What is Swing Dancing?

“Swing dance” is an umbrella term for a number of amazing dances that developed with the swing style of jazz music in the 1920-1950s. These dances include Lindy Hop, Charleston, Balboa, Collegiate Shag, and more. We primarily teach Lindy Hop and Charleston, with occasional classes focused on Balboa.

Below is a little history and then a video from modern dancers in our community. Keep in mind that all of these dancers are professional dancers! Our classes start at the very beginning!

Lindy Hop

Lindy Hop, the granddaddy of swing dance, is a fusion of many dances that were popular during its development such as the breakaway, Charleston, and the hop. It evolved primarily by in the dance halls of Harlem, New York in roughly the 1920s. The most notable dance hall was the Savoy Ballroom, the “home of happy feet”, which took up an entire block at 141st Street and Lenox Ave. Lindy Hop flourished there, partly because it was one of the few racially integrated ballrooms.

In 1927, Charles Lindbergh completed the first ever solo flight from New York to Paris, and people were absorbed with his “Hop” across the Atlantic – so much so that everything was being named after Lindbergh. And so the story goes that George “Shorty” Snowden, at the end of a long dance contest, was asked by a reporter what dance they were doing and he answered “Lindy Hop” – and the name stuck.

Charleston

It is believed that Charleston was originally danced in Charleston, South Carolina at least before 1920 and potentially as early as 1903. In 1923, Charleston appeared in the Broadway musical Runnin’ Wild along with the song “The Charleston.”

Charleston became extremely popular at this time, especially with Flappers (“rebellious young women known for wearing short dresses, bobbing hair and listening to Jazz music”). With its high energy and leg kicking, Charleston was banned from many dance halls because it was too scandalous and exuberant. It is frequently danced by individuals, partners, and in a group.

Balboa

Balboa got its name from the Balboa Peninsula at Newport Beach. The dance developed as early as 1915 and was first done at the beach Pavilion and then later at the Rendezvous Ballroom. It stayed in Southern California until gaining popularity in the 1930s and 1940s. Balboa is danced in closed position and was originally created as a response to overcrowded ballrooms where breakaway steps were often difficult, if not actually banned by the venue. Many dance historians believe the dance evolved from Charleston or even Rhumba.

Modern Balboa distinguishes between two types of Balboa: “Pure Balboa” and “Bal-Swing.” Pure Balboa refers simply to Balboa – the original dance in closed position. Bal-Swing incorporates movements in which there is more space between the partners, including turns and other moves.