Lindy Hop Lindy Hop is an African American vernacular dance that evolved in New York City in the late 1920s and early 1930s. It is a fusion of many dances that preceded it or were popular during its development but is mainly based on jazz, tap, Breakaway and Charleston. Lindy Hop co-evolved with jazz music and is a member of the swing dance family. It is frequently described as a jazz or street dance. In its development, Lindy Hop combined elements of both solo and partner dancing by using the movements and improvisation of black dances along with the formal eight-count structure of European partner dances. This is most clearly illustrated in Lindy Hop's basic step, the swingout. In this step's open position, each dancer improvises alone; in its closed position, leader and follower dance together. Revived in the 1980s by European and American dance historians, Lindy Hop is now popular today throughout the world. A classic (and arguably the most famous) Lindy Hop clip from the 1941 movie Hellzapoppin', featuring Whitey's Lindy Hoppers, a professional performance group of dancers from the Savoy Ballroom:
More excellent examples of modern day Lindy Hop: COUPLES
Balboa Balboa is a form of swing dance that gained popularity in the 1930s and 1940s. It is danced primarily in close embrace, and is led with a full body connection. The art of Balboa is the subtle communication between the leader and follower - such as weight shifts - that most viewers cannot see. As a result, Balboa is considered more of a "dancer's dance" than a "spectator's dance". Balboa is danced to a wide variety of tempos. Because the basic step is so small, Balboa can be danced to fast music (over 300 beats per minute). Balboa is also danced to slow music (under 100 beats per minute), which allows more time for intricate footwork and variations. Copyright © 2012 Limestone Swing
| Charleston Charleston is one of the dances from which Lindy Hop developed in the 1930s, though the Breakaway (dance) is popularly considered an intermediary dance form. A slightly different form of Charleston became popular in the 1930s and 40s, and is associated with Lindy Hop. In this later Charleston form, the hot jazz timing of the 1920s Charleston was adapted to suit the swing jazz music of the '30s and '40s. This style of Charleston has many common names, though the most common are "Lindy Charleston", "Savoy Charleston", "'30s or '40s Charleston" and "Swing(ing) Charleston". In both '20s Charleston and Swinging Charleston, the basic step takes 8 counts and was danced either alone or with a partner. Contemporary examples of Lindy Hop & Charleston in action: Example of Balboa in action: |