Lindbergh piloted the Spirit of St Louis solo across the Atlantic, it is believed that the newspaper headlines declaring this event were adopted as the new name for the dance the ‘Lindy Hop’.
Charleston was the first dance craze that swept the world in the 1920s (with the Twist being the second). It is commonly associated with flappers and the speakeasy. There are two kinds of Charleston danced in Swing – 1920s Charleston and a later 1940s Lindy Charleston. Charleston can be done solo or with a partner and often combines choreography with improvisation and jazz steps.
Authentic Jazz steps are rhythmical moves and steps from the jazz era. Some have cool names such as ‘pimp walk’, ‘boogie back’ and ‘Shorty George’. Learning them individually in Swing helps you to be a better dancer and learning group choreography (Jitterbug Stroll, Shim Sham) is great fun. Jazz steps can be done facing a partner, solo freestyle or in a circle (called a Big Apple) –the only dance you do without a handbag in the centre!
Why men love swing -
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‘It’s easy to impress the ladies with a few moves and you can dance to all kinds of music’.
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‘It’s more relaxed than many other styles of dancing’.
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‘The classes and club are very friendly and we meet lots of great people’.
Why women love swing –
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‘The fashion, accessories makeup and hair…
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I feel gorgeous going out to a swing night’.
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‘There is so much joy in dancing swing that it makes you forget about your troubles’.