Carolina Shag Dancing
A very popular Swing style from Virginia down the Carolinas into areas of Georgia. Most often danced to “Beach Music” performed by such groups as the Tams, The Embers, The Drifters, and a wide range of “Motown” recording artists. The dance showcases the man and resembles West Coast Swing with the same slot movement, shuffles, coaster steps, and pronounced lean resulting in roll of the partner movement. The music tempo is slow to medium and can be danced comfortably by all ages.
CHARLESTON DANCING
Originated in the early 1920’s in illegal drinking places during the time of prohibition. The combination of a particular type of Jazz music and the highly polished, slippery floors of the Speakeasies gave rise to an in and out flicking of the feet which essentially characterized the dance. It was theatricized and embellished with typical Vaudeville moves in a Ziegfield Follies production in 1921. It has since been feature in many films and theater productions, its most blatant revival being its utilization within the Broadway musical “The Boy Friend.
Lindy Hop Dancing
Named by Ray Bolger after Colonel Lindbergh’s flight across the Atlantic. This Swing had as much “getting into the air” as possible. However, the violently acrobatic style use for exhibitions is not the same as the quietly rhythmic Lindy enjoyed by good dancers on the ballroom floor. The rhythmic patterns takes place over two measures of music. The more acrobatic version were limited to ballrooms of which the most famous was the New York’s Savoy Harlem. At one time the Jitterbug included the Charleston, Black bottom, Shag and the Lindy Hop. It has now been consolidated in Lindy Hop in the Eastern United States and the West Coast Swing on the West Coast.
Balboa Dancing
A form of Swing popularized during the 1950’s in California.
Jive Dancing
International competitive Swing dance with elements of the Lindy Hop and Jitterbug. Characterized by up tempo single time music danced with triple steps done primarily on the toes with very lively movement.
Rock & Roll
A popular form of the Swing or Lindy Hop. Began as dance in the 1950’s who were fans of artists like Bill Haley and The Comets followed by Elvis Presley. It continued into the 1960’s with artists like the Beatles.
Shag Dancing
Not to be confused with the Carolina Shag which is a slow laid back type of Swing, it became popular in the late 1930’s along with the Jitterbug and Lindy Hop. The dance was done to up-tempo swing or Foxtrot music and was instantly recognizable by the flicking of the feet backward and a pronounced hopping action.
Swing Dancing
Aver y popular blend of several African American dances, which include Lindy and Ragtime Jazz and Blues, was well as all the other dance music to accompanying dances of the past ninety years. Today it generally refers to the ballroom and nightclub version, which is based on two slow and two quick counts or the slow and two quick counts of rhythm dances.
West Coast Swing
A stylized Swing dance popular west of the Mississippi from Kansas to California. Danced to slow to medium Swing or Disco music and characterized by slot movements, taps and shuffles, coaster steps, and push and pull action of the dancers.
Jitterbug
A toned down version of a Lindy Hop, which is faster and happier than the American Rock ‘n’ Roll Swing.