Swing Dance: The History And History Of Swing Music

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Swing Dance

Group 2: Brandon Wong, Robin Massowd, Meredith Seamon, Savannah McEntire, Johannah Robert, Renee Wilson, Kelcie Melino, Kara Shifflett, Natalie Perez, Gabrielle Slais, Arian Shahbazi, Katie Parker

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History:

Swing dance, as it called today, originated in the 1920's when the African American community in Harlem, New York developed the Charleston and Lindy Hop while dancing to contemporary jazz music. In comparison to previous dance styles, swing dance, which is usually done to jazz music, had great and large movements. The Savoy Ballroom, which opened its doors in New York City during 1926, was one of the first places where swing dance came alive to the sounds of swinging jazz music played by the best black bands in Harlem (Heikkila) . Nicknamed "the home of happy feet", the Savoy is historically significant for being one of the first racially integrated public places in the country, breaking many barriers through the love of swing dancing and jazz (www.savoyplaque.org). Swing dancing in the Savoy was characterized as being a "very fast, jumpy casual style of dancing" and became it's own notable style popularized in the 1930's and 1940's (Heikkila).

The Lindy Hop is named after the pilot Charles Lindbergh and his successful journey across the Atlantic Ocean in 1927. A dance enthusiast in the Harlem dance scene, "Shorty George" Snowden, was interviewed and asked what type of dance couples on a nearby dance floor were performing and from a nearby newspaper headline stating "Lindy Hops the Atlantic" he named what is now one of the most popular forms of swing dance (Heikkila). In 1936, the Lindy Hop was sweeping the nation but received some initial negative reception from dance teachers and organizatio...

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