Swing History

In the early 20th century, a new genre of music took America by storm: jazz. With it came a new style of dancing, better adapted to its fast, jumpy pace than smoother dances like the waltz. However, this new music was not identical everywhere - different regions developed slightly different styles of jazz, and this was reflected in the dancing.

 

The main dance we teach at DUSS is Lindy Hop: while 'Swing Dance' can be used to refer to one or more types of dancing, Lindy Hop refers to a specific swing dance style which grew out of the African American communities in Harlem, New York, in the 1920s. Heavily influenced by African vernacular dances, it quickly spread to the rest of America and beyond. Whitey's Lindy Hoppers, a group formed of some of the best dancers at the Savoy Ballroom in Harlem, performed in Hollywood films, helping this new dance to spread.

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Remembering the history of Swing is hugely important to us here at DUSS. We've found some good resources which provide an introduction to the history of Lindy Hop and Swing Dancing for you:

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Archive of Early Lindy Hop [LINK]

Frankie Manning Foundation

A collection of video material of lindy hop performances and written biographies of the key dancers/figures of the era.

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Lindy Hop: Its Origins, Innovators, and Legacy [LINK]

Yehoodi

A basic timeline showing key events in the development of lindy hop.

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Twobarbreak's Dance History Group [LINK]

Peter Loggins (Facebook)

A Facebook group in which people can ask questions or post resources on the history of dance.

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There are also some good books written by the dancers of the time: Frankie Manning: Ambassador of Lindy Hop (by Frankie Manning) and Swingin' at the Savoy: The Memoir of a Jazz Dancer (by Norma Miller) are both good places to start.

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