Swing Dancing Continues to Evolve and Pop Up in Areas All Around the Country

As Swing moved across the country, different dance communities would alter the dance to suit the culture and types of music they were dancing to. One good example of this is the Disco era of the 1970s. Puerto Rican dance clubs in the South Bronx were popularizing a 6-count line dance done to Latin music. That line dance would evolve into a partner dance called the Hustle.

Disco music was very popular at the time. It featured a strong repetitive beat and became the signature music at most nightclubs. The Hustle fit Disco like a glove. The Hustle is a 4-step dance done to 3 beats of music in a “&, 1, 2, 3” rhythm. Disco music is written in 4/4 time, so the dance had a unique flow through the music. As Disco music faded away, so did the popularity of the Hustle. Today, it is kept alive primarily in the Ballroom and West Coast Swing dance communities. Click here to see a video of the Hustle

Another big evolution of Swing came in the latter part of the 20th century as Country Music grew in popularity. Country dancers took footwork from other swing dances and shortened the timing to a “quick, quick, slow” rhythm to create Country Swing. Country Swing shares features with Lindy Hop, Jitterbug, and the Hustle and showcases lots of athletic lifts, flips, and dips. Country Swing may currently be the most popular form of Swing in the country and is featured in thousands of honky-tonks and competitions all around the world. Country dances also routinely feature other related dances including Country 2-step, Triple 2-step, and countless different line dances. Click here to see a video of Country Swing

Today, in small towns around the central part of the country, Swing is the dance of choice to get people out on the dance floor. A dance called Midwest Swing is taught right in Sioux Center, Iowa. It shares features with Jitterbug and Country Swing. Its straightforward rhythm and short pattern length allow new dancers to learn quickly and feel comfortable dancing right away. Click here to see a video of Midwest Swing

Although it seems straightforward, the progression of Swing is not exactly linear. Many different styles of Swing have come and gone over the years. For example, the popularity of Lindy Hop faded as East Coast Swing emerged. It recently went through a revival and is very popular again today. The Jitterbug and Carolina Shag were direct offshoots of Lindy Hop; however, both dances transformed substantially as the culture and styles of music changed. And West Coast Swing was a slotted knockoff of Lindy Hop before being influenced by Ballroom, Latin, and even Modern Dance styles to become the dance it is today.

Over the past 100 years, new styles of Swing have developed to cover nearly every popular genre of music and have allowed inexperienced dancers the ability to get out on the dance floor very quickly. The learning curve of Swing Dancing is usually pretty fast, lessons are generally inexpensive as experienced dancers are usually the ones passing on their knowledge of the dance, and the music is easily accessible as it is usually the popular music genre of the day. Today, dancers can Swing Dance to most modern music—just pick a style that fits the tempo of the song and get out on the floor.

Swing Dancing has always been a dance for the general public, and I’m sure it will continue to evolve to suit the needs of dancers for years to come.

Sources:

• www.fredastaire.com/carmel/blog/dance-history/history-of-the-hustle/

• www.ask.com/tv-movies/history-country-swing-dance-honky-tonks-mainstream-popularity

Note from the Editor: If you want to try a super simple, easy to learn style of swing dancing and you're not local to Northwest Iowa where Midwest Swing Dance Co. hosts classes and events, we also offer an online class for you and we hope you'll give it a try! You can take this class at your own pace in the comfort of your own home. Here's a link for more information and to get yourself signed up: SWING DANCE MADE SIMPLE