An Ultra-Brief Intro to
Jazz Dance History & Culture
It's more than just a dance.
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As swing/jazz dancers (especially non-Black swing/jazz dancers), it's critically important to understand the history and culture associated with Lindy Hop and the broader umbrella of swing and jazz dance.
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The following is an ultra-brief overview of my current understanding of Jazz Dance history & culture from my experience, conversations, and research. I'm a guest in the culture so I'm bound to get some parts wrong. Please reach out to me if you notice any inaccuracies or insensitivities -- I'm always trying to get better.
Before the Lindy
Late 1800s - 1920s
African & Afro-American dancing existed long before the Lindy Hop. African movements and rhythms combined with European musical influences fostered musical styles like Ragtime and dances like the cake walk, the black bottom, the turkey trot, the camel walk, and more! Black harbor workers in 1910s-20s South Carolina are attributed with developing the Charleston dance. Meanwhile, black communities in San Fransisco were shaping the Texas Tommy, and tap dancing spread across the country's floors and stages.
African American styles of music and dance had (& have) a strong emphasis on communal participation, call and response, individuality & self-expression, and connection to the music.
Early Lindy Hop
Mid 1920s - Early 1930s
Faster swung music during this period featured a mostly upright, driving "charleston" or "hot jazz" feel. Styles of partnered dance such as partnered Charleston, the collegiate, and the Breakaway, which featured kick steps and transitions between a closed position (think slow dance) to open position (think holding hands), became more popular. Dancers in this clip from the 1929 movie "After Seben" showcase many of these new developments. Notably, the dancing by the third couple, "Shorty" George Snowden and Mattie Purnell, is sometimes cited as the first example of Lindy Hop on film, as their movements feature a swingout-like step, jazz steps, and trick steps that went on to define the style.
The Savoy Ballroom opened in 1926 in Harlem NYC and quickly became the place to be for great swing dancing, although it's important to note that patrons enjoyed many different styles of music and dance on any given night. This venue, which stretched the full length of a city block and had two bandstands to ensure the music never stopped, served as the proving grounds for many a great Lindy Hopper. More on the Savoy in "The Swing Era" section.
The Swing Era
Mid 1930s - Mid 1940s
Swing music is the soundtrack of the nation. Folks are swingin' out and dancing the Lindy Hop from coast to coast, but the Savoy Ballroom, which may have been the first integrated ballroom in the United States, is still the place to be. Bands like the Chick Webb Orchestra and Count Basie Orchestra start to really roll the rhythms in their tunes, and the dancers held on and swung out. The Savoy's bouncer turned floor manager, Herbert "Whitey" White, forms Whitey's Lindy Hoppers, the world's premiere Lindy Hop troupe, which tours across the world and even makes the leap to Hollywood sets & screens. ​
In 1935, New York City holds the first Harvest Moon Ball dance competition (more on its origins here), featuring several ballroom dance divisions and a Lindy Hop division. Originally set to take place in Central Park, immense crowds forced the event to be moved to the 20,000-seat capacity Madison Square Garden, which quickly sold out! Imagine the atmosphere!
The Torch Bearers
Mid 1950s - 1980s
After most traveling dance groups had to break up when the men were drafted into WWII and jazz music veered more towards virtuosic bebop over danceable swing, the Lindy Hop's popularity with the masses began to fade. Radios played more Rock & Roll and ballrooms across the nation, including the Savoy, were forced to close their doors.
However, contrary to a popular anecdote, the Lindy Hop did not disappear after WWII only to have a "revival" in the 80s. The Lindy Hop never died. Committed dancers like "Mama Lu" Parks (top right), with the help of several late-Savoy legends, taught and trained children and adults in the craft and continued to enter teams in the Harvest Moon Ball. Her dance company toured for an incredible 29 years, pushing the limits of speed and gravity. Sonny Allen and the Rockets (bottom) brought musical revues featuring Lindy Hop across the Americas. Savoy ballroom legend Ms. Norma Miller continued touring with 'Norma Miller and her Jazzmen.'
The Modern Swing Scene
Late 1980s - Present
In the late 1980s a number of events brought swing dance back into the public eye. Old Hollywood clips featuring Whitey's Lindy Hoppers were rediscovered by groups in Sweden, London, and NYC. Neo-swing music and vintage-esqe fashion came back into style and was featured in films like "Swing Kids." Even GAP got in on the action with a wildly popular commercial "Khakis Swing." However, none of this would have been possible were it not for several older generations of Lindy Hoppers who, in their 60s through 90s, traveled the world to teach eager crowds their craft. Particularly notable were the efforts of Norma Miller and Frankie Manning, who sometimes traveled 40+ weekends/year. ​
Now, going on 100 years after its original creation, the Lindy Hop is Alive and Kicking all over the world. From Philadelphia to Berlin to Bangkok and all the way back to Harlem, nearly every major city and many a small town the world over features a tucked away yet fun-loving swing scene. Each scene has its own character and style, but they are united by a love of this dance and music. Most scenes feature a regular social dance, and scenes often converge for weekend workshops and exchanges. ​
Nearly all of the first and second generations of Lindy Hoppers have passed away, but there are still living legends who swung out in the Harvest Moon Ball and at the Savoy Ballroom telling their stories. It is more important now than ever to learn, appreciate, and continue to pass on and share the history and legacy of what might just be America's greatest original art form.
Racism and Appropriation
Throughout all eras
Despite their incredible talent, Black Lindy Hoppers have dealt with (and continue to face) racism in many forms. Jazz and jazz dance, like many art forms, were born out of struggle and oppression, and were initially shunned by white society. Members of Whitey's Lindy Hoppers created several of the greatest Lindy Hop sequences of all time, only to have their scenes get cut from movie showings in the south, and then be denied seating in segregated restaurants and theatres while on tour. Even the Harvest Moon Ball contest was likely initiated in 1935 as a way to help quell racial tensions fueled by segregated housing, lack of economic opportunities, and poor quality public facilities for NYC's Black residents.
When the Modern Lindy Hop scene took shape, many dancers and scene leaders were quick to join the fun, but slow to recognize these roots. This is problematic, especially because today's local social scene and slate of professional dancers are made up of mostly white (or non-Black) dancers, which would be a pretty clear case of cultural appropriation if left unaddressed.
Although the scene still grapples with this issue, there are some things we can all do to appreciate this dance, music, and culture. If you're still reading, you've started to do the first, which is learning the history and cultural context of the dance. Second, we can all strive to be welcoming to new dancers, no matter their background, and listen to what they have to say. Third, we can make an active effort to share our knowledge with others and always be open to learning more ourselves, even if it may make us uncomfortable.
Fourth, we can commit to building anti-racist scenes and classrooms, and address issues directly when they arise. This is by no means an exhaustive list.
Lasting Influence
Contemporary Music & Dance
The influence of jazz music and dance extends far beyond Lindy Hop. Many other styles of swung dances developed around and after the swing era, including blues dancing, balboa, collegiate & St. Louis shag, and more.
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Jazz music also branched out in many directions, transforming into and influencing the creation of bebop, R&B, soul, funk, rock & roll, hip hop, and countless other genres. Similarly, the dances people would do to these styles of music evolved out of jazz dances. Put a jazz dancer next to a hip hop dancer and you're guaranteed to notice some similarities between the two.
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In this way, it's important to experience other Black vernacular dances outside of the "swing dance" bubble. Taking classes in styles such as House, Waacking, Popping & Locking, and more will only further improve a jazz dancer's understanding of the possibilities that lie beyond what has become a somewhat isolated style of jazz dancing.
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If you're in Philly, one of the best places to do this is Urban Movement Arts, where you can find jazz dance and contemporary Black vernacular dance classes (like House, Hip Hop, and others) scheduled next to each other every week.