What is Swing Dancing?
Swing dance is a group of dances that developed in the 1920’s-1940’s and is danced to swing-style jazz music. Some of the most well-known of the styles still danced today include Lindy Hop, Charleston, Collegiate Shag and Balboa. These dances originated in the United States of America, with many of the dance styles having roots in vernacular African American dance. The most well-known of these dances, Lindy Hop, originated in the Savoy Ballroom in Harlem.
There are many dancers who contributed to and influenced the dance we know and love to this day. This includes (but is not limited to) dancers such as ‘Shorty’ George Snowden, Mattie Pernell, Norma Miller, Frankie Manning, Al Minns, Leon James, Roy Damron and Hal and Marge Takier. There are countless resources available online to learn about the origins and rich history of this dance. As a starting point, check out Yehoodi, the Frankie Manning Foundation, and Swungover. |
![]() Whyte’s Hopping Maniacs performing with “Le Cotton Club de New York” at the Moulin Rouge in Paris, summer 1937. (left to right) Naomi Waller and Frankie Manning, Lucille Middleton and Jerome Williams, Mildred Cruse and Billy Williams. Photo credit: studio c. bracken supplied by Frankie Manning Foundation
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