CSU Swing dance Society
Colorado State University's Swing Dancing Club
Different Types of Swing
A lot of different kinds of dances fall under the more general title of swing, so what do we mean when we say swing? The general term "swing dancing" refers to any dance that developed from the style of jazz music. It features syncopated rhythms: rhythms that fall between each beat. The most common interpretation of this syncopation is the "triple step" that is integral in many types of swing dancing, though not all types do include the triple step. Almost all types of swing dancing are lead-follow dances (excepting solo Charleston), which means they aren't choreographed, but are rather improvised by the lead and the follow based on set basic patterns. The three main types of swing dancing are Lindy Hop, East Coast Swing and West Coast Swing. Other types of swing dancing include Jitterbug, Charleston, Balboa and Shag. Here at CSU Swing Society, you'll mostly find Lindy Hop, Jitterbug and Charleston.
Lindy Hop
Lindy Hop originated in Harlem, New York in the early 1920s and is known as the grandaddy of swing, as most of the modern variations of swing dancing evolved from Lindy Hop. It evolved from a mix of African American dances and European ballroom-style dances and originated in the Savoy ballroom, which was one of the few places where blacks and whites were allowed to dance together. Lindy Hop was named for Charles Lindbergh's "Hop" across the Atlantic in 1927; Shorty George Snowden, one of the original Lindy Hoppers, famously named the dance by calling it the Lindy Hop to a curious reporter, who went on to make the name stick.
Lindy Hop is danced to Big Band-era swing music and is characterized by 6- and 8-count patterns. Its signature move is the swingout, during which the lead brings his follow in from open position to closed position, pivots 180 degrees and swings his follow back out to open position. Lindy Hop also incorporates many different solo-type movements, including Charleston and Jazz steps, as well as "airsteps," or aerials, introduced by another of the original Lindy Hoppers: Frankie Manning.
Lindy Hop fell out of popularity after World War II, when the popular music began to shift more towards Be-Bop and Rock and Roll. However, it experienced a revival in the 70s and 80s when some of the original Lindy Hoppers were rediscovered, mostly through old films. Frankie Manning returned to the scene and helped teach the new swing dancers and a new era of Lindy Hopping was born.
East Coast Swing
East Coast Swing was developed out of Lindy Hop by dance studios in the 1940s. Dance studios felt that Lindy Hop was too wild and unstructured to teach beginner dancers, so they toned it down and structured it to make East Coast Swing. ECS is danced to much the same music as Lindy Hop and has similar movements, so it is now often taught as a precursor to Lindy Hop. East Coast Swing also has 6- and 8-count patterns, and its most basic rhythm is its 6-count "rock-step, step, step."
Jitterbug
The term "Jitterbug" doesn't refer to its own style of dance. Instead, each region differs in what dance they call "Jitterbug." Typically it is used to refer to more vintage dances, such as Lindy Hop or East Coast Swing. Here at CSU Swing Society, we use the term "Jitterbug" to refer to basic East Coast Swing and often teach it as a precursor to Lindy Hop.
Charleston
Charleston is so named for the harbor city of Charleston, South Carolina. Though similar styles have existed well before the 1920s, it was popularized by a 1923 show tune, "The Charleston," in the play Running Wild. It was particularly popular with the Flappers, and is danced to ragtime jazz music. It can be danced either solo or with a partner. It is characterized by an 8-count 4-step pattern performed in place and involving kicking the legs and swinging the arms. Its flexible basic step allows for great improvisation and styling.
West Coast Swing
West Coast Swing is the smooth, slower cousin to Lindy Hop. It was developed in California as a smoother alternative to the Savoy-style Lindy Hop in New York. It is danced in a linear slot and features 6- and 8-count patterns. It can be danced to a wide range of music, from Hip-Hop and Pop to Funk, Blues, and R&B. West Coast Swing focuses on musicality and improvisation and can incorporate many different styles of dance, making it one of the most versatile dances in the swing family.
Balboa
Balboa is a partner dance that originated in California, as early as 1915. It developed as a result of smaller ballrooms, where space was constricted and didn't allow for the wild kicks and moves of Charleston and Lindy Hop. As such, it is danced in a close embrace and its steps are very restricted, consisting of subtle weight shifts and shuffles which give the illusion of the couple floating across the floor. As its basic steps are very small, it can be danced to very fast music (even exceeding 300 beats per minute), or it can be danced to slower music (100 beats per minute) to allow for greater variation and styling. Most of the styling in Balboa stems from footwork variations.
There is another style of Balboa, called Bal-swing, which is a combination of spins, turns, dips, tricks, and even aerials. Anything goes, as long as the framework, feeling, and style of the dance remain true to the original Balboa style.
Shag
Shag used to be the blanket term for any number of swing dances in the 1930s, and as such, the origins of modern shag are hard to pinpoint. There are a few different evolutions of shag: St. Louis shag, Carolina shag, and Collegiate shag.
Collegiate shag originated as a street dance in the 1920s in North Carolina, but was standardized by and taught in dance studios in the 1930s. Its early days are hazy, as it was known by many different names before it was standardized, including the "flea hop." It is characterized by hops, kicks, lunges and shuffles. It is so named for its popularity among college-aged kids at the time. The basic steps of Collegiate shag consist of 6-count patterns. Collegiate shag is believed to have been the precursor to Carolina shag.
Carolina shag is the official state dance of South Carolina, and North Carolina's State Popular Dance. It is a smoother type of shag and is rooted in the cross-pollination of black music and club dancers. It combines nimble footwork with upbeat rhythm 'n' blues music (known as beach music) and evolved on the coasts of North and South Carolina. It was originally known as "Jitterbug;" the term "Shag" wasn't coined until the 1950s. The basic steps of Carolina shag consist of 8-count patterns.