LINDY WHAT??!!
The Lindy Hop, mother of all modern swing dances, is an energetic and dynamic jazz dance which evolved in 1920s and 30s Harlem, New York. It is a fusion of various jazz dances which came before it, most notably tap, breakaway and Charleston. Once you get the Lindy bug, there’s no going back! The Savoy Ballroom in Harlem was a haven for Black Americans to dance Lindy Hop and connect with the brilliant original Jazz musicians. Chick Webb, Ella Fitzgerald, just to name a few, all played at the Savoy Ballroom. The Savoy Ballroom was famous for its ‘Battle of the Bands’ where two Jazz bands would face off against each other in the ultimate Jazz music showdown. A dance troupe called Whitey’s Lindy Hoppers performed swing dance around the world and featured dancers such as Frankie Manning, Norma Miller, Willa Mae Ricker, Al Minns, Leon James- just to name a few!1
A SOCIAL DANCE
Lindy Hop is danced in couples (a pair consisting of a lead and a follow), of which the roles are non-gendered, so everyone can lead and/or follow if they so desire! It is a social dance, meaning that we do not have a fixed ‘dance partner’ like one often finds in other dances. Sounds like fun? You can do it!
If you want to see what Lindy Hop looks like, you can check out some of the videos!