Swing Dance Enthusiasts
Discover the joy of swing dancing!
Swing dancing and jazz
All swing dance styles are jazz dances and swing referred to the style of Jazz music called Swing music. At The Swing Era we mainly dance Lindy Hop, which is one of the four swing dances (Lindy Hop, Balboa, Collegiate Shag and Charleston).
About Lindy Hop
Lindy Hop is an African American dance, which originates from Harlem, New York City. It was danced first in the famous Savoy Ballroom by African American dancers in 1928, and was danced throughout the 1930s and 1940s. It is said the name Lindy Hop was inspired by aviator Charles Lindbergh who ‘hopped’ the Atlantic ocean in 1927. Lindy Hop evolved from different dances, including jazz, tap, breakaway and 1920s Charleston. It used elements from African American dances and European partnered dance. The dance has different positions (open and closed) and steps.
About Balboa
Balboa is a partnered swing dance that originated in the 1930s in Southern California, particularly in the beachside resort named Balboa. Back in the day, crowded dance halls often had strict rules which prohibited the Charleston and other exuberant dances, so a dance which required very little space naturally evolved. Nowadays, this subtle, close position dance is known as Pure Balboa. Meanwhile, in L.A., some adventurous dancers were using more open connections to introduce spins, turns, dips, tricks, and even air steps into their dancing. This style is now known as Bal-swing.
