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Swing Dance Styles

The Hepcats only teach the original swing dances of the 1930's/40's. We sometimes get questions about other styles of swing dance.
So the following information is provided in that context.

Info on other swing dance styles:
Ballroom Swing (East Coast Swing); West Coast Swing; Ballroom Jive

Ballroom Swing (East Coast Swing)

Ballroom Swing (often called East Coast Swing) was specifically developed by the "dancing establishment" as a business decision in reaction to the Lindy Hop. Ballroom Swing is sometimes erroneously referred to as "Jitterbug" but this comparison is incorrect. (What is sometimes called "Jitterbug" and taught by ballroom dance studios is ballroom swing, but danced to a little "faster" tempo.) Ballroom Swing is often the first form of swing that people are taught because it is the easiest to learn. From the mid 1940's, the Lindy Hop was stripped down and distilled by ballroom dance studio teachers in order to adapt what they were teaching to crowded dance studio floors and the "less nimble-footed" general public that paid for dance lessons. They took the very basic moves of the Lindy Hop, chose the easiest of them, and based the footwork on 6 count patterns. Additionally, ballroom teachers, more enamored with foreign Latin style dances (such as the Argentine Tango, Spanish Paso Doblé, Brazilian Samba, Puerto Rican Meringue, Cuban Mambo and Cha Cha), added Latin hip movements to this new dance. As a result, the ballroom dance studios developed a Ballroom Swing style which only vaguely resembles the 1930's and 40's Lindy Hop style of swing dancing.

The "dancing establishment" initially tried to ignore the Lindy Hop and swing dancing in general. In the late 1920's, the New York Society of Teachers of Dancing, the American Society of Dance Teachers, and the Dance Teachers Business Association (at their annual meeting) denounced the Lindy Hop as "a fad that would not last the winter." The Dancing Teachers Association further warned that the Lindy Hop was "a form of hysteria that will prove harmful to the poise of the present generation" and described the dance as "vulgar and unacceptable". In 1936 Philip Nutl, president of the American Society of Teachers of Dancing, expressed the opinion that "swing would not last beyond the winter". In 1938 Donald Grant, president of the Dance Teachers' Business Association, said that swing music "is a degenerated form of jazz, whose devotees are the unfortunate victims of economic instability." Ballroom dance teachers resisted teaching the Lindy Hop for a variety of reasons. Some had trouble perfecting the movements, were not familiar enough with the dance, and were not agile enough to perform the steps and movements in the street style and spirit, capturing the essence of the dance. Ballroom dance training also restricted certain body movements (hips and torso).

Some ballroom dance teachers had trouble teaching the improvisational aspects of the dance. Even if they were able to improvise themselves, the teacher had to have steps to teach or a way of teaching improvisation. Also, once students could improvise creatively, teachers feared they might have nothing left to teach. In addition, many ballroom dance teachers felt the freedom of improvisation and innovation was too difficult for their students, trained to think a set of structured steps and rules were necessary to ensure proper dancing and grace. Ballroom dance teachers also resisted teaching the Lindy Hop because of their view of their position in society. They saw themselves as teachers of "proper" dance, defined by elegance and poise. They were serving a wealthier and more conservative clientele who learned dancing because it was matter of good manners and etiquette, a necessity for all prominent members of that level of society. As many churches and magazines denounced swing dancing as evil and destructive, ballroom teachers felt there would be no market for this type of dance in the elite circle.

But the vitality of swing music and dancing proved to be impossible to ignore.

By the early 1940's, there were numerous street teachers and independent dance studios teaching swing dancing. (As noted above, the August 23, 1943 edition of Life magazine even declared the Lindy Hop as the "national dance".) The ballroom dancing establishment slowly began to realize the amount of business they were losing. In 1942, the various dance association members were told that "the jitterbug could no longer be ignored. Its 'cavortings' could be refined to suit a crowded dance floor." Dance schools affiliated with The New York Society of Teachers of Dancing and the Arthur Murray dance studios began documenting and teaching swing, formally incorporating the dance into their syllabi.

The acceptance of swing by the ballroom dance community proved to be a two edged sword. On the one hand, the formalization and codification of swing provided points of reference, which proved somewhat valuable for teaching the very basic forms of swing to the general public. In any art form, technique exists to make something easier to learn, or achieve a goal more efficiently; and the ballroom dance community continues to emphasize the teaching of basic dance steps and patterns as a tecnique. Thousands of people have learned ballroom swing at ballroom dance studios and at other venues from dance instructors trained and influenced by the ballroom style of swing. On the other hand, the swing dance that was formalized, codified and taught was a much more simplified style of swing dance, suited to crowded ballroom dance studio dance floors and designed for ballroom dance studio customers and clients. (Note that swing was not the only social dance that was simplified by the ballroom dance community. The Mambo comes to mind.)

The ballroom swing that is taught today does not have the feel, style, emphasis on musicality and creativity, true lead and follow techniques, and freedom of the 1930's & 40's Lindy Hop. This formalization has reached a technical and artistic nadir in the competitive ballroom dancing version of swing, called "Jive", where all the couples dance essentially the same in choreographed routines and any deviation from the norm (i.e. from the ballroom dance syllabus) is not allowed. Also note that the ballroom style of swing was sometimes called "Jitterbug" by dance studios but was later called East Coast or West Coast Swing to differentiate two different ballroom dance styles that generally developed in the East and West Coast regions of the U.S.

Technically, Ballroom Swing is defined by its triple step 6 count basic step pattern (triple-step, triple-step, rock-step). (Note that this 6 count triple step basic pattern was essentially unknown to 1930's & 40's Lindy Hop swing dancers that learned swing dancing outside of a formal dance studio.) Ballroom Swing consists of almost all 6 count patterns. For faster music, Ballroom Swing will often transition to the step-step, rock-step basic step but the dance remains technically the same. Patterns that are not conducive to faster music are usually not performed rather than adapted to the faster music. The dancers' "frame" in Ballroom Swing is offset so that the leader and follower look over each other's right shoulder. The movement of the dancers frame (especially in the closed position) is somewhat "rounded" (as in other ballroom dances, such as the waltz) and tends to travel around the dance floor in a spiral motion, often in an alternating circular pattern. In this alternating circular pattern the leader travels around the follower on the first part of the triple step and then the follower travels around the leader on the second part of the triple step.

Stylistically, ballroom swing is danced in an upright, straight body position. Ballroom swing emphasizes arm and hip action. Patterns taught in the open position normally require the dance partners to maintain hand-in-hand physical connection. Therefore, breakaway patterns are not normally incorporated into patterns. Ballroom swing is often danced in a circular motion (as noted above), with emphasis given to form over individual style. Stylistically, the dancers' steps and patterns often "mirror" each other, i.e. the followers' steps and patterns are the exact opposite of the leaders', and vice versa. The rock step in ballroom swing often resembles more of a "Latin" style rock step. During this rock step there is often a pronounced weight change, with the shoulders and hips arriving and departing together.

One last note on the acceptance of "Swing" by the ballroom dance community. Not only was the dance itself codified and simplified, but so was the music. Generally speaking , much of the "Swing" music played at ballroom dances today has been "simplified"; the "Swing" music played at these dances can be "interesting". The "Swing" music played at ballroom dances is often a strict tempo, ballroom recorded version of an original song. At most ballroom dances, there is normally an exclusion of originally recorded music by the original artists in music genres such as Big Band, Jump Blues, etc.

West Coast Swing

Although the Hepcats do not teach West Coast Swing, there have been a few questions on the style of dance called West Coast Swing. So the following information is provided in that context.

West Coast Swing originated from the Lindy Hop, although stylistically, the form of West Coast Swing danced today has lost any real resemblance to it's original roots in the Lindy Hop. As danced today, West Coast Swing has developed into a ballroom dance style. At West Coast Swing dances and competitions, one see lots of glitter, rhinestone belts, spiked heeled shoes, and dancing to hustle, disco, and "funk" genres of music. The music normally played for West Coast Swing is relatively slow, hardly ever faster that 130 beats per minute. Rarely will you see any types of patterns normally associated with Lindy Hop.

The original proponent of Lindy Hop on the West Coast (mostly in southern California) is credited to Dean Collins. Collins, who moved to California in the 1930's, had danced at the Savoy Ballroom while in New York City. Prior to the popularity of Lindy Hop, southern California dancers primarily danced "Balboa" (which is danced in closed position) or "Bal-Swing" (which is variant of Balboa, using patterns in the open and closed dance position). Collins danced in Hollywood and choreographed for numerous films. He began teaching his style of swing in the southern California area and it soon became very popular, a variant which developed and eventually became known as West Coast Swing.

The necessity of adapting "Swing" to the Hollywood movie set was a factor in the development of West Coast Swing. After WW II, movie studios began producing a great number of musicals, many with dancing scenes. Dance choreographers (to include Collins) would often replace the circular type movements of the Lindy Hop with movement along a straight line or "slot" so they could place more couples on the floor without losing their faces to the camera. In addition, this straight line or slotted form of swing dancing was more conducive to the relatively small movie sets. Initially, this style of swing was known as "Western Swing", though the name was eventually changed in the 1950's at the behest of Skippy Blair to avoid confusion with country and western dancing. Skippy Blair was probably the most influential person in the development of modern West Coast Swing. After teaching for a number of years at an Arthur Murray dance studio, she developed teaching methods for West Coast Swing. In addition, disco and hustle dance movements and stylings of the 1970's heavily influenced the development of west coast swing.

West Coast Swing consists of 6 and 8 count patterns and is a very slotted dance. The follower travels forward and back along a single straight line or slot. By staying in the "slot", followers lose the ability to move much left and right or to improvise or be creative; but followers are able to better control their spins while in the slot". The leader pretty much stays in one place, sometimes moving off and on the follower's line of dance. There are lots hand and arm motions, underarm turns, back & forward passes, turns, spins, various wraps, etc in this dance. Patterns for the follower begin with two walking steps, followed by two triple steps (or a triple step, two walks and another triple). The second triple step is generally danced in place and is called the "anchor step". The main purpose of the "anchor step" is to reestablish physical tension between the partners, generally achieved by leaning slightly back.

Ballroom Jive

Although the Hepcats do not teach Ballroom Jive, there have been a few questions on the style of dance known as Ballroom Jive. So the following information is provided in that context.

Ballroom Jive is the competitive version of Ballroom Swing. Jive was added as one of the "Latin-American" dances of the "International Style" of dancing by the Imperial Society of Teachers of Dancing (ISTD) in the 1950's. The overall European influence on dancing is best illustrated by the British influence on the "International Style" of ballroom dancing. "International Style" is actually a euphemism for "British", overseen by the ISTD. Two of the ISTD's historical objectives are "The elevation and advancement of the art of dancing, and the preservation of its ancient prestige and dignity" and to "Standardize the music, steps, and technique of Ballroom Dancing". American GIs brought Lindy Hop to England during World War II. The U.S. Armed Forces also imported big bands that played swing music (i.e. the Glenn Miller Army-Air Force band). Many of these dances were held in English ballrooms that had previously seen only ballroom forms of dance, i.e. the waltz and foxtrot. The British dancing establishment was "horrified" at what they saw as the Americans' "shabby" excuse for ballroom dancing. "Nevertheless", wrote one English dance authority at the time, "it is possible that a place might be found for this form of dancing in the English ballrooms." Thus, "Jive" was born.

Technically, Jive is a triple step, 6 count dance that features a fast, syncopated "retraction" of steps that gives the dance its bouncy look. For the leader, the basic pattern has a side, close, side movement to the left followed by another pattern to the right (right then left for the follower), followed by a slower rock step. Instead of breaking the two beats into "1and 2", an extra partial beat is used at the beginning of the two-count for retracting the foot and lower leg: "and 1and 2", with the retraction on the first "and". The weight is kept well forward and almost all steps are taken up on the toes. Jive is limited to a narrow tempo range and has a rigid syllabus with very specific requirements on directions, timing, etc. This limits what can be done within the confines of the ISTD approved syllabus. In competitive ballroom dancing, Jive is almost always danced as choreographed routines. Stylistically, Jive is danced in an upright stance. The upper body stays as still as possible (except for the arms) and the head stays level. This has a tendency to make the dance look "bouncy" but also somewhat stiff and formal. The hips absorb a lot of the momentum in Jive, also adding to the stiff and bouncy look. In Jive, the rock step is a "Latin" style rock step, with the initial touch on the toe of the foot and then a roll onto the heel. This gives the continuous motion that is typical of "Latin" style dancing.

For questions or information about Hepcats activities, contact Mike Richardson, 859-420-2426; or info@Luv2SwingDance.com.