Swing dancing covers a range of styles (including Lindy Hop, Charleston, Balboa, Collegiate Shag and Blues) danced to swing music. Swing developed from the jazz of the 1920s and the ‘Swing Era’ covered the years during the 1930s and 1940s when swing music and big bands were at their peak popularity. Band leaders such as Chick Webb, Count Basie and Duke Ellington were regulars at the famous Savoy Ballroom in Harlem where Lindy Hop developed.
Lindy Hop
Lindy Hop is the primary dance we teach, originating in African American communities in Harlem, New York, in the late 1920s. It is an improvisational partner dance within the vernacular jazz tradition, characterised by rhythmic play, individual expression, and strong connection between partners. Lindy Hop evolved from earlier social dances such as the Cakewalk, Breakaway, and partnered Charleston, and reflects African diasporic traditions including grounded movement, call-and-response, and circle-based social dancing.
Charleston
Charleston is one of the most famous dances of the jazz age, still widely recognised today (regularly featuring on Strictly Come Dancing). It can be danced solo or with a partner and originated in African American communities in the southern United States, particularly around Charleston, South Carolina. It rose to widespread popularity in the 1920s, and later evolved during the swing era into forms that better matched the rhythms of Lindy Hop, often referred to as 30s Charleston or Lindy Charleston.
Vernacular Jazz
Vernacular Jazz is an African American social dance tradition that developed organically alongside jazz music in the early 20th century. It is characterised by improvisation, individual expression, rhythmic complexity, and community participation, encompassing dances such as the Charleston, Lindy Hop, and Cakewalk. Unlike theatrical jazz, it is primarily a social form transmitted through cultural practice rather than formalised instruction. It can be seen within line dances like the Shim Sham, Tranky Doo, Mama Stew or Big Apple. It’s a good opportunity to focus on your own dancing and movement and will also help improve your partner dancing.
Balboa
The Balboa is a couples swing dance that originated in Southern California during the 1920s (named after the Balboa Peninsula, where it was invented) and spread quickly around the world. The dance is designed for crowded dance floors and fast music, using a close hold that makes it possible to dance in small spaces. Shuffling footwork and variations, together with steps influenced by Lindy Hop including many turns, make this a unique and fun dance to be able to enjoy faster tempo and broaden your swing dance repertoire.
Shag
Shag has grown in popularity in recent years and is a high energy dance suited to faster music. Variants include Collegiate Shag and St Louis Shag and back in the day most regions had their own shag variant. What is today referred to as Collegiate Shag probably originated with college kids during the jazz and swing era. It’s usually associated with a 6-count basic, quick and flashy footwork and a chugging rhythm. It may be danced in closed position, open position or side by side.
Check out our Resources page for more links to Swing Dance History.
swingexe.co.uk 