Lindy Hop is an African American dance that evolved in New York City in 1927. African American dances in the vernacular tradition (academically known as "African American vernacular dance" are those dances which have developed within African The City of New York It is a fusion of many dances that preceded it or were popular during its development but is mainly based on jazz, tap, breakaway and charleston. Jazz dance is an umbrella term that can refer to several related dance styles Tap dance was developed in the United States during the nineteenth century and is popular nowadays in many parts of the world From 1919 to 1927 Breakaway was a popular Swing dance developed from the Texas Tommy and Charleston in Harlem 's African American The Charleston is a Dance named for the city of Charleston South Carolina. Lindy Hop co-evolved with jazz music and is a member of the swing dance family. Jazz is an American Musical art form which originated in the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States The term " swing dance " commonly refers to a group of dances that developed concurrently with the swing style of Jazz music in the 1920s '30s and '40s although It is frequently described as a jazz or street dance. Jazz dance is an umbrella term that can refer to several related dance styles Street dance, also called vernacular dance is an umbrella term used to describe Dance styles that evolved outside of Dance studios in everyday spaces

In its development, Lindy Hop combined elements of both solo and partner dancing by using the movements and improvisation of African dances along with the formal eight-count structure of European partner dances. Partner dances are the Dances whose basic choreography involves coordinated dancing of two partners as opposed to individuals dancing alone or individually This is most clearly illustrated in Lindy's basic step, the swingout. The swingout (also known as Lindy turn or whip) is the defining Dance move of Lindy Hop. In this step's open position each dancer improvises alone; in its closed position men and women dance together — a practice usually forbidden in African dances. In couples dancing open position refers to positions in which partners are connected primarily at the hands as opposed to closer body contact, as in Closed position Improvisation (also called extemporization) is the practice of acting singing talking and reacting of making and creating in the moment and in response to the stimulus of In partner dancing, closed position is a category of positions in which partners hold each other while facing at least approximately toward each other

Revived in the 1980s by American, Swedish, and British dancers, Lindy Hop dancers and organizations can now be found in North America, South America, Europe, Asia, and Oceania.

Contents 1 History 1.1 Swing era (1920s-1940s) 1.2 Revival (1980s and 1990s) 2 Today (2000 to present) 3 Mass media 4 References 5 Further reading 6 See also 7 External links

History

Main article: History of Lindy Hop

Swing era (1920s-1940s)

Born in African American communities in Harlem, New York in the United States from about 1927 into the early 1930s from four possible sources: the breakaway, the charleston, the Texas Tommy, and the hop. The History of Lindy Hop begins in the African American communities of Harlem, New York during the late 1920s in conjunction with African Americans or Black Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have origins in any of the black populations of Africa Harlem is a neighborhood in the New York City borough of Manhattan, long known as a major African American cultural and business center New York ( is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States and is the nation's third most populous The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Year 1927 ( MCMXXVII) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The 1930s were described as an abrupt shift to more radical and conservative lifestyles as countries were struggling to find a solution to the Great Depression. From 1919 to 1927 Breakaway was a popular Swing dance developed from the Texas Tommy and Charleston in Harlem 's African American The Charleston is a Dance named for the city of Charleston South Carolina. The Texas Tommy was a hit around 1910 at a Negro cabaret Purcell's on the Barbary Coast ^[1] Of these, only the breakaway and the charleston continue to be danced, and the historical influence of the Texas Tommy and the hop is rarely cited and often disputed. The 'first generation' of Lindy Hop is popularly associated with dancers such as "Shorty" George Snowden, his partner: Big Bea, and Leroy Stretch Jones. "Shorty" George Snowden was an African American dancer in Harlem during the 1920s and 1930s "Shorty" George and Big Bea regularly won contests at the Savoy Ballroom. The Savoy Ballroom located in Harlem, New York City, was a medium sized ballroom for Music and public Dancing that was in operation from 1926 Their dancing accentuated the difference in size with Big Bea towering over Shorty. ^[2]

In 1935, "Shorty" George Snowden was unseated by a twenty year old dancer named Frankie Manning. Year 1935 ( MCMXXXV) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Frankie Manning (b May 26, 1914) is an American Dancer instructor and Choreographer. Manning heralded a new generation of Lindy Hoppers, and is the most celebrated Lindy Hopper in history. Al Minns and Leon James, and Norma Miller also feature prominently in contemporary histories of Lindy Hop. Al Minns ( 1 January 1920 &ndash 24 April 1985) born Albert Mills, was a prominent American Lindy Hop and Jazz dancer Norma Miller (born December 2, 1919 in Harlem, New York) is an American swing Dancer known to many people as Frankie Manning, working with his partner Freida Washington, invented the ground-breaking 'Air Step' or 'aerial' in 1935. Frankie Manning (b May 26, 1914) is an American Dancer instructor and Choreographer. An aerial (or air step) is a Dance move in Lindy Hop where one's feet leave the floor Year 1935 ( MCMXXXV) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. An Air Step is a dance move in which at least one of the partners' two feet leave the ground in a dramatic, acrobatic style and most importantly it is done in time with the music. This type of move is now widely associated with the characterization of lindy hop, however, air steps have historically been reserved primarily for competition or performance dancing, and are generally not executed on any social dance floor.

The Lindy Hop is popularly thought to get its name from famed aviator Charles Lindbergh, nicknamed "Lucky Lindy" in 1926. WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout Year 1926 ( MCMXXVI) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. ^[3] After Lindberg's solo non-stop flight from New York to Paris in which he "hopped" the Atlantic, Shorty George Snowden was dancing in a marathon contest at the Manhattan Casino in Harlem when a reporter asked him what dance he was doing. "Shorty" George Snowden was an African American dancer in Harlem during the 1920s and 1930s Harlem is a neighborhood in the New York City borough of Manhattan, long known as a major African American cultural and business center The headlines in the newspapers had stated "Lindy hops the Atlantic", so he told the reporter, "I'm doing the Lindy Hop. "^[4]

Lindy Hop entered mainstream American culture in the 1930s, popularised by touring dance troupes (including the Whitey's Lindy Hoppers, which were also known as the Harlem Congaroos, Hot Chocolates and Big Apple Dancers), dance sequences in films (such as Hellzapoppin' and A Day at the Races) and dance studios (such as those of Arthur Murray and Irene and Vernon Castle). Whitey's Lindy Hoppers was a professional performing group of Savoy Ballroom swing dancers started in 1935 by Herbert "Whitey" White A Day at the Races ( 1937) is the seventh movie starring the three Marx Brothers, with Margaret Dumont, Allan Jones Arthur Murray ( April 4, 1895 &ndash March 3, 1991) was a Dance instructor and Businessman, whose name is most often associated Vernon and Irene Castle were a husband-and-wife team of Ballroom dancers of the early 20th century Lindy Hop's movement to the west coast of the United States is popularly associated with Dean Collins, who brought Lindy Hop to Los Angeles after (according to popular opinion) learning it at the Savoy Ballroom in New York. Note For the actor with the same name see Dean Collins (actor. Los Angeles (lɑˈsændʒələs los ˈaŋxeles in Spanish) is the largest City in the state of California and the American West The Savoy Ballroom located in Harlem, New York City, was a medium sized ballroom for Music and public Dancing that was in operation from 1926

Lindy Hop moved off-shore in the 1930s and 40s, again in films and news reels, but also with American troops stationed overseas, particularly in the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, and other allied nations. The 1940s decade ran from 1940 to 1949 Events and trends The 1940s was a period between the radical 1930s and the conservative 1950s which also leads the period to be The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Australia topics. New Zealand is an Island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses (the North Island and the South Island In general allies are people groups or nations that have joined together in an association for mutual benefit or to achieve some common purpose Despite their banned status in countries such as Germany, Lindy Hop and jazz were also popular in other European countries during this period. Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany ( ˈbʊndəsʁepuˌbliːk ˈdɔʏtʃlant is a Country in Central Europe.

Lindy Hop disappeared from popular culture in the 1950s as rock and roll music and dancing replaced jazz, and jazz itself moved towards hard bop and cool. The 1950s Decade refers to the years of 1950 to 1959 inclusive Rock and roll (also known as rock 'n' roll) is a form of Music that evolved in the United States in the late 1940s and early 1950s with roots in mostly African Hard bop is a style of Jazz that is an extension of Bebop (or "bop" music Cool jazz is a Jazz style that emerged in the late 1940s in New York City.

Revival (1980s and 1990s)

In the 1980s American and European dancers from California, New York, London, and Sweden (such as Sylvia Sykes, Erin Stevens, Steven Mitchell, Terry Monaghan and Warren Heyes who formed London's Jiving Lindy Hoppers performance troupe, and Stockholm's Rhythm Hot Shots / Harlem Hot Shots) went about 'reviving' Lindy Hop using archival films such as Hellzapoppin' and A Day at the Races and by contacting dancers such as Frankie Manning, Al Minns, Norma Miller, Jewel McGowan and Dean Collins. Sylvia Sykes is a swing dance instructor judge and choreographer The Hot Shots is a collective name for two closely related Swedish dance companies based in Stockholm, Sweden: The Rhythm Hot Shots and A Day at the Races ( 1937) is the seventh movie starring the three Marx Brothers, with Margaret Dumont, Allan Jones Frankie Manning (b May 26, 1914) is an American Dancer instructor and Choreographer. Al Minns ( 1 January 1920 &ndash 24 April 1985) born Albert Mills, was a prominent American Lindy Hop and Jazz dancer Norma Miller (born December 2, 1919 in Harlem, New York) is an American swing Dancer known to many people as Jewel McGowan was a dancer of Lindy Hop, a form of swing dance, in the 1940s and 1950s Note For the actor with the same name see Dean Collins (actor. In the mid-to-late 1990s the popularity of neo swing music of the swing revival stimulated mainstream interest in the dance. The Swing Revival was a late 1990s and early 2000s period of renewed popular interest in swing and Jump blues music and dance from the 1930s and 1940s as The dance was propelled to wide visibility after it was featured in the popular 1993 movie Swing Kids, 1996 movie Swingers and 1998 television commercials for GAP. Swing Kids is a Film produced in 1993 and directed by Thomas Carter. Swingers is a film released in 1996 about the lives of single unemployed Actors living on the 'eastside' of Hollywood California during the 1990s The Gap Incorporated ( is an American clothing and accessories retailer based in San Francisco California, and founded in 1969 by Donald Fisher The popularity led to the founding of local Lindy Hop dance communities in many cities.

Today (2000 to present)

Main article: Lindy Hop today

While the United States is home to the largest number of Lindy Hoppers in the world, there are thriving communities throughout Europe (including Slovenia, Russia, the Ukraine, Hungary, Estonia and other Eastern European countries, Belgium, England, Scotland, Ireland, Spain, France, the Netherlands, Denmark, Finland, Sweden, Switzerland, Germany and Lithuania), in Australia, Canada, Iceland, New Zealand, China, Japan, Korea, Singapore and Buenos Aires, Argentina. Lindy hop is only one of many Swing dances popular today and there are thriving local communities throughout the world Slovenia, officially the Republic of Slovenia (Republika Slovenija) is a Country in southern Central Europe bordering Italy to the west Russia (Россия Rossiya) or the Russian Federation ( Rossiyskaya Federatsiya) is a transcontinental Country extending Ukraine (Україна Ukrayina, /ukrɑˈjinɑ/ is a country in Eastern Europe. Hungary (Magyarország 'mɔɟɔrorsaːg) officially in English the Republic of Hungary ( Magyar Köztársaság, literally Magyar (Hungarian Republic Estonia, officially the Republic of Estonia ( Eesti or Eesti Vabariik) is a Country in Northern Europe in the Baltic region Eastern Europe is a general term that refers to the Geopolitical region encompassing the easternmost part of the European continent. The Kingdom of Belgium is a Country in northwest Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts its headquarters as well as those England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland Scotland ( Gaelic: Alba) is a Country in northwest Europethat occupies the northern third of the island of Great Britain. Ireland (pronounced /ˈaɾlənd/ Éire) is the third largest island in Europe, and the twentieth-largest island in the world Spain () or the Kingdom of Spain (Reino de España is a country located mostly in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. The Netherlands ( Dutch:, ˈnedərlɑnt is the European part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, which consists of the Netherlands the Netherlands The Kingdom of Denmark ( ˈd̥ænmɑɡ̊ (archaic ˈd̥anmɑːɡ̊ commonly known as Denmark, is a country in the Scandinavian region of northern Europe Finland, officially the Republic of Finland ( is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of northern Europe. "Sverige" redirects here For other uses see Sweden (disambiguation and Sverige (disambiguation. Switzerland (English pronunciation; Schweiz Swiss German: Schwyz or Schwiiz Suisse Svizzera Svizra officially the Swiss Confederation Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany ( ˈbʊndəsʁepuˌbliːk ˈdɔʏtʃlant is a Country in Central Europe. Lithuania, officially the Republic of Lithuania (Lietuvos Respublika is a Country in Eastern often referred to as Northern Europe or in the For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Australia topics. Country to "Dominion of Canada" or "Canadian Federation" or anything else please read the Talk Page Iceland, officially the Republic of Iceland ( ( Ísland or Lýðveldið Ísland ( New Zealand is an Island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses (the North Island and the South Island China ( Wade-Giles ( Mandarin) Chung¹kuo² is a cultural region, an ancient Civilization, and depending on perspective a National For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Japan topics. Korea is a geographic area composed of two sovereign countries a civilization and a former state situated on the Korean Peninsula in East Asia. Singapore Buenos Aires is the Capital and largest city of Argentina. It is geographically located on the southern shore of the Río de la Plata, on the southeastern For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Argentina topics. The small village of Herräng in Sweden (north of Stockholm) has unofficially become the international mecca of Lindy Hop thanks to the annual Herräng Dance Camp run by the Harlem Hot Shots, which celebrated its 25th year in 2007, and where Frankie Manning has taught every year since 1989. Herräng is the northernmost locality ( Tätort) (pop 430 in 2006 of Norrtälje Municipality and Stockholm County, Sweden. ('stɔkhɔlm is Sweden 's Capital and its largest City. It is the site of the national Swedish government, the parliament, and the Herräng Dance Camp (commonly abbreviated HDC, officially Herräng Dance Camp Aktiebolag) is the largest annual dance camp that focuses on African American jazz dances The Hot Shots is a collective name for two closely related Swedish dance companies based in Stockholm, Sweden: The Rhythm Hot Shots and Frankie Manning (b May 26, 1914) is an American Dancer instructor and Choreographer.

Lindy Hop tends to be concentrated in small local scenes in different cities in each of these countries, although regional, national, and international dance events bring dancers from many of these scenes together. It is worth noting that the local swing dance communities in each city and country (for whom Lindy Hop is almost always the most important dance) feature different local cultures, though they do share common general traditions and practices.

Many Internet forums have emerged in these dance scenes. An, or message board, is a Bulletin board system in the form of a discussion site These message boards serve to provide information to dancers about Lindy Hop and dance events in the geographic area. Yehoodi has become the largest of these and now caters to an international audience, although many smaller local forums (such as Swingmonkey) also exist. Yehoodi was founded in September 1998 by Manu Smith and Frank Dellario Local swing dance related Internet forums often reflect the local variations in scenes' cultures and dancing. Because swing dancers travel to dance quite regularly, Internet forums are an important medium for communication between local scenes, and for dancers visiting a particular city or country.

Lindy Hop today is danced as a social dance, as a competitive dance, as a performance dance, and in classes and workshops. Social dance is a major category or classification of Danceforms or dance styles where sociability and socializing are the primary focuses of the dancing Competitive dance is a popular widespread activity in which competitors perform dances in any of several permitted dance styles—such as acro, Ballet, jazz Concert dance (also known as performance dance and theatre dance (particularly in the United Kingdom) is a category of Dances which is performed In each, partners may dance alone or together, with improvisation a central part of social dancing and many performance and competition pieces. Improvisation (also called extemporization) is the practice of acting singing talking and reacting of making and creating in the moment and in response to the stimulus of Solo sequences in Lindy Hop are sometimes executed as part of a partner dance when one or both of the partner initiates a "breakaway" causing the partners to separate their connection and dance solo with each other using (if at all) visual lead and follow cues. These sequences may include charleston moves, traditional jazz dance moves (such as boogie steps, Shorty George, Suzie Q, etcetera) and contemporary jazz and modern dance movements. The Charleston is a Dance named for the city of Charleston South Carolina. Suzie Q (or Suzy Q) is the name of a dance step in the Big Apple, Lindy Hop, and other dances

Mass media

Lindy Hop has been featured in the mass media since its inception.

In the 1953 episode of I Love Lucy called "Lucy Has Her Eyes Examined", Lucy dances Lindy Hop with a "cool cat" dance partner in a showcase at Ricky's nightclub but can't do the dance properly due to the dilating eyedrops the eye doctor gave her. I Love Lucy is an American Situation comedy, starring Lucille Ball, Desi Arnaz, Vivian Vance and William Frawley

Lindy Hop is featured in the music video for Marilyn Manson's Mobscene

Lindy Hop can be seen in the 2007 music video to Christina Aguilera's song Candyman. A music video is a Short film or video that accompanies a complete piece of music most commonly a Song with lyrics Brian Hugh Warner (born January 5, 1969) better known by his Stage name Marilyn Manson, is an American Musician and " Mobscene " trademarked as " mOBSCENE " is the inaugural single taken from the 2003 album The Golden Age of Grotesque by A music video is a Short film or video that accompanies a complete piece of music most commonly a Song with lyrics Christina María Aguilera (born December 18 1980 is an American pop / R&B Singer and Songwriter. " Candyman " is a swing jazz song written by Christina Aguilera and Linda Perry for Aguilera's third studio album Back to Basics

The Lindy Hop was the dance Homer Simpson performed as a panda in The Simpsons episode 'Homer vs Dignity' season 12.

The Harlem Lindy Hop dance club and zoot suit culture forms a colourful backdrop in the early part of Spike Lee's film Malcolm X, starring Denzel Washington. Harlem is a neighborhood in the New York City borough of Manhattan, long known as a major African American cultural and business center A Zoot suit (also spelled Zuit Suit) is a suit with high-waisted wide-legged tight-cuffed pegged trousers and a long coat with wide lapels and wide padded Shelton Jackson "Spike" Lee (born March 20 1957 is an Emmy Award -winning and Academy Award -nominated American Film director, Malcolm X (born Malcolm Little; May 19 1925 February 21 1965 also known as El-Hajj Malik El- Shabazz, was an African American Denzel Hayes Washington Jr (born December 28 1954) is an American Actor and director. Spike Lee's character is called "Shorty". Shelton Jackson "Spike" Lee (born March 20 1957 is an Emmy Award -winning and Academy Award -nominated American Film director,

References

Further reading

• Clark, Christopher. "Herman's Magic Socks: The History of the Magic Socks Dance Movement".
• DeFrantz, Thomas. Dancing Many Drums: Excavations in African American Dance. Wisconsin: University of Wisconsin Press, 2001.
• Emery, Lynne Fauley. Black Dance in the United States from 1619 to 1970. California: National Press Books, 1972.
• Friedland, LeeEllen. "Social Commentary in African-American Movement Performance. " Human Action Signs in Cultural Context: The Visible and the Invisible in Movement and Dance. Ed. Brenda Farnell. London: Scarecrow Press, 1995. 136 - 57.
• Gottschild, Brenda Dixon. Digging the Africanist Presence in American Performance. Connecticut and London: Greenwood Press, 1996.
• Hazzard-Gordon, Katrina. Jookin': The Rise of Social Dance Formations in African-American Culture. Philadelphia: Temple University Press, 1990.
• Jackson, Jonathan David. "Improvisation in African-American Vernacular Dancing. " Dance Research Journal 33. 2 (2001/2002): 40 - 53.
• Malone, Jacqui. Steppin' on the Blues: The Visible Rhythms of African American Dance. Urbana and Chicago: University of Illinois Press, 1996.
• Manning, Frankie; Cynthia R. Frankie Manning (b May 26, 1914) is an American Dancer instructor and Choreographer. Millman (2007). Frankie Manning: Ambassador of Lindy Hop. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: Temple University Press. ISBN 1-59213-563-3.  
• Stearns, Marshall, and Jean Stearns. Jazz Dance: The Story of American Vernacular Dance. 3rd ed. New York: Da Capo Press, 1994.
• Szwed, John F. , and Morton Marks. "The Afro-American Transformation of European Set Dances and Dance Suites. " Dance Research Journal 20. 1 (1988): 29 - 36.
• Thomas, Amy. "Infinity Dance: The Move That Never Ends". California: National Press Books, 2006
• Batchelor, Christian, This Thing Called Swing. Christian Batchelor Books, 1997,(ISBN 0-9530631-0-0)

See also

• Frankie Manning
• Swing dance
• Hollywood-style Lindy Hop
• Savoy-style Lindy Hop
• Lindy Exchange
• Jitterbug
• Yehoodi
• Hop

External links

• Savoystyle Archives of early Lindy Hop - resource for Lindy Hop history, sanctioned by Frankie Manning
• Dancehistory.orgresource for Jazz Dance history

• Lindy Hop Terms
• Collection of Lindy Hop videos

Frankie Manning (b May 26, 1914) is an American Dancer instructor and Choreographer. The term " swing dance " commonly refers to a group of dances that developed concurrently with the swing style of Jazz music in the 1920s '30s and '40s although Hollywood-style Lindy Hop is a variety of Lindy Hop, an American vernacular Dance. Savoy-style Lindy Hop is the term used to describe Lindy Hop associated with African American dancers who frequented the Savoy Ballroom in Harlem in See also Lindy hop A lindy exchange is a gathering of Lindy hop dancers in one city for several days to experience the Dance venues and styles Jitterbug can be used as a Noun to refer to a swing dancer or various types of Swing dances e Yehoodi was founded in September 1998 by Manu Smith and Frank Dellario Frankie Manning (b May 26, 1914) is an American Dancer instructor and Choreographer.

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