OMG where to start?! Here’s a super small snack-sized overview of swing dancing. Further reading, research and youtubing is very much recommended! Then, the only thing left for you to do is to come out and try it for yourself.
History
Swing dancing consists of a family of surviving forms that originally came out of the 1920 – 1940’s era of swing-style jazz music. Most of the styles have their roots in African American dance and along the way, have collected influences from further afield. There’s so much history to swing; we highly recommend further reading!
Styles
Over the past 100 years there’ve been countless styles (and sub-styles) associated with Swing. Those which have endured and that we dance regularly today are Lindy Hop, Balboa, Charleston, Shag, Vernacular Jazz and Blues. Read about them here.
Etiquette
Swing dancing is a social experience that should always be fun. Essentially, swing etiquette is about bringing common sense and consideration to a space. Here are some things you can do to make it as enjoyable as possible for everyone involved.
Code of conduct
For the dance scene to thrive, everyone needs to feel safe. There are some lines that should not be crossed and here’s a Code of Conduct to help you navigate them, if you ever need to.
