Swing Dance Styles - Explained

Want to be able to dance at elevated speeds without losing your lindy technique? You don't need to be young and fit, in fact some will have to slow down a bit to get fast. Less effort means more speed. In this class, we will learn, among other things, the technique of fast lindy. More specifically, we will explore all the core movements of Lindy Hop (swing out, lindy circle, tuck turn, etc...) as to how they translate into fast lindy.

A basic level of Lindy Hop is required for this class - Swing Out, Circle Charleston e.t.c

Shag (or the "Collegiate Shag") is a partner dance done primarily to upper tempo jazz music. It belongs to the swing family of American vernacular dances that arose in the 1920s, 30s, and 40s. Described below is double shag, which uses a 'slow, slow, quick, quick' rhythm. The basic is six-count.

Shag Position: the lead's left hand is held straight up overhead with his left elbow touching the follows’ right elbow (her arm being fully extended overhead as well). This was not always practiced, but it is understood to be one of the features that make collegiate shag unique. Some dancers prefer to hold the arms much lower, similar to conventional ballroom positioning. Follows usually mirror the lead's footwork in closed position. The shag basic is danced in a 'squared-up,' closed position (i.e., the lead and follows’ shoulders/toes line up so the partners face one another directly).

All Levels Welcome

The Jitterbug Stroll is a swing line dance choreographed in 1992 by Ryan Francois, the worlds best Lindy Hop dancer and teacher. It is usually danced to swing music with 12 bar blues structure such as Woody Herman's "Woodchopper's Ball" or Steven Mitchell's "The Jitterbug Stroll", a modern song created for this choreography. The dance is very popular among Lindy Hoppers, like the Shim Sham.

All Levels Welcome

Lindy Hop is all about communication with your partner, through a physical connection that continues regardless of the position you are in (Lindy Hop includes all variety of open and closed formations). Once you’ve learned some fundamental connection and lead/follow techniques, you can dance with anyone. Through this connection followers are able to follow moves even if they’ve never done them before, and this communication conveys to her the spaces in the dance free for her own improvisation. Leads have control of their partner’s movement and can therefore manipulate the dance spontaneously, to react to the music or to flow one move into the next. This connection and communication is hugely satisfying, and every dance becomes a conversation. Learning the connection, counter tension, frame and lead/follow techniques of Lindy Hop will put you in good stead for any partnered dance.

A basic level of Lindy Hop is required for this class - Swing Out, Circle Charleston e.t.c

The Shim Sham is the most important of all the Swing/Tap strolls. If you only ever learn one of these strolls, you should learn this one, We will be teaching at a very steady pace so that dancers of all abilities can attend, We will be teaching the Frankie Manning version which is the one that everyone does at every Lindy Hop event in the world. Shim-Sham: A routine created by Leonard Reed and Willie Bryant in 1927 using four popular steps of the period: the Shim Sham, the Push beat and Crossover, the Tack Annie, and the Half Break. Originally called “Goofus” and done as a comedic farm dance to the song “Turkey in the Straw,” the dance was performed by Leonard Reed and Willie Bryant around the South while they were touring with the Whitman Sisters Troupe. The dance was then taken to the Shim Sham Club in New York where the farm theme was dropped and chorus girls were added to the dance. The chorus girls further varied the dance by shaking their shoulders while doing the first step, and soon the dance became known as the Shim Sham Shimmy.

All Levels Welcome

This is a solo Charleston routine choreographed by the fabulous Sing Lim from Singapore It’s performed to the tune Put A Lid On It by the Squirrel Nut Zippers, and is made up of 4 repetitions of the four steps notated below. Each repetition is performed to a different wall of the room - so make a quarter turn to the left at the end of each chorus. There’s absolutely no introduction in the music, so be ready to start as soon as the music begins!!

All Levels Welcome

This is a fantastic Lindy Hop Routine, ever wondered how teachers can put a routine together in 10 minutes Here it is!! The must-know performance routine, known throughout the Lindy Hop world as essential classic choreography. Seen in several vintage movies and the documentary The Spirit Moves featuring dancers from Whitey's Lindy Hoppers.

This class requires a basic level of Lindy Hop - Swing Out, Circle & other 8 count moves