![]() White dancers in Hollywood films played pivotal roles in popularizing Lindy Hop. However, by the time dances such as the Lindy Hop reached mainstream white audiences, they had often been reworked by white teachers and film studios to accord with the aesthetics and social values of white mainstream America. This prompted a mainstream thirst for "black" cultural forms. Upper and middle class white audiences were exposed to Harlem's working class entertainment, at first through white audiences attending black venues and shows in Harlem, but later through traveling shows, popular music, and cinema. In 1937, white patronage in the area brought much-needed income to the bars, clubs, and theaters of Harlem, as well as work for black artists in a city increasingly belabored by economic depression. The popularity of African American dance and music fed what became a fascination with the somewhat illicit nature of the ghetto area. ![]() The Savoy Ballroom was the first integrated ballroom in the country, and the New York Renaissance of the 1920s raised the profile of African American vernacular culture in white communities within the United States, particularly in New York City. The swung note of swinging jazz encouraged dancers to introduce a 'delay' in their timing which influenced the execution of footwork and approaches to tempo within Charleston and Breakaway.Ĭlassic era (1927 to 1936) Harlem and Its Renaissance As jazz music in the late 1920s changed, so did jazz dances, including the Lindy Hop. The transition from Charleston to Lindy Hop was facilitated by the Breakaway, a partner dance which introduced the 'Swing out' and 'open position' of dances such as the Texas Tommy to the 'closed position' and footwork of partnered Charleston. For many Lindy Hop historians, the Charleston is Lindy Hop's most influential predecessor, and Lindy Hop's basic footwork and timing reflects that of the Charleston. Lindy Hop's genealogy can be seen in the ideological themes, social uses, and steps that it has absorbed during its development. Therefore, Lindy Hop was not originally the creative or economic project of formal dance academies or institutions. This hybridity is characteristic of vernacular dances, in which forms and steps are adapted and developed to suit the social and cultural needs of its participants in everyday spaces. Just as jazz music emerged as a dominant art form that could absorb and integrate other forms of music, Lindy Hop could absorb and integrate other forms of dance. Lindy Hop combined a number of dances popular in the United States in the 1920s and earlier, many of which developed in African American communities. The popularity of Lindy Hop declined after World War II, and it converted to other forms of dancing, but it never disappeared during the decades between the 1940s and the 1980s until European and American dancers revived it starting from the beginning of the 1980s. It became especially popular in the 1930s with the upsurge of aerials. Lindy Hop is closely related to earlier African American vernacular dances but quickly gained its own fame through dancers in films, performances, competitions, and professional dance troupes. The history of Lindy Hop begins in the African American communities of Harlem, New York during the late 1920s in conjunction with swing jazz. The best swing dancing classes in NYC - Time OutĮver wanted to learn swing dancing? Now you can learn all the fancy footwork at these fine dance studios in NYC.Lindy Hoppers at a jitterbug contest in 1942 For New York City-area Swing dancers or those affected by NYC-area dance or trad jazz events. NYC Swing Dancers Public Group | Facebook Welcome to New York City Swing Dance, Meetup's largest and most active swing dance group! Our members love going out, dancing, and socializing! The experience levels of our members range from beginner. The swing-filled dance halls of the early 20th century have since been cast aside in favor of deafening nightclubs, but fortunately, a few hallowed safe havens remain to help to keep. New York City is the birthplace of swing dancing, which emerged with the explosion of jazz during the Roaring Twenties. ![]() Top 5 Places To Swing Dance In New York City - Culture Trip ![]()
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