Lindy Hop

[JonnyO]

I just started taking lessons this month, I'm two lessons in at this point. I'm part of a very small class of 4 males and 3 females including the instructor. All 6 have prior experience in Lindy, whereas I have never taken any lessons, nor have I ever danced besides the grade school slow dance. I have found it slightly difficult, but after having the girls break it down for me and take it slow, I have progressed fairly well (their words). I do find it fun, but stressful since I'm still fresh at it.

 

[Deleted member 16736]

I've been swing dancing since 2005. Lindy Hop and Balboa. Been to Canada, England, Sweden, and Denmark for dancing and all over the US. Looking to dance a lot in 2014. For anybody interested, I recommend the Herrang Dance Camp in Herrang, Sweden, or any dance camp.

 

[Edward]

About ten years ago I went for a bit to Lindy classes and hated it. I've had many, many negative experiences of the lindy community (I know one or two people who've had positive experiences, but by far the people I know all come away with the same negatives as I did). Fortunately, I discovered jive about eighteen months ago - a friend talked me into going to classes, and I turned out to love it (after having avoided dance classes and events for years thanks to the lindy community). I'd now quite like to try balboa, and Charlston - bevcause you can't jive to everything. I'll never go lindy, though. All my prejudices were reignited recently when a bunch of lindies turned up at my regular jive night, pushed the regulars off the floor, and then didn't even have the decency to buy drinks from the venue, preferring their own smuggled-in drinks. Bah. Just spent all weekend jiving at the 2013 Rhythm Riot; Thursday night is November Hula Boogie, and I'll be at that too... So pleased I found a dance I enjoy, where everybody just wants to have fun and nobody turns you down for a dance because they think you're beneath them...

 

[emigran]

Whenever I hear "Lindy" I am immediately thrown back to early 60's and gal that was a regular at our Friday night dance parties make-out sessions then...I had one particular partner, Nancy. She was a great great dancer and we would fit so well and swingout all night... Boy -oh-boy were those awesome times...

 

[Stearmen]

This thread reminds me of some great times and close calls. Back when I was flying air shows, we did a lot of cross wind landings in taildragers. If the wind was expecially strong, you would joke latter, that I had to really do The Lindy on the rudder pedals! Maybe I should take up dancing.

 

[anjin]

I love lindy hop dancing. Start dancing it's one of the best thing I do in my life and Madrid scene is very good and friendly. Good swing out to everyone

 

[GHT]

Just spent all weekend jiving at the 2013 Rhythm Riot; Thursday night is November Hula Boogie, and I'll be at that too... So pleased I found a dance I enjoy, where everybody just wants to have fun and nobody turns you down for a dance because they think you're beneath them...

Oh so you have found the dance snobs. Gutted that we missed this year's Rhythm Riot. (I'll come back to that.) My wife and I, throughout our youth, danced Latin & Ballroom. It is so cliquey, unbelievably so. Then, about thirty years ago, we got into 50's style rock & roll. At one of the venues we went to, we saw these people so fantastically dressed, just had to find out more. From there we learned all about the many styles of jive, including Lindy, but we won't stand you up, promise.
Our favourite is The Collegiate Shag. (an unfortunate name in our country)
[video=youtube;IbU9ACJRTk8]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IbU9ACJRTk8[/video]
We love The Charleston, and Balboa. Here's our friends (who were probably at the Rhythm Riot.)
Paul & Natasha dance Balboa.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EvNdchnthoA

We have been dancing all disciplines of Latin & Ballroom, as well as lots of offbeat dances, like Lindy and the others that I mentioned, for the best part of forty years.
One story I must share. One summer we were at a fund raising function, a black tie ballroom affair. It was run by a local church.
In between the sets when the Big-Band played, a DJ was playing dance tunes from yesteryear. A lady went up to the DJ and said that although she couldn't dance it, would he play a more modern tune, namely The Lambada. My wife grinned at me,"You can't!" I said, "It's a church event, you'll have us thrown out!" "Oh come on," she encouraged, "don't be so stuffy." So we did, and I can tell you, every pair of eyes were on us. It didn't help when she did a most suggestive move, and as we walked off the floor at the end of the dance, this bloke in a dog collar said: "Do I know you two?" "We are not famous, Father," I answered, grinning. "More like infamous, after what I have just seen," he replied. Oops.

And the reason we missed this year's Rhythm Riot, and the reason we have probably seen the last of our dancing days. My wife is recovering from a knee replacement operation. Never knew what cabin fever was before, but we are climbing the walls.

 

[BillJackson]

Lindy Hop, also known as Jitterbug, is the authentic Afro-Euro-American Swing dance. It is an unabashedly joyful dance, with a solid, flowing style that closely reflects its music -- from the late 20's hot Jazz to the early 40's Big Bands. Just as Jazz combines European and African musical origins, Lindy Hop draws on African and European dance traditions. The embracing hold, and the turns from Europe, the breakaway and solid, earthy body posture from Africa. The dance evolved along with the new swing music, based on earlier dances such as the Charleston and the Black Bottom, by black people in Harlem.

 

[Stormy]

Anybody here going to the American Lindy Championship in May or the Internationals in August?

 

[CaramelSmoothie]

Lindy Hop, also known as Jitterbug, is the authentic Afro-Euro-American Swing dance. It is an unabashedly joyful dance, with a solid, flowing style that closely reflects its music -- from the late 20's hot Jazz to the early 40's Big Bands. Just as Jazz combines European and African musical origins, Lindy Hop draws on African and European dance traditions. The embracing hold, and the turns from Europe, the breakaway and solid, earthy body posture from Africa. The dance evolved along with the new swing music, based on earlier dances such as the Charleston and the Black Bottom, by black people in Harlem.

What's so ironic about the whole thing is if you walked up to 10 random Harlem residents and asked the if they know what swing dancing is, probably none would know, lol. Modern day hip hop dancing is the grandchild of swing.

 

[hatguy1]

Originally Posted by The Lark
I was just wondering how many of you vintage lovers have an interest in swing dancing?

[Raises hand]

Mine's up, too.

 

[hatguy1]

Lindy Hop, also known as Jitterbug, is the authentic Afro-Euro-American Swing dance. It is an unabashedly joyful dance, with a solid, flowing style that closely reflects its music -- from the late 20's hot Jazz to the early 40's Big Bands. Just as Jazz combines European and African musical origins, Lindy Hop draws on African and European dance traditions. The embracing hold, and the turns from Europe, the breakaway and solid, earthy body posture from Africa. The dance evolved along with the new swing music, based on earlier dances such as the Charleston and the Black Bottom, by black people in Harlem.

kind of reminds me of back in the very late 1980s-1990, I learned it a line dance called "The Bus Stop." Around 2003, I saw it being done twice a night at most nightclubs and they called it "The Electric Slide."

 

[CaramelSmoothie]

kind of reminds me of back in the very late 1980s-1990, I learned it a line dance called "The Bus Stop." Around 2003, I saw it being done twice a night at most nightclubs and they called it "The Electric Slide."

The "Electric Slide" goes back to the 1970s and is like a STAPLE dance at any large get-together of Black families, lol. I actually did the dance a couple of weeks ago at a party, lol. It's almost always done to this song "The Electric Slide" that introduced the dance to the world back in the 80s:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yH3Y6F_Ls9M

 

[hatguy1]

I remember doing The Bus Stop to Aretha Franklin's "You better Think"


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[CaramelSmoothie]

I remember doing The Bus Stop to Aretha Franklin's "You better Think"


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Really? That sounds really weird, lol. It would seem that song is too fast to do the electric slide to.

 

[hatguy1]

Believe it or not, it works well. Lotsa fun. Kinda like triple step swing for faster songs.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[fashion frank]

I thought that you fellow loungers might find this site interseting in regards to swing dancing.

http://history.just-the-swing.com/swing-history/what-is-swing

All the Best,Fashion Frank