I frequently get asked about the different swing dancing styles, in particular which ones I like and why.
Without getting really
technical (there are many dancers out there much more versed in the
descriptions of these dances; I’m more into the history of the music of
dances than the history of the dances themselves), here are the
essential swing dances I see in my swinging escapades and what I think
of them.
East Coast Swing/Jitterbug
I think of this as the ‘foundational’ swing dance, not because it came
first (it certainly didn’t, it developed more in the late ‘40s and
‘50s) but because it’s the one most people learn first and it is the
most versatile of all the dances. It doesn’t take up as much space as
Lindy Hop, is far easier to learn, and contains so many variations you
can do with it that it always remains fun. It consists of a six-count
basic with a rock step, with the partners rotating gradually in a
circle around a single spot in the floor. You can dance to jazz or
blues or rock or rockabilly with it, you can dance slow or fast (you
just have to change the timing of your steps: triple, double, or
single), you can get crazy or you can get smooth. I learned this dance
first and still do it, mostly on crowded floors or with girls who are
just learning. I still love it; the variety, versatility, and
simplicity make it a ton of fun.
Lindy Hop
Lindy Hop is the essential swingers dance. It was the main dance of the
Swing Era (1935 through WWII). It developed out of Harlem and you see
it at all the swing dancing clubs where the good dances go. There are
different styles of it, like Savoy style and Dean Collins style, but
pretty much if you know one version, you can dance it with anybody.
Lindy Hop, however, is hard to pick up, especially for guys.
The basic eight-count step covers a lot of space and a lot of footwork,
and it seems very counter-intuitive to most people, especially those
with scant dance background. Therefore, most people should get a good
grip on East Coast Swing before attempting Lindy Hop. But everybody who
wants to swing needs to learn this dance, not only because of its
centrality to swing history and the current scene, but because it is
such frenetic fun. Lindy Hop is my favorite dance; the
centrifugal force and large spinning movements make it such a joy to
experiences and watch. When dancing with someone with whom you have a
good connection, the feeling of kinetic energy is just incredible.
Lindy is best for mid-tempo and some faster tempo songs. Experienced
dancers can do great things with slow-tempo; however, very fast tempos
are tough to do and feel utterly exhausting.
Flying Lindy
Not really a separate dance, this is a footwork variant on Lindy that
makes it easier to dance to fast tempos. This dance gives onlookers the
sense that the dancers are barely touching the floor; it’s a real
crowd-pleaser. I love this style of Lindy and dance it a lot. What can
I say, I like to dance fast and furious. However, Flying Lindy is
nearly the equivalent of running on a treadmill for twenty minutes:
this is true cardiovascular exercise and you are almost guaranteed to
sit out the next dance so you have a chance to catch your breath. Your
clothes will definitely need dry-cleaning after this.
West Coast Swing
I get questions about this dance more than any other. People want to
know what the difference between East Coast and West Coast swing are.
Plenty. They have little in common in form, style, or even scnes. West
Coast Swing resembles Lindy Hop’s steps instead of East Coast’s steps.
However, West Coast doesn’t look a thing like Lindy to onlookers,
because the attitude and styling are utterly different. West Coast
moves in a ‘slot,’ where the movements of the woman describe an
unchanging straight line, with the man staying essentially in the
center. The woman either ends at spot one or spot two, and moves back
and forth between them, with the man acting as a door that either opens
or closes to stop her or let her through the slot. Lindy Hop (and East
Coast) by contrast are “spot” dances, where the partners move in
circles around a spot on the floor. West Coast also is done very
upright and casual, with sexy stylings for the woman…more than other
swing dance, this one is all about the woman. If Lindy Hop is a fast,
fun, jumpy dance, then West Coast Swing is a casual, sexy, smooth
dance. Also, and perhaps most importantly, West Coast Swing goes to a
different kind of music: blues, funky tunes, modern R&B, country,
and more contemporary music. I rarely see West Coast Swing at the clubs
I go to. It’s an entirely different scene, so I really don’t dance it
much. I’m also not fond of the music that goes with it. However, the
dance itself is very relaxing and extremely pretty to watch.
Charleston
Charleston is an oldie, a major dance craze from the 1920s. It can be
done alone or with a partner. In the 1930s, it merged into Lindy Hop as
part of its set of moves, and Char-Swing (the kicking “Lindyized”
variant) is almost its own dance. I rarely see anyone do Charleston on
its own in its older version (where the feet stay close to the ground
without many kicks); usually it shows up in East Coast and Lindy
routines. But it is a separate dance with its own steps and rules, and
there are many ways to do it: side-to-side, alternating, face-to-face,
and (most popular and most difficult) back-to-back (sometimes called
Tandem Charleston). Charleston moves work best for faster songs; you
just can’t pull it off on a slow piece. I like Charleston quite a bit,
but I do it less than I used to. It’s useless with beginners, who
rarely get an introduction to it in their early dance classes.
Collegiate Shag
There are a number of different dances with the name ‘shag,’ such as
Carolina Shag and St. Louis Shag, and they have no relationship to each
other. The shag that swing dancers do is known as Collegiate Shag
because of its popularity with college dancers in the 1930s. It
predates the Lindy Hop somewhat and it’s designed for fast tempos. You
can dance to very very fast pieces with its tight foot-work, and
because the body moves much less it’s not so tiring as Lindy Hop and
takes of far less space. It’s not good with slower tempos and can look
pretty silly at those speeds. You’ve probably seen cartoon characters
do this dance: it’s the one where the characters press their upper
bodies close together with their butts out and their feet moving
furiously while the rest of them remains stationary. The footwork can
really wow onlookers, and this dance look insane at the fast
tempos. However, I honestly think this is the easiest of all swing
dances to learn. Once you have the basic steps down, they don’t vary
that much. Regardless, this is great dance and an incredible amount of
fun.
Balboa
Balboa falls into a similar category with Shag—most folks learn them
together—with its tight footwork, minimal upper body movements, and
emphasis on faster music. Balboa works adequately for some medium
tempos (better than Shag does), but it has such a wonderful smoothness
at the faster tempos. This is the least tiring of all the dances.
However, Balboa is quite difficult to learn; the basic footwork isn’t
tough, but the turns and other steps involve some complex foot moves
and it’s easy to get lost. I don’t Balboa very often, and I have to
admit this is my poorest dance. I’m learning more of it now and getting
practice, but for fast music I prefer Collegiate Shag. I’ve noticed
that people who prefer the smoother “Dean Collins” style of Lindy tend
to also prefer Balboa, while people who prefer the jumpier “Savoy”
style Lindy (like myself) tend to prefer Collegiate Shag.
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