The Lindy (Swing) picked up where Charleston left off with “swing-outs,” “breakaways” and “shine-steps”. With the birth of “Swing” music in the mid 1930’s, the Lindy climbed the social ladder. In August of 1935, at the Palomar Ballroom, bandleader Benny Goodman played a Fletcher Henderson arrangement of “Stompin’ at the Savoy”. The rest, as they say, is history. The dance craze swept the nation, and depending on where you lived, it was the Jitterbug, the Lindy Hop or the Swing. Since those days, each successive generation has discovered the fun of Swing. This most uniquely American dance is enjoyed all over the world.
Swing, Jitterbug, Jive, Shag, Lindy Hop, etc. are normally written in 2/4 or 4/4 time with the musical accents occurring on the second or second and fourth beats of a measure. Swing includes two general rhythms: Swing Rhythm – 1, 2, 3 & 4, 5 & 6 or it’s equivalent; Lindy Rhythm – 1, 2, 3 & 4, 5, 6, 7 & 8 or it’s equivalent. Swing may be danced comfortably over a wide range of tempos.
A side step or a triple step (shuffle) followed by a rock step done to lively music is the fundamental pattern for this dance.
Swing songs and artists include:
- “In The Mood” – Glenn Miller
- “Rock Around the Clock” – Bill Haley and the Comets
- “Start Me Up” – The Rolling Stones
- “Jump, Jive, An’ Wail” – Louis Prima or the Brian Setzer Orchestra