Swing Dancing

What is Swing Dancing?

Swing dancing is FUN. Swing dancing is electrified with a spirit of joy and exhuberance — it's what all the kids were doing in the 30's and 40's to the big bands. With names like Lindy Hop, Jitterbug, or Shag, what we call swing dancing is actually an entire family of vernacular or "street" dances, done solo or with a partner, to music based on Jazz and Blues.

A Social Dance

Swing dancing is a social dance. It's a great social activity, a way to meet people or to spend fun times with your friends or your sweetheart. Swing dancers tend to be one of the friendliest groups of people, because the culture of the dance is all about dancing with different people.

Roots of Swing Dancing

Swing is a blending of European and African traditions. Just as Jazz evolved as African-American musicians adapted African sounds to Western instruments, the first swing dances combined rhythmic African solo dancing with European partner dancing. Dances such as the Cakewalk, the Waltz, the Tango, the Charleston, the Texas Tommy, the Turkey Trot and the Black Bottom evolved into the partner dance known as Lindy Hop, or Jitterbug, the first true swing dance.

Styles of Swing Dance

Modern dancers enjoy many different styles of swing, from across regions and time periods.

Lindy Hop
The original swing dance and the most popular one worldwide, Lindy Hop creates addicts quickly because it lets dancers improvise, interpret the music their own way, and still enjoy a partner connection that is rarely found in other dances. Lindy Hop also became known for its crazy aerials, an innovation brought into the dance by the legendary Frankie Manning. Learn about Lindy Hop.
West Coast Swing
West Coast Swing is a smooth, modern form of swing dancing, usually danced to slow blues and contemporary pop music. West Coast Swing evolved from Lindy Hop to reflect changes in popular music, and now it's enjoyed by people all over the world for its focus on partnership and musicality. Learn more about West Coast Swing.
East Coast Swing
East Coast Swing is a ballroom style of swing dancing, based originally on Lindy Hop. Originally East Coast Swing was the name that dance teachers on the West Coast used to refer to Lindy Hop. Over time, it evolved its own distinct vocabulary and style, becoming a different "ballroom" interpretation of swing. With the swing revival of the 90's, East Coast Swing was revived as a street dance, with and it remains the lingua franca of many swing dancers worldwide. At Swing Dynamite we teach many Lindy Hop moves that look similar to East Coast Swing, but are done with different style and technique. If you've done East Coast Swing before, you'll find that many of the moves look similar, but the look and feel is quite different. Learn more about East Coast Swing.
Balboa
Originating on the Island of Balboa in California, it was originally known as a "sweetheart dance": as famous Balboa dancing legend Willie Desatoff pointed out, it's the only way you can hold someone close in your arms and dance to fast swing music. Pure Balboa is danced in a very close embrace, with emphasis on connection with your partner and subtle footwork. Learn more about Balboa.
Bal-Swing
Based on the style of swing dancing originally from LA, originally it was just called "swing." Nowadays dancers combine it with Balboa, creating a more dynamic dance that opens up into movements that look a little more like what people usually think of as "swing." Learn more about Bal-Swing.
Blues
Blues dance is in fact a family of related dances done to blues music. Individual blues dances tend to involve very simple movements, an intimate feel, a high degree of musical interpretation, and a strong partner connection. While blues dancing is not by definition swing dancing, both genres share many characteristics and many swing dancers especially enjoy dancing to slow blues music. Learn more about blues dancing.
Collegiate Shag
In the 30's one competitor for Lindy Hop's popularity on the dance floor was the Shag. It works best on fast music, and it's known for its furious and flashy footwork. Learn more about Shag.
Charleston
Charleston can be danced "solo" or with a partner. Solo Charleston is basically the Hip Hop of the 20's--it can be fun and exhuberant, or intense and competitive. Partner Charleston became the dance rage of the 20's, a great dance for fast tempos or early jazz music. Learn more about Charleston.
Hustle
Like Blues, Hustle is not a swing dance, but it's very popular among West Coast Swing dancers as well as Salsa dancers. It's a modern dance done to contemporary music, with both Swing and Salsa influences. Learn more about Hustle.