Swing Dance

Swing dance is a family of lively partner dances that grew up alongside swing jazz music in the United States, in the 1920s, 1930s and 1940s. The best known styles are the Lindy Hop and the Charleston. It's bouncy, playful and full of spins, kicks and improvised moves, and it was made for having fun on a crowded dance floor.

The Charleston is the one with the famous swivelling feet and kicks. You can dance it solo, side by side or with a partner, and it's a brilliant way into swing.

The Lindy Hop was born in the dance halls of Harlem, New York. It mixes eight-count and six-count patterns, and its signature move is the swing out, where partners stretch apart and whip back together.

Balboa is small, smooth and close, made for fast music and packed dance floors. East Coast Swing and Jitterbug are simpler, bouncier styles that are easy to pick up. Solo jazz, sometimes called authentic jazz, uses the same steps without a partner.

Your Activity Leader starts with a warm-up and the basic footwork, like the rock step and the triple step, counted out slowly until your feet stop arguing with each other. Then you add the music, pair up and learn how to lead and follow, which is really just a friendly conversation through your hands. Partners usually swap around, so you'll dance with lots of people. By the end you'll have a short routine, and possibly a flash mob in you.

Very. Swing was always a social dance for ordinary people, not a stage show, so it's built to be learned quickly. You don't need a partner, dance shoes or any rhythm you're aware of. Mistakes are part of the fun, and a wobbly spin done with a big smile still counts. Plenty of people turn up sure they can't dance and leave asking where the nearest swing night is.

Wear something comfortable that lets you move and spin. Flat shoes with a bit of slide are ideal, and trainers work fine. Vintage outfits are welcome but entirely optional. Braces, bow ties and big skirts will, however, be admired.

You might also like Burlesque, Bollywood Dance and Afrobeats Dance.

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