Swing

   The Swing, considered as the most famous American folk dance, is a lively, energetic dance that involves a lot of turning and twisting. One of earliest forms of the Swing is the Lindy, or Lindy Hop, named after the American aviator who first flew across the Atlantic Ocean in 1927, Charles Lindberg. Early Swing dancers included steps from the Charleston, Black Bottom, Shag and Lindy Hop.
   The Lindy was first danced as a modified box step, with a slight shuffling movement. The shuffling movement of the original Lindy is similar to today's single time rhythm in Swing. As the single time rhythm progressed, it evolved into both the double and triple time Lindy, and today all three are used as the foundation for Swing dancing. Swing dancing has evolved into a wide variety of styles and there are many names attributed to the Swing - East Coast Swing, West Coast Swing, Lindy Hop, Jive, Jitterbug, Shag, and many more.
   During the 1930's, big bands greats, such as Chick Webb, Duke Ellington and Benny Goodman, created new and fascinating orchestral accompaniments and arrangements for the ballroom dances. The bandleaders discovered that by shifting the accent of the Fox Trot rhythms, from counts 1 and 3, to counts 2 and 4, they created a "swinging" rhythm. Before long the dance became known as the Swing.
   Popular styles included the Shag, a dance where partners danced cheek to cheek while their legs swung back and forth as they hopped forward and backward. Another name that is linked to the Swing is the Jitterbug, an exhibition style that involves a lot of gymnastic and acrobatic stunts requiring a tremendous amount of endurance and stamina, as dancers participated in dance marathons to entertain the paying public. Also, there is the English style Jive, involving a bouncy action created though the feet, ankles and knees with an assortment of kicks and hops.
   Better establishments frowned upon the wilder forms of the Swing because the acrobatics involved limited the number of people who could dance at one time. It is possible, however, to dance Swing in a relatively small area. The Swing, like all dances, must begin with a foundation of good basic movement and eventually adlibbing and complete freedom of expression can be interpreted into the dance. You will find dancers everywhere adding their own interpretations and changes of style The Swing has these attributes and is here to stay!