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This glossary of dance terms is designed to provide some guidance
in the various forms of swing dance available on this site. This
in no way claims to be the definitive word, just an attempt to help
explain the many delightful forms of swing dance!
Please don’t get hung up on labels—swing dance legend
Dean Collins is quoted as having said there are no styles, only
swing dance; he also claimed there were only two styles of dance:
good and bad!
Balboa, Bal-Swing
A form of swing dancing that emerged in the 1930s and ‘40s
on Balboa Peninsula in Southern California, classic Balboa is an
eight-count basic characterized by a distinct, shuffling motion
and intricate footwork; Bal-Swing incorporates open position with
more movement and a full complement of breaks and turns. While the
small footprint of the basic footwork means the dance is extremely
well suited to very fast tempos it is also danced to slower music,
which allows for more intricate patterns and variations. The compact
nature of the dance means it is useful on crowded dance floors.
Charleston
Named for the city of Charleston, South Carolina, the rhythm was
popularized by a 1923 tune called The Charleston by James P. Johnson.
Developed in Afro-American communities, the eight-count Charleston
quickly became a popular dance craze in the ‘20s. The syncopated
hot jazz of the 1920s produced a straight-up style that was danced
both as a solo and partner dance. In the 1930s and ‘40s, swing
and jazz music changed the look and feel of Charleston, with a lower
stretched-out look that is closely associated with Lindy Hop. As
musical tastes changed and rock and roll became popular in the 1950s,
Charleston disappeared from the dance floor.
Collegiate Shag
Six-count Shag was popular on college campuses in the 1920s, pre-dating
both Lindy Hop and Balboa. It became a national craze with college-age
dancers, and some wonderful examples can be seen in Vitaphone shorts
featuring the Artie Shaw Orchestra’s rendition of “Lady
Be Good.” Danced in a close closed position, it incorporates
many open positions with energetic variations. A fun, exuberant
dance, it is well suited to very fast tempos.
Dean Collins-Style Lindy
Named “Dancer of the Year” by New Yorker magazine in 1935,
Dean Collins moved from New Jersey to Southern California in 1936
where he developed a style of eight-count Lindy characterized by
smooth movement and tight footwork. Dean’s style can be seen
in many Hollywood movies and shorts, including 1941’s Hellzapoppin
and Buck Privates. Dean’s style has given way to a handful
of interpretations known variously as Smooth-Style and Hollywood-Style.
Hollywood-Style Lindy
Based on the smoother Lindy style of Dean Collins, Hollywood-Style
Lindy is the name coined by Los Angeles dancers Erik Robison and
Sylvia Skylar in the late 1990s. The distinctive silhouette of this
style emphasizes a piked position in which dancers look like they’re
about to perch on a stool, producing the look of a straight back
with a slightly forward tilt. Counterbalance between partners is
an important element; dancing the pattern along a track or slot
contributes to the smoother look.
Jitterbug
Originally a slang term for a drinker suffering from the DTs, Jitterbug
soon became synonymous with Lindy Hop. As musical styles changed
in the post-World War II era, eight-count patterns began to drop
out of swing dancing and only the six-count footwork remained. Today
many people think of Jitterbug as consisting of mostly six-count
circular patterns.
Lindy Hop
Originating in New York City in the late 1920s, Lindy Hop is an
African-American vernacular dance that became a national phenomenon
with America’s teenagers during the big band swing era 1935-1945.
“Shorty” George Snowden, one of the best dancers in Harlem
in the ‘20s and ‘30s is credited with having named the
dance after Charles Lindberg’s “hop” across the Atlantic
Ocean in 1927.
The dance is comprised of both six- and eight-count patterns. The
eight-count basic step in Lindy is known as the Swing Out or Whip
in which partners start in open position, come into closed position,
and release back into open position.
There are two major styles of Lindy: the original Savoy-Style, developing
in the late 1920s-early ‘30s at the Savoy Ballroom in Harlem,
is heavily Charleston-based and is danced in a circular fashion;
and the Hollywood-Style, Dean Collins-Style and Smooth-Style Lindy
is associated with the style originated in Southern California in
the late 1930s-early ‘40s.
Regardless of the style, it is important to note that the dance
is open to infinite variations, looks and feel in its execution.
Savoy-Style Lindy
Originating with the style developed by “Shorty” George
Snowden in the late 1920s, Savoy-Style Lindy incorporates elements
of the Charleston and the Breakaway with elements of jazz and tap
to create a swing dance that endures to this day. The dance flourished
during the big band swing era of 1935-1945 when it became a national
craze among America’s teens and is widely associated with Whitey’s
Lindy Hoppers, who along with Lindy Hop legend Frankie Manning brought
the dance to American audiences via live performances, tours with
the famous greats of big band swing music, and in movies.
The style is heavily rooted in Charleston and is characterized by
a circular horizontal look incorporating outward kicks and movement.
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