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Swing Dancing

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Don't Ya Just Love Swing Dancing?

 

There are many different styles of dance, and many I do enjoy, but I have always loved Swing Dancing. I love the era, the clothes, the music and of course the dancing.

I have never tried swing dancing, I doubt I have the energy, strength or the coordination! LOL

Gallery image: The most famous and arguably the best Lindy Hop photograph ever. Photographed by Gjon Mili, it first appeared in the 1943 Life Magazine cover story on Lindy Hop.

1939-1940 World's Fair Video 

The 1939-40 New York World's Fair, located on the current site of Flushing Meadows-Corona Park (also the location of the 1964-1965 New York World's Fair), was one of the largest world's fairs of all time. Many different countries around the world participated in it, and over 44 million people attended its exhibits in two seasons. The NYWF of 1939-1940 allowed all visitors to take a look at "The world of tomorrow."

"The eyes of the Fair are on the future -- not in the sense of peering toward the unknown nor attempting to foretell the events of tomorrow and the shape of things to come, but in the sense of presenting a new and clearer view of today in preparation for tomorrow; a view of the forces and ideas that prevail as well as the machines.

To its visitors the Fair will say: "Here are the materials, ideas, and forces at work in our world. These are the tools with which the World of Tomorrow must be made. They are all interesting and much effort has been expended to lay them before you in an interesting way. Familiarity with today is the best preparation for the future.'" -- official New York World's Fair pamphlet.

1939-1940 World's Fair

Clips from the 1949-1940 World's Fair in New York. www.CvilleLindy.org

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The Origins of Swing Dancing 

Swing dance locates its roots and origins in the spontaneous dances of gifted improvisers to the music of Ragtime Piano, Jazz, and Dixieland, beginning roughly at the turn of the 20th century.

The roots for this music is primarily in "The South", in areas such as New Orleans, although cities such as Chicago, Kansas City and New York also played a part in the early development of swing. Given its evolution from American Jazz music, swing has deep historical roots in American music and dance history. In fact, just as Jazz is often noted as America's most important contribution to the world of music, swing dancing has been called America's most important contribution to the world of dance and was the first dance invented entirely by Americans.

In the 1910's and 1920's, the African-American community, primarily in the larger metropolitan areas, began dancing to a music form that was a synthesis of contemporary music. This included Jazz music (an expressive and rhythmic mixture of Irish and African-American music forms), Ragtime (which emphasized a lively and syncopated melody line), and the Charleston. The dance that evolved from that process later became known as the "Lindy Hop".

Swing Music (The Originals) 

Benny Goodman, born Benjamin David Goodman, (May 30, 1909 - June 13, 1986) was an American jazz musician, clarinetist and bandleader, known as "King of Swing", "Patriarch of the Clarinet", "The Professor", and "Swing's Senior Statesman".

Gene Krupa (January 15, 1909 - October 16, 1973) was a famous and influential American jazz and big band drummer, known for his highly energetic and flamboyant style.

Gene Krupa- Sing, Sing, Sing

The Benny Goodman big band playing Sing Sing Sing, featuring Gene Krupa at the end. We get the added benefit of hearing Mr. Harry James play a trumpet solo.

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Swing Styles 

Savoy Swing: a style of Swing popular in the New York Savoy Ballroom in the 30's and 40's originally danced to Swing music. The Savoy style of swing is a very fast, jumpy, casual-looking style of dancing

Lindy style is a smoother-looking dance.

West Coast Swing: a style of Swing emphasizing nimble feet popular in California night clubs in the 30's and 40's and voted the California State Dance in 1989.

Whip: a style of Swing popular in Houston, Texas, emphasizing moves spinning the follower between dance positions with a wave rhythm break.

Push: a style of swing popular in Dallas, Texas, emphasizing moves spinning the follower between dance positions with a rock rhythm break.

Supreme Swing: a style of Swing popular in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

Imperial Swing: a style of Swing popular in St. Louis, Missouri.

Carolina Shag: a style of Swing popular in the Carolinas emphasizing the leader's nimble feet.

DC Hand Dancing: a Washington, DC synthesis of Lindy and Swing.

East Coast Swing: a 6 count style of Lindy popular in the ballroom dance school organizations.

Ballroom West Coast Swing: a style of swing popular in the ballroom dance school organizations and different from the style performed in the California night clubs and Swing dance clubs.

Country-Western Swing: a style of Jitterbug popularized during the 1980's and danced to Country and Western music.

Cajun Swing: a Louisiana Bayou style of Lindy danced to Cajun music.

Pony Swing: a Country Western style of Cajun Swing.

Jive: the International Style version of the dance is called Jive, and it is danced competitively in the US and all over the world.

Hollywood Swing Dancing Video 

Swing Kids is a film produced in 1993 and directed by Thomas Carter. The film is considered as being part of the Lindy Hop revival of the 1980s and 1990s, and responsible for bringing more people to this dance form.

Hollywood Swing Dancing

Swing dancing; "it looks like you have to go to the bathroom." These are all th eswing dancing scenes from the movie Swing Kids.

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Swing Kids Videos 


Swingdance in Swing Kids, part1

Runtime: 2:07
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Swingdance in Swing Kids, part2

Runtime: 1:51
21370 views
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Swingdance in Swing Kids, part3

Runtime: 3:27
62530 views
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Swingdance in Swing Kids, part4

Runtime: 2:36
21559 views
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Swing Dance Competitions 

Traditionally, distinctions are made between "Ballroom Swing" and "Jazz Dance Swing" styles. East Coast Swing is a standardized dance in "American Style" Ballroom dancing, while Jive is a standardized dance in "International Style"; however both of these falls under the "Ballroom Swing" umbrella.

Jazz Dance forms (evolved in dancehalls) vs. ballroom forms (created for ballroom competition format) are different in appearance. Jazz Dance forms include Lindy Hop, Balboa, Collegiate Shag, and Charleston.

Types of Competition

Dance competitions specify which forms are to be judged, and are generally available in three different formats:

1) Strictly: One couple competing together in various heats, to randomly selected music, where no pre-choreographed steps are allowed.

2) Showcase: One couple competing together for a single song which has been previously choreographed.

3) Jack and Jill: Where leads and follows compete individually in various heats, where their partner is randomly selected.

Judging Criteria

Judging for competition is based on the three "T's" as well as showmanship (unless the contest in question designates the audience as the deciding factor).

The three "T's" consist of:

1) Timing - Related to tempo & rhythm of the music.

2) Teamwork - How well a lead and follow dance together and lead/follow dance variations.

3) Technique - How clean and precise the cooperative dancing is executed.

Showmanship consists of presentation, creativity, costumes, and difficulty.

Classic Divsion 2007 Winners Video 

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Classic Division 2005 Swing Championships Video 

Classic Division 2005 US Open Swing Dance Championships

Jordan Frisbee & Tatiana Mollmann's First Place Classic West Coast Swing performance at the Classic Division 2005 US Open Swing Dance Championships www.USOpenSwingDC.com

Runtime: 3:11
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How to Do the Lindy and Swing Dance 

There are several different styles of swing, including East Coast, West Coast, Savoy swing and the lindy. This six-count basic step is East Coast swing style.

Things You'll Need:

Dancing Shoes
Full Skirts (for Women)
Mens' Dress Pants (loose-fitting)
Benny Goodman Live CD
Brian Setzer CDs
Let's Swing Video

Step 1:
Get in position by facing your partner. If you are the leader, turn very slightly to your left and place your right hand in the middle of your partner's back. Extend your left hand at hip level with your palm up, grasping your partner's right hand in a loose grip. Your partner should place her left hand on your right shoulder and mirror your movements throughout the dance.

Step 2:
Do a triple step on counts one and two: Quickly make a small step on your left foot, then your right, and then back to your left. (Your partner will do the reverse.) You may want to move slightly to the left during this step, but it's more a shifting of weight back and forth than actual steps. Say 'triple step' to get the rhythm.

Step 3:
Do another triple step on counts three and four, starting with your right foot, this time moving slightly to the right if you like.

Step 4:
Place your left foot behind your right on the fifth count, rocking back on the ball of your left foot. This should open up a space between you and your partner as she mirrors your movements, rocking back on the ball of her right foot.

Step 5:
On the sixth count, bring your weight back to your right foot into the original starting position while simultaneously launching back into the triple step as described in steps 2 through 4.

Benny Goodman Music on Amazon 

The Very Best of Benny Goodman

Amazon Price: $10.99 (as of 10/16/2008)

Complete Benny Goodman Carnegie Hall Concert 1938

Amazon Price: (as of 10/16/2008)

Benny Goodman - Adventures in the Kingdom of Swing

Amazon Price: $9.98 (as of 10/16/2008)

The Essential Benny Goodman

Amazon Price: $24.98 (as of 10/16/2008)

Collector's Edition

Amazon Price: $10.99 (as of 10/16/2008)

Gap Commercial Video 

"Gap - Khakis Swing", a 1998 television commercial, introduced much of the world to what became known as 'Bullet Time'. The 30 second ad featured khaki trousers-wearing dancers doing the lindy hop, the 1920s Harlem dance that inspired the Swing Era, with its jitterbug or swing moves.

Music for The Gap Khaki Swing comes from Louis Prima's swing number, "Jump, Jive an' Wail", performed by Brian Setzer and Orchestra.

Gap Commercial - Khaki Swing

This commercial for Gap Khakis from 1998 helped propel swing music back into the mainstream and publicized the swing revival of the late 90's (of which we are currently a part of). www.CvilleLindy.org

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Metro Retro Vintage RSS Feeds on eBay 

Metro Retro Vintage NY has some of the nicest vintage clothing and accessories on eBay! Check out a few of her listings below.

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Swing Music on Amazon 

The Only Big Band CD You'll Ever Need

Amazon Price: $12.99 (as of 10/16/2008)

Best of the Big Bands

Amazon Price: $13.98 (as of 10/16/2008)

Songs That Got Us Through WWII

Amazon Price: $10.99 (as of 10/16/2008)

In The Mood: Big Band Hits

Amazon Price: $12.99 (as of 10/16/2008)

An Anthology of Big Band Swing (1930-1955)

Amazon Price: $27.98 (as of 10/16/2008)

Swing Dresses on eBay 

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Swing Dancing in the News 

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Reader Feedback 

lucille ciani

i loved it.

Posted October 05, 2008

Janet21

Great lens! Welcome to the Dance Group. :)

Posted July 22, 2008

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