Jam Circles

What are jam circles?

Jam circles are when swing dancers make a circle around other swing dancers, and clap to encourage them. By blocking off a space for the dancers in the jam circle, it allows them to enjoy performance style dancing (including aerials) in a social dancing context.

Usually, once a jam circle has formed, different dancers will enter and leave it during the song, so that many different dancers can participate. There are different kinds of jam circles:

Spontaneous Jams - Normally, jam circles are just created when a couple gets very inspired by the music and starts really "busting out." If other dancers around them see how much fun they're having, they may form a jam circle to encourage them.
Birthday Jams - It's a tradition in the swing dancing community to hold jam circles for anyone who's celebrating their birthday that week. Birthday jams often include multiple people who are celebrating their birthdays, and the other dancers take turns dancing with them.
Thankyou, Farewell and Welcome Jams - Similar to birthday jams, often jam circles will be formed to honour the organizers or teachers of a swing dance event, to bid farewell to a local dancer who's moving away, or to welcome dancers from other cities.

Origins of Jam Circles

Jam circles are in part based on African traditions, but many dance traditions around the world feature similar dance circles. Jam circles (by many other names) exist in many African-American dance traditions, from Tap to Hip Hop, and the jam circle has been a feature of Lindy Hop since the beginning.

Aerials and Jam Circles

Jam circles give dancers a chance to do forms of dancing that aren't possible during regular social dancing. Dancers may show off aerials, dips and other acrobatic or trick moves, and they may do short choreographed sequences with friends who know the routine. It's important to emphasize that despite what you see in most swing movies, aerials are not done in normal social dancing: save them for the jam circle!