The History of Swing
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The upbeat, fast-paced dance, swing sparked the beginning of many creative dancing techniques among the dance community. Originating in the United States, swing dance became a broad term. It included many forms of dance that mesh with all styles of jazz music. From the 1920s to the 1940s, the swing era was popular among the younger generation. However, the older generation deemed swing as inappropriate dancing.
How Swing Got Its Name
The term "swing" was attached to the dance based on the feeling of swinging while performing the steps. Swing dancing is a continuous motion that glides partners across the dance floor in a revolving and back-and-forth motion.
How Swing Became Popular
In the 1920s, Jazz music was on the rise. People noticed a dance routine committed to fast and bouncy beats didn't exist. However, within the Harlem, New York community, a group of African Americans invented dance movements that matched the popular music's rhythm known as the Lindy Hop. Over the years before the second world war, swing dancing made its way across the United States and transformed dance to other forms such as line dancing and imperial swing.
Swing Dance Legacy
Although it seems as if the swing era halted after the 1940s, swing dancing has left an everlasting legacy among the dance community. When the dance was sneered at by those in favor of ballroom dances, folks kept swing alive at night clubs and underground dance groups. Forms of swing surfaced and added to the swing dance roster, such as Balboa and modern jive. Even today, swing dance is the basis of many contemporary dance moves that sweep the streets and ballrooms.
Swing dance opened the door to the fast-paced world of dance and will continue to be a staple in high-intensity dance routines and exercises. To learn more about different types of dance, or dance exercise visit us at Valeo Dance Fitness Studio! At Valeo, we are dedicated to empowering people to feel healthy and strong through dance! For information on our ballroom dance package, which offers swing by itself or swing with the foxtrot, check out our page here.
