What are the Swing dances in pairs or alone:

On this page we want to explain the difference between the various types of swing dance which, in essence, are four: lindy hop, balboa, authentic jazz and charleston.

Lindy hop

The Lindy Hop is a dance of afroamerican origin born in Harlem, New York, in the 1930's. According to legend the name of the dance came from George "Shorty" Snowden who during a dance competition, after performing one of his moves already in vogue in some clubs, said he was doing the Lindy Hop. It is danced primarily in couples but there are routines designed to be danced singularly. In the Lindy Hop the terms man and woman do not exist, but leader and follower, who guides and who follows, are independent of gender. So if you saw two women or two men who danced together it was not scandalous, not even in those days. The dance is in 8 counts with posture slightly bent forward, a little spring in the legs, the infamous "bounce", you will hear this term often during lessons. It is a dance that also incorporates acrobatics and steps derived from the Charleston, Tip Tap, Shag, Balboa and jazz. The Lindy Hop has been a mass phenomenon in the era of swing music, hundreds of dancers without regard to race thronged to the american ballrooms where the big swing bands performed. In the 1930's and 40's, this was a real example of cultural integration between whites and blacks, together, the swing was the first cross-cultural phenomenon in the United States. The greatest dancer of the Lindy Hop was Frankie Manning who invented the so-called areals, spectacular moves with jumps and acrobatics. During his long life he taught the Lindy Hop throughout the world and we had the good fortune to have known him. We dance the Lindy Hop to swing music, and for this it is distinguished from other dances born in later times, it is the father of all dances, evolved from jazz and the Charleston, it includes all the fusions and many steps from other styles like the Shag, the Tip Tap, and the Balboa. The Lindy Hop is swing and the swing is the Lindy Hop. The two are inseparable. The Lindy hop is the dance, the swing is the music. A dancer of the Lindy Hop has fun with their partner interpreting in the dance the song being played in the moment, and even if they have never heard it before the fun is in listening, following, and interpreting the synchopated musical changes that defines swing music.

Balboa

Balboa is a form of couple swing dancing born in South California between 20s and 30s and established in the 40s. It takes its name from the Balboa peninsula in Newport Beach where it was born, according to the legend, because of the needing of dancing in the small spaces of ferries that brought people from the coast to the famous Balboa Pavilion where the parties took place. That is the reason behind small steps and the very closed dancers position. Balboa is in fact a dance based on total body connection between the dancers with many weight changes, almost invisible to spectators, with very fast and small synchronized steps.

Authentic Jazz

The Authentic Jazz was born in America in the 20's and 30's and it can be danced alone. It was, and it is, without a doubt the most energetic and vibrant dance, its structure differing remarkably from all other dances, possessing an unmistakable, inimitable personality. Just as hot jazz in the 1920's gave life to the Charleston, with the evolution of music, we pass on to jazz Swinging in the 30's and 40's and the birth of the Lindy Hop. Main characteristics are individuality and rhythm. Each dancer is free to express himself, developing his style. It is the base fundamentally for all lindy hoppers to improve as dancer.

Charleston

The Charleston is the dance that captured the spirit of the 1920's, a new generation of young, independent americans living in wild abandon for the new hot jazz inundating the country in that period. This dance was born in a city bearing the same name, Charleston, South Carolina, and was featured on Broadway as one of the greatest hits of the decade. It quickly spread through the nation and then on to the rest of the world. Josephine Baker was the most famous dancer from Charleston. In the mid 1920's, her appearances in the theatres of Paris sold out and the Charleston quickly spread across Europe. The Charleston can be danced alone or in couples. It was, and it is, without a doubt the most energetic and vibrant dance, its structure differing remarkably from all other dances, possessing an unmistakable, inimitable personality. Just as hot jazz in the 1920's gave life to the Charleston, with the evolution of music, we pass on to jazz Swinging in the 30's and 40's and the birth of the Lindy Hop.