World Lindy Hop Day 2024 is on Sunday, May 26, 2024: who likes to dance and why?

Sunday, May 26, 2024 is World Lindy Hop Day 2024. Why May 26 as World Lindy Hop Day.

Sponsored Deals

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

I love dancing. These days, it seems to be all I do, outside from work. I swing dance. It's got all the great aspects of the social dances, but it's less formal and way more fun. I love the feeling of dizziness I get after a very fast lindy hop song- it's exhilarating! I love the fast music and the fun people and the chance to look awesome on the dance floor.

I'm not the world's most coordinated person. When I first started learning to dance, it was rather frightening to watch. Now, a year later, I have more balance, grace, and a killer sense of rhythm. I do things in counts of eight- the lindy hop beat count. It's a great form of exercise, too, ,which is good because I need to loose a little weight.

I love the fast music, the awesome people, and the killer dance. East coast swing and lindy hop are awesomeness on a stick, and I wouldn't give them up for the world.

Swing Dancing.... a few questions.?

SWING IS A SOCIAL DANCE:

Well, I swing dance at least 3 to 4 times a week, and it is definitly not "choreographed". As a social dance, it is a "lead and follow dance", i.e. the man (or lead) guides the woman (or follow) into certain moves that are based in a standard footwork rhythm.

MOVIES:

In some movies, it's not always a routine, it can be improved, but it depends on the movie. If you list a few, I could tell you if it was choreographed or not!

LINDY HOP:

Anyways, I Lindy Hop (if you didn't know there is more than one kind of swing dancing), as well as Balboa, Collegiate Shag, Charleston, East Coast Swing, and West Coast Swing.

Lindy Hop is the original swing dance that evolved from Partner Charleston during the late 1920's in Harlem. From my personal experience it is much more enjoyable that east coast swing or west coast swing (but part of that comes from my love of the swing music, which fits the dance). If you are curious on what Lindy Hop looks like, here a clip that's considered "The Greatest Swing Dance Routine Ever Capture on Film."

WANT TO LEARN?

If you are looking to get into swing dancing, you need to find your local swing dance scene (not necessarily a dance studio)! Try searching you City/State on this website:

You should try and find a "social swing" night. At these events there will be a cost for going (anywhere from $3 to $10), and there will normally be a free lesson before the social dancing, so it's a great way to meet people, learn something, and you never need a partner.

HOW TO START LEARNING:

If you're a beginner, you'll to want to start out by learning some East Coast Swing. This is the easiest to learn as a beginner. It's a 6-count basic, and stays in that basic. It's also a standard ballroom dance, and is very easy to find a teacher.

Here's how to dance it:

You'll want to learn some basic moves like Inside Turn, Outside Turn, Cuddle or Sweetheart, etc.

HOW TO BECOME BETTER:

After you've mastered the basics of East Coast Swing, then you'll be able to move on to Lindy Hop. It's an 8 count dance that can have different variations.

Here's how to dance it:

In addition you should learn other swing type dances like Charleston, Balboa and Collegiate Shag.

ONLINE RESOURCES:

There are a few free instructional videos on YouTube and Google Video you can search for, but I find the best online resource is:

They have some free lessons, but most you have to pay for . . . don't worry, it's only a $1 per video, so that's pretty cheap! (Try searching "idance" on youtube and googlevideo to see free lessons they've posted.)

You can also find out what's going on in the world of swing dancing, by visiting the National Swing Forum at:

WANT TO SEE MODERN SWING DANCING?

If you want a little inspiration about swing dancing, check out this video (It's from a professional Lindy Hop competition):

I hope that helps!

do you know what swing dancing is? do you know how to swing dance? is it fun?

Swing Dancing is considered the happiest dance in the world because whenever you see someone on the dance floor doing it, they're nothing but smiles.

The original swing dance, Lindy Hop, originated from the Charleston in Harlem during the 1920's. The most famous ballroom of the day was the Savoy Ballroom which came to be known as "The Home of Happy Feet".

Now if you're looking to learn how to swing dance, the best way is to find a place near you that has weekly swing nights, and to go to them regularly. These events will normally have a beginning lesson at the start of the night. If you're looking for a swing scene that's close to you, or a dance instructor that can teach you swing, try searching your city/state using this website:

If you end up not being able to find any thing, there are online lessons you can watch. You'll want to start off with East Coast Swing, which is the most common form taught as "swing", and is very easy for a beginner. It's a 6-count basic, and stays in that basic. It's also a standard ballroom dance, and is very easy to find a teacher.

Here's how to dance it:

Now, unless you're going into competitive ballroom, there's really no reason to stick with learning ONLY east coast, you'll want to move on to Lindy Hop. It's an 8 count dance that can have different variations.

Here's how to dance it:

Here's what it looks like:

In addition you can learn other swing dances like Charleston, Balboa, and Collegiate Shag.

I hope that helps!