DANCE
Lindy Hop
The dance developed out of the Charleston, the Texas Tommy, and the two-step. The Lindy Hop was named after Charles Lindbergh after he flew solo across the Atlantic in 1927. The unique "break away" section, in which partners dropped arm contact, gave dancers the same freedom to improvise that the swing musicians had. Lindy Hoppers flowed across the dance floor with loose legs and knees (Pener 17). At the Savoy Ballroom a man named Herbert White compiled a group of the very best Lindy Hoppers. In 1935 White entered his dancers in the first annual Harvest Moon Championship in New York City. The Savoy dancers swept first, second, and third place (Pener 19). With their newfound fame, White's troop toured the world, appearing in movies and even dancing for the queen of England (Pener 20).
Savoy Ballroom
The Savoy Ballroom in the Harlem neighborhood of New York City originally opened in 1926 at 596 Lenox Avenue, between West 140th and 141st Streets. The Savoy attracted the best dancers in New York with its 10,000 square foot dance floor. In 1927 the Savoy began sponsering swing band competitions. It was here that Chick Webb was crowned "The King of the Savoy." The Savoy Ballroom was a place where race didn't matter. People only cared about dancing. No one saw skin color (Pener 16). The building was torn down in 1958. A commemertive plaque now marks the location of this legendary house of swing ("Stompin' At the Savoy (1936).").
West Coast Swing
Orignally known as Western Swing, the name was changed to avoid confusion with country western swing (Pener 90). West Coast Swing is a partner dance that originated from the Lindy Hop, but it is much more rigid. Some believe that this stemmed from the California's extremely crowded ballrooms (Pener 90). West Coast Swing is unique because it works well with more modern music like R&B or Pop.
Latin
Latin styles of dance became very popular during the swing era because Latino population in cities like Chicago and New York really took off after World War II-- hence West Side Story ("The Influence of Latin Music in Postwar New York City."). Latin dancing is very sexy because of constant hip movement by both men and women.
