What is Swing? - Rhythm City Productions

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Swing is a broad term that applies to a category of both Jazz music and Jazz dance. There are many styles of swing dance, including Lindy Hop (the first partnered swing dance, from the 1930s and ‘40s), Jitterbug, Jive, Balboa, and more.

This short video demonstrates Lindy Hop and briefly outlines its history.

Things to know...

What is Lindy Hop?

Lindy Hop is a dance created and developed by Black American dancers that frequented the ballrooms in Harlem, New York City in the 1920s and 1930s. As a culture and a dance, it evolved with the Jazz music of that time. Lindy hop was a fusion of many dances that preceded it or were popular during its development but is mainly based on Jazz, Tap, Breakaway, and Charleston. Originally and currently danced to Swinging Jazz music, Lindy hop is the original Swing dance.

Who is Frankie Manning?

Frankie Manning (1914-2009) was a dancer, choreographer, and teacher. He fell in love with Lindy hop and the music of swingin’ jazz bands at the Savoy and other ballrooms of Harlem, New York in his teens. And the world fell in love with him when keen and ambitious Lindy hop revivalists of the 1980s sought him out for instruction and inspiration. It is impossible to overstate his importance to and influence on swing dancers of the current era. Teaching, telling stories, performing, and continuing to social dance up until mere months before his death at age 94 (!), Frankie was a continual beam of light, joy, and encouragement at events around the world. Thousands of dancers can speak of meeting him at events, learning from him, and hearing his tales of dance, music, and “happy feet.” Rhythm City instructors, helpers, dancers, and students cherish Frankie’s legacy and swing out for him, around the world!

How do I sign up for a class?

Check out the lessons page to determine which class is best for you. Each class page has a link to registration.

What level should I be in?

If you have never taken a lesson, the Intro to Swing classes are likely best. If you have completed both of those, and you feel confident of the material that was taught, you may be ready for Lindy Hop Essentials program. Some people take one or more series in the Intro to Swing and Lindy Hop Essentials programs more than once. If you’re comfortable with all the material of ITS and LHE, and you go social dancing regularly, the Intermediate classes could be for you. If you have been dancing at an intermediate level for a year or so, The Lab may suit you best. If you are still uncertain, contact us with details of your dance and lessons experience.

Spring 2022 update: we are currently running a limited program of Swing 1, Swing 2, and Intermediate Lindy Hop and Solo Jazz. Lindy Hop Essentials and The Lab will return, once we have resumed our full program of classes.

What should I wear to the classes?

Wear comfortable, casual clothes and comfortable shoes with a non-marking sole. Leather-soled or smooth rubber-soled shoes are excellent, as are sneakers without much of a tread.

Where can I go dancing?

Check out the links below for dancing in the Vancouver area. A good place to start is Rhythm City Strut on Thursday nights. View the calendar. The evening starts with the Intro to Swing classes. These are 4-week series and require registration in advance (no drop-ins).

People who enjoy Lindy Hop and related dances are part of a global community. You can meet us in pretty much any major urban centre in Europe and North America, and in many cities in Asia, Oceania, and South America.

Check out the links on these pages for information on the dance, its history, theories on instruction and variations, and much more…

Dance Resources…
Frankie Manning
Jazz Roots

Blogs
Wandering & Pondering
Swungover

Lower Mainland Swing Dance People
RCP Facebook Page
Vancouver Swing Society
Uptown Swing Collective
Swing Out Richmond
Royal City Swing
Suburban Swing
Strictly Lindy Facebook Group

Do I have to rotate partners?

No. Particularly as we continue to navigate safety and comfort needs around COVID, we welcome participants choosing to remain either with one partner or rotating in a small bubble. Rotating among the whole class is also welcome, and can be the best way to teach you effective partner technique. Plus, it helps to establish and nurture a community of positive students sharing in a group learning environment.

Do I need to bring a partner?

Lindy hop is a partner dance, which means there is a lead and a follow. Anyone can lead, and anyone can follow, and sometimes people do both, and even switch roles in the course of a dance (with the understanding and participation of their current dance partner, of course!).

You do not need to bring a partner to a dance or a class. Many people arrive at a dance without a partner, though they may arrive with friends. Throughout the night, people dance with lots of different people. The greater variety of styles and levels of dancer you mix with, the better your dancing will become. If you are more comfortable dancing only with one other person, or a few, that is completely ok.

What should I wear?

To a dance: It depends on the theme of the night. Generally, people dress pretty casually when they go out dancing these days, but you will find a wide range of apparel, from jeans and t-shirts to historically accurate dresses, suits, and hairdos. If there is a band, people are more likely to dress up. Regardless of what you wear, you should bring at least one change of shirt, because it’s easy to get sweaty at a dance, and you don’t want to share that with your partner. Wear deodorant (but avoid scents, colognes, and perfumes), bring gum or mints, and change your shirt if it is noticeably damp on the outside. Shoes should be comfortable and allow you to pivot or swivel your foot without sticking to the floor. If you’re just starting out, you should stay away from high heels for now. Low-tread and non-marking sneakers are perfect. Hard rubber-soled and suede or leather-soled dress shoes are also great, but may be slippery on some floors.

(some of) Lucy's ridiculous collection of shoes.

What kind of music should I get for swing dancing?

Jazz music that swings.
That can be a difficult thing to define, so here are some examples:
Big Bands: Count Basie, Duke Ellington, Buddy Johnson, Lucky Millinder, Chick Webb (where young Ella Fitzgerald got her start), Benny Goodman, Jimmie Lunceford, Blanche Calloway, Cab Calloway, Erskine Hawkins (and many more). A good place to start if you want to go searching is “Savoy House Bands.”

Smaller groups are also great: Check out Lester Young, Cats and the Fiddle, Lionel Hampton, Sidney Bechet, Louis Armstrong, Bunny Berigan, Fats Waller, Slim Gaillard, Woody Herman, and the legendary Billie Holiday.

Modern bands who do a great job of playing jazz with the energy of the swing era include Falty & The Defects, Naomi & Her Handsome Devils, The Careless Lovers, Gordon Webster, Glen Crytzer’s Syncopators, Jonathan Stout, The Solomon Douglas Swingtet, George Gee, Stompy Jones, Tuba Skinny, Meschiya Lake & The Little Big Horns, The Loose Marbles, and, locally, The Jen Hodge All Stars, Slipped Disc, The Rossi Gang, The Rugcutter Jazz Band, Blackstick, and The Brothers Arntzen Band.