Galway Swing Steps and Styles
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The Lindy Hop.
Forerunner and mother of all swing dances. Originated in the Harlem ballrooms mainly during the 30s and early 40s. Disappeared more or less in the decades to follow but experienced a revival starting about 25 years ago. Today spread more or less all over the world and brought to new heights by a vital and innovative young generation of dancers.
In its development Lindy Hop combined elements of both solo and partner dancing by using the movements and improvisation of African dances along with the formal 8-count structure of European partner dances. This is most clearly illustrated in Lindy's basic step, the swingout. In this step's open position each dancer improvises alone, and in its closed position men and women dance together - a practice usually forbidden in African dances.
The Lindy Hop is popularly thought to get its name from famed aviator Charles Lindbergh's nickname "Lucky Lindy" coined by the news media after his 1927 solo non-stop flight from New York to Paris in which he "hopped" the Atlantic, making him an overnight international celebrity.
The king of swing, the Lindy Hop is perhaps the most famous, and definitely most breath-taking of all the swing steps. Below is a brief description of the basic Lindy Hop movements.
Lindy Hop - Swing-Out from closed position:
- Leads:
- Beats 1 & 2 - From a closed position, rock back left and forward right.
- Beats 3 & 4 - Triple step around in front of the follow, blocking their forward movement.
- Beats 5 & 6 - Swing the follow out, pivoting on your left foot and stepping onto your right to give the follow direction. Step your left foot on 6 to head out to an open position.
- Beats 7 & 8 - Triple step in place preparing for the next Swing-Out / Lindy Hop.
- Follows:
- Beats 1 & 2 - Rock back right foot, forward left.
- Beats 3 & 4 - Triple step in place. You should have some forward direction from the lead, but will feel the lead coming around blocking your direction.
- Beats 5 & 6 - Swing-out past the lead left foot, right foot. Follow the lead's direction. Head where the lead places you.
- Beats 7 & 8 - Triple step in place, preparing for the lead of the next Swing-Out / Lindy Hop.
Lindy Hop - Swing-Out from an open position:
- Leads:
- Beats 1 & 2 - From open position, rock back left foot and forward right. Lead the follow forward to bring them into a closed position. It is up to the lead (in consideration of the follow) as to when the follow is lead in.
- Beats 3 & 4 - Triple step into a closed position, ensuring good connection with the follow with your right arm finding their upper back.
- Beats 5 & 6 - Swing your partner out pivoting left foot and stepping right, then stepping beat 6 toward your start position.
- Beats 7 & 8 - Triple step in place, preparing for your next Swing-Out / Lindy Hop.
- Follows:
- Beats 1 & 2 - Step right foot / left foot, following the lead for direction and timing of forward movement.
- Beats 3 & 4 - Triple step into a closed position, connecting with the lead's left hand to their right shoulder.
- Beats 5 & 6 - Swing-Out from your partner's left foot / right foot. Follow the lead in terms of direction for the swing i.e. they may over swing you, under swing you, swing you in a straight line back to your start position etc.
- Beats 7 & 8 - Triple step in place preparing for the next Swing-Out / Lindy Hop.
Lindy Hop Circle:
- Leads:
- Beats 1 & 2 - From open position, rock back left foot and forward right. Lead the follow forward (as in the Swing-Out from open) preparing for a closed position.
- Beats 3 & 4 - Triple step into a closed position, beginning a slight clock-wise rotation.
- Beats 5 & 6 - Holding the follow in a closed position, continue to rotate clock-wise stepping through the space between yourself and the follow with your right foot, then uncrossing your feet opening with your left.
- Beats 7 & 8 - Still holding the follow in a closed position, triple step into your final position and prepare for another rock-step to move into your next Swing-Out / Lindy Hop variation.
- Follows:
- Beats 1 & 2 - From open position, step right foot / left foot, following the rules for direction and timing as mentioned in the Swing-Out from open position description.
- Beats 3 & 4 - Triple step into a closed position. At this point you will feel the lead rotating into a circular movement. Place your left hand on the lead's right shoulder as you would for a Swing-Out.
- Beats 5 & 6 - As opposed to a Swing-Out, at this point the lead will hold you in a closed position and continue to rotate with you.
- Beats 7 & 8 - Triple step with the lead and prepare for a rock-step (as in a Swing-Out from closed position mentioned above) to move into your next Swing-Out / Lindy Hop variation.
Six Beat Lindy Hop
An evolution of the Foxtrot and Charleston, and inspiration for a number of dance forms known today including East Coast Swing, Rock and Roll and Jive.
Six-beat Lindy Hop in a closed position:
- Leads:
- Beats 1 & 2 - Rock back left foot, forward right foot.
- Beats 3 & 4 - Triple step or Hold step, finishing beat 4 with your weight on your left foot.
- Beats 5 & 6 - Triple step or Hold step, finishing beat 6 with your weight on your right foot and preparing to rock back on your left again to commence another six-beat Lindy Hop move, Charleston or Swing-Out.
- Follows:
- Beats 1 & 2 - Rock back right foot, forward left foot.
- Beats 3 & 4 - Triple step or Hold step, finishing beat 4 with your weight on your right foot.
- Beats 5 & 6 - Triple step or Hold step, finishing beat 6 with your weight on your left foot and preparing to rock back on your right again to commence another six-beat Lindy Hop move, Charleston or Swing-Out.
Six-beat Lindy Hop turn to open:
- Leads:
- Beats 1 & 2 - From closed position, rock back left foot, forward right foot.
- Beats 3 & 4 - Triple step or Hold step, finishing beat 4 with your weight on your left foot.
- Beats 5 & 6 - Time to swing the follow out in an underarm or free turn. Guide the follow forward and clock-wise using your right arm, and either raise your left hand (for an under-arm turn) or release the follow's right hand (for an open turn). Your footwork will consist of a Triple step or hold step, finishing beat 6 with your weight on your right foot, preparing to rock back with your left foot and ready to lead the lady into a further six-beat Lindy Hop movement or Swing-Out.
- Follows:
- Beats 1 & 2 - From closed position, rock back right foot, forward left foot.
- Beats 3 & 4 - Triple step or Hold step, finishing beat 4 with your weight on your right foot.
- Beats 5 & 6 - At this point you will feel the guidance from the lead as to the direction and timing of your turn. Turn with a triple step or pivot step, finishing with your weight on your left foot. Prepare to step with your right foot on beat 1. You must follow the lead in terms of direction as from this position the lead has a number of options in terms of further six-beat Lindy Hop or eight-beat Lindy Hop / Swing-Out to choose from.
Six-beat Lindy Hop from open to closed position:
- Leads:
- Beats 1 & 2 - From open position, rock back left, forward right. At this point you will also give the follow some guidance as to whether to rock back, step in place or come forward.
- Beats 3 & 4 - Encourage the follow to come forward, toward a closed position. You may rotate clock-wise a little of you wish. Use Triple steps or Hold steps, finishing beat 4 on your left foot.
- Beats 5 & 6 - Hold the follow in a closed position as you complete another set of Triple steps or Hold step, finishing beat 6 on your right foot and preparing to swing your left foot back to commence another six-beat Lindy Hop, Swing-Out or Charleston.
- Follows:
- Beats 1 & 2 - Step right foot, left foot, obeying the lead as to whether to rock back, step in place or step forward.
- Beats 3 & 4 - You should feel the lead bringing into a closed position. Triple step or Hold step, coming together and preparing to place your left hand on the lead's right shoulder. You should have your weight on your right foot at beat 4.
- Beats 5 & 6 - Triple step or Hold step with your partner in a closed position, finishing beat 6 with your weight on your left foot. Prepare to rock back with your right foot to commence the next move, bearing in mind that from this position the lead has a variety of choices including further six-beat Lindy Hop, eight beat Lindy Hop (e.g. Swing-Out as mentioned in the Lindy Hop section above) and Charleston.
The Charleston.
The Charleston is a dance named for the city of Charleston, South Carolina. The rhythm was popularised in the United States of America by a 1923 tune called The Charleston by composer/pianist James P. Johnson which originated in the Broadway show Runnin' Wild and became one of the most popular hits of the decade.
While it developed in African-American communities in the USA, the Charleston became a popular dance craze in the wider international community in the 1920s. Despite its black history, Charleston is most frequently associated with white flappers and the speakeasy. Here, these young women would dance alone or together as a way of mocking the "drys" or citizens who supported the Prohibition amendment, as Charleston was then considered quite immoral and provocative.
The Charleston was one of the dances from which Lindy Hop developed in the 1930s, though the Breakaway (dance) is popularly considered an intermediary dance form. A slightly different form of Charleston became popular in the 1930s and 40s, and is associated with Lindy Hop. In this later Charleston form, the hot jazz timing of the 1920s Charleston was adapted to suit the swing jazz music of the 30s and 40s. This style of Charleston has many common names, though the most common are 'Lindy Charleston', 'Savoy Charleston', '30s or 40s Charleston' and 'Swing(ing) Charleston'. In both '20s Charleston' and 'Swinging Charleston' the basic step takes 8 counts and was danced either alone or with a partner.
Basic Jockey (side-by-side) Charleston:
- Leads:
- Beats 1 & 2 - Rock back left, forward right foot.
- Beats 3 & 4 - Swing left foot forward, holding for beat 3 then landing it for beat 4.
- Beats 5 and 6 - Kick your right leg forward, then curl it up underneath your body into a 'hitch' position.
- Beats 7 & 8 - Swing your right leg back into a hold position for beat 7 then land it beat 8. Prepare to swing your left foot back to begin another Charleston (or Swing-Out from closed position).
- Follows:
- Beats 1 & 2 - Rock back right, forward left foot.
- Beats 3 & 4 - Swing your right foot forward, holding for beat 3 then landing it for beat 4.
- Beats 5 & 6 - Kick your left leg forward, then curl it up underneath your body into a 'hitch' position.
- Beats 7 & 8 - Swing your left leg back into a hold position for beat 7, then land it beat 8. Prepare to swing your right foot back to begin another Charleston or Swing-Out (pay attention to the lead).
Balboa.
From California of the 1930's, Balboa is the ultimate beach 'swing in the sand' dance. Fast and lively, the footwork minimal and the body posture more ballroom then many other swing dance styles.
Basic Balboa
- Leads:
- Beats 1 to 4 - Starting in an upright, close hold position. Step left foot, then right foot, travelling slightly back as you do, and using your connection with the follow to draw her slightly forward with you. Hold your left foot or kick at back slightly for beat 3, then land it for beat 4.
- Beats 5 to 8 - Shuffle down onto your right foot, then left (in a small forward direction), holding your right foot for beat 7 then landing it beat 8.
- Follows:
- Beats 1 to 4 - Starting upright, close hold position. You will be drawn slightly forward and down onto your right foot, then left. Hold your right foot for beat 3 then land it beat 4.
- Beats 5 to 8 - Now the lead will guide you back slightly onto your left foot, then right. Hold left foot for beat 7 then land it for 8.
Balboa can be danced as it's own dance style or used in conjunction with other dance steps such as Charleston, Lindy Hop or Six beat Lindy Hop, so be alert for changes from the lead.
- Swing Step:
- Leads:
- Beats 1 to 4 - From a Balboa position (close hold), step as if doing a basic Balboa movement. Left foot back, right foot to follow, hold left on beat 3 then land. Draw the follow slightly forward with you.
- Beats 5 & 6 - Step forward right, then left. As these steps are taken, slowly relax your connection with the follow and allow for some room between yourself and your partner. Place your right hand on the follow's left hip.
- Beats 7 & 8 - Kick your right foot through in the space between you and your partner. Use the hand on the follow's hip to encourage the follow to kick with you. Step the kicked leg on 8.
- Beats 1 & 2 - Angle your body toward your partner, toe tap your left foot, and then land your weight on your left foot.
- Continue beats 7 and 8, then beats 1 and 2 continuously until you decide to enter a new movement.
- Follows:
- Beats 1 to 4 - Follow the lead through the basic Balboa steps. Right foot, left foot, hold and then land your left foot.
- Beats 5 & 6 - As you step back left and then right, the lead will begin to create a small distance between you. The leads right hand should find your left hip.
- Beats 7 & 8 - The lead will twist hip to allow you to kick through with your left leg on 7, then land it on 8.
- Beats 1 & 2 - Tap your right toe down on 1, and then plant your weight onto your right foot for 2.
- Beats 7 and 8, then 1 and 2 will then continue until a new change in movement. Feel for changes in direction or movement from the lead. Alternatively the follow may wish to travel in a circular movement around the stationary lead.
Shim Sham.
The shim sham or sham originally is a particular tap dance routine. It is credited to Leonard Reed, who originally called it Goofus, or to Willie Bryant. For swing dancers, today it is kind of line dance that recalls the roots of swing.
In the late 1920s and the 1930s, at the end of many performances, all of the musicians, singers, and dancers would get together on stage and do one last routine: the shim sham. Tap dancers would perform technical variations, while singers and musicians would shuffle along as they were able.
The Shim Sham is a 10-frame dance (each frame lasting four 8-counts), so it does not usually take up an entire song. After the Shim Sham, dancers typically grab a partner and break into lindy hop for the remainder of the song. During this portion of the song, the band or a DJ may call out "Freeze!" or "Slow!" instructing the dancers to either stop where they are or dance slowly, calling out "Dance!" to tell everyone to resumes normal dancing. The Shim Sham goes best with swing songs whose melody lines start on beat eight. An obvious choice is The Shim Sham Song (Bill Elliot Swing Orchestra), which was written specifically for this dance and has musical effects (e.g., breaks) in all the right places.
Rock N' Roll.
Rock N' Roll refers to a very sporty, competitive form of dance that originated from the lindy hop. Unlike the lindy hop, however, it is a choreographed dance designed for performance.
Parallel with the musical genre rock and roll, suitable dances have been developed. From swing, which came into being around 1920, in the USA very soon emerged Lindy Hop, the first partner dance ever to feature acrobatic elements. Lindy Hop again was being modified around 1940 to suit faster music: boogie woogie was born. With rock and roll music coming into fashion around 1955, the protest driven youth movement converted boogie woogie to the even more sporty rock and roll dance.
Rock and roll bases on the 4/4 measure. One basic comprises six beats and therefore one and a half measures. In contrary to the offbeat of rock and roll music, the dance puts stress on the beats one and three of each measure. The music is very fast, at 176 to 208 bpm. Due to non-offbeat stressing and speed traditional rock and roll music has been replaced by modern disco and pop music.
Rockabilly
Rockabilly is one of the earliest styles of Rock N' Roll music to emerge during the 1950s. This music was a combining of roots music from different styles and done in a lively, fun, enthusiastic way. The music was dominated by its original exponent, Elvis Presley, and has had an important influence on rock music and popular culture, despite having flourished for only a short time during the 1950s. During the late 1970s and early 1980s, rockabilly enjoyed a major revival of popularity and has remained an important subculture since.
Many young listeners were dissatisfied with the "light rock" and bloated "art rock" music on the radio in the 1970s. They wanted to return to the simple, loud, fast, emotionally-direct music rock had started with. Some musicians stripped their sound down to the bare basics of three chords, loud guitars, and emotional lyrics, creating punk rock. Others turned back to the original music of the 1950s for inspiration. Starting slowly in the mid to late Seventies, an underground rockabilly revival began to take shape.
Shag
The Collegiate Shag is a form of swing dancing, which has some visual similarity with balboa (another swing dance), but with different footwork (footwork: the dance term for steps). Danced with a lead and follow, it is now danced to primarily upper tempo jazz music (usually 200+ beats per minute) while historically it was danced to a variety of tempos but primarily mid-tempos. It is danced in a "Closed" position dance hold (similar to those used in ballroom dances). There were several forms of "Collegiate Shag" danced in the early thirties these varieties were single, double, and triple Shag. The variety names describe the amount of slow (step, hop) steps performed in the execution of a basic. These slow rhythmic steps were always accompanied by a single quick, quick rhythm.
Jive
Jive is a dance style in 4/4 rhythm that originated among African-Americans in the early 1940s. It is a lively and uninhibited variation of the Jitterbug, i.e., belongs to Swing dances.
In Ballroom dancing, Jive is one of the five International Latin dances. In competition it is danced at a speed of 44 bars per minute, otherwise at between 32 and 40 bpm.
Jive is a term for a dance that evolved out of diverse related forerunners of African-American origin.Amongst them are the Lindy Hop from the thirties, Blues Swing, Boogie-Woogie from the forties, the Jitterbug followed by Rock'n'Roll in the fifties. American soldiers brought these dances to Europe around 1940, where they swiftly found a following among the young. After the war the boogie became the dominant form for popular music. However, it was never far from criticism as a foreign, vulgar dance. The famous ballroom dancing guru, Alex Moore, said that he had "never seen anything uglier". English instructors developed the elegant and lively Jive, danced to slightly slower music. In 1968 it was adopted as the fifth Latin American dance in competitions. However, the jive including other swing dances was not approved by the black government. So they came up with a different style of dance that was approved, the Buggy. This became a world known African American dance.