Swing dancing was a very popular dance in it's
day and it has recently made a comeback. It's origins, however,
are widely unknown. Where did it come from? What makes it so popular?
The origins of Swing are relatively unclear. This is not for a
lack of possible origins, but rather for an overwhelming amount.
Swing can be a natural descendent of the Lindy Hop, the Fox Trot,
the Charleston, and even the Waltz and the Tango! This is because
with the rise of each of these dances, another chip fell into
place for the rise of Swing itself.
In the 1920's and 30's, a dance named the Lindy Hop began to emerge
in the Savoy nightclub in Harlem. This dance was one of the few
dances in the world to evolve almost completely in one contained
space. The Lindy Hop developed and grew through a series of competitions,
where partners would make up new steps to defeat each other. Within
a short amount of time, the Lindy Hop was an incredibly energetic,
improvisational dance incorporating Big Band sound, jazz harmonies
and jumping steps.
Other dances that may have served as the precursors to Swing were
the Black Bottom, the Shim Shammy and the Truckin', popular dance
sequences of the time that appeared in popular nightclubs and
in several Broadway musicals. The Lindy Hop, named for the pilot
Charles Lindburgh's first solo flight, was the first dance to
include swinging the partner into the air, as well as jumping
in sequence. Upon careful consideration, many American experts
are now proclaiming this dance the true "Grandfather"
of Swing.
Once Swing was established, it went on to take many forms. Two
of the most notable forms are the East Coast Swing and the West
Coast Swing, named after the developments that each part of the
U.S. gave to the dance. Other dances that sprung from Swing were
the Jitterbug, Push, Whip, and Imperial styles.
There are some characteristic steps that can distinguish the original
swing style from its many variations. True West Coast Swing uses
a 6-beat pattern, and can be danced to almost any kind of music.
It stays within a contained area, due to its steps. East Coast
Swing is really another version of the Lindy Hop. It also works
in a pattern of 6-beats, and basically consists of stepping side
to side, with a step back on every third beat. Because of its
similarity to the Lindy Hop, this form of Swing is actually not
executed in a contained area. Dancers can move from one side of
the room to the other in a single move.
Swing became very popular because it was high energy and fun.
You can dance Swing to almost anything and it is very entertaining.
No matter how popular a dance is it always seems to die out to
be replaced by a new fad. I think this is due to kids not wanting
to dance the same as their parents do, but dance styles (like
clothing) usually come back in style. The Swing dance was a very
entertaining dance and was very popular during WWI.