Swing Dancing

Swing dance locates its origins from gifted improvisers in their impulsive dances to the music of Jazz, Ragtime Piano and Dixieland, starting around 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 New York, Chicago and Kansas City 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".

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.

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.

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.