about
Lindy hop is a Black American social dance created in Harlem, NYC in the late 1920s. It’s typically danced to music from the swing era, or to modern music created in that style. This is the main dance style we teach here at Swing Era Steps. It’s important to us to acknowledge that lindy hop is a Black American cultural art form, with important roots, history, and context.
Now, you’ve probably heard of swing dance before. Swing dancing is an umbrella term that includes lindy hop (what most people think of when they think of swing), Charleston, balboa, and many other dances that were common around that time period. It’s more than just flashy lifts, dips, and aerials during performances!
Lindy hop is a social dance, which means we dance with everyone! We don’t tend to have set partners, even in class. Part of the magic of lindy hop happens by dancing with many different people during a dance. You get to experience how they move and interpret the music that’s playing.
The Savoy Ballroom in Harlem, NYC opened in 1926 and acted as an incubator for lindy hop during the 30s, 40s, and even into the 50s. While lindy hop didn’t begin at the Savoy, it was the #1 place to dance in Harlem! All of the originators of lindy hop danced at the Savoy, and many were part of its elite dance team, Whitey’s Lindy Hoppers.
Members of Whitey’s Lindy Hoppers: Frankie Manning, Norma Miller, Al Minns, Leon James, Willa Mae Ricker, Billy Ricker, Wilda Crawford, and many more
These elite dancers traveled around the world performing lindy hop routines and are even featured in movies such as A Day at the Races and Hellzapoppin’. Post WWII, these dancers struggled to find consistent gigs, and many moved on to other careers.
Lindy hop didn’t stop post WWII! Many still continued to dance, even as the music changed. One woman in particular helped the dance continue: Louise “Mama Lu” Parks. She taught a new generation of lindy hoppers with her dance troupe Mama Lu and Her Parkets.
In the early 1980s, some of the original Savoy Ballroom dancers began teaching again after meeting new dancers at one of Mama Lu Parks’ events. Al Minns, Norma Miller, and Frankie Manning were three original Savoy dancers who began teaching again, with others following later. Through a few scenes in key cities, a renewed interest in lindy hop began to spread. Now, you can find lindy hop dances in most cities across the US and the world!
Watch a team of Whitey's Lindy Hoppers dance at breakneck speeds in Hellzapoppin':
What does lindy hop look like now? Check it out:
Have a listen to some of the music we love dancing to:
You can learn more about lindy hop and its history by checking out these short articles:
The FAQ section offers answers to common questions about class schedules, registration, attire, and much more, helping you get the most out of your dance experience with us.
Definitely bring: a clean, comfortable pair of shoes and a water bottle.
You may also want to bring: a handheld fan to cool down between dancing, a notebook if you want to write notes about class material, extra t-shirts in case you get sweaty- lindy hop is an athletic dance!
Clothes: Whatever you feel comfortable in and can move in! It doesn’t have to be fancy.
Shoes: Shoes can be sneakers or other shoes that allow for moving around the dance floor. We find shoes that have a little more slide to them are ideal for lindy hop. Keds are popular, and so are shoes with suede or leather bottoms. We don’t recommend wearing heels to start out.
Be aware that lindy hop is an active dance. You might get sweaty! Think about bringing extra shirts and/or bring a towel. You’ll be dancing in close proximity to others, so please be aware of personal hygiene: wear deodorant, brush your teeth, etc. We all appreciate it!
Due to close proximity, please don’t wear scents such as perfume, cologne, or heavily fragranced lotion.
No partner needed! We regularly rotate during class to make sure people learn from a variety of partners and styles.
We understand that you might be uncomfortable with rotating in class and dancing with strangers. We try to make it as comfortable as possible for you! It’s also the best way to learn lindy hop. Lindy hop is meant to be a social dance where you dance with many people throughout the night, vs staying with one partner.
If you truly don’t want to dance in a group class, we recommend trying private lessons!
In short, no. Each class builds on the one previous and we cover a lot of key concepts in the first class that are essential to the learning. If you’re looking for a different style of commitment, reach out about setting up a private lesson.
The Foundation sessions A and B are perfect for you if you’re brand new to lindy hop, have done other types of swing dancing, or want to review the foundational patterns and concepts of the dance. If you’re not sure where to start, Foundations is the perfect spot.
We also recommend taking the Foundations classes multiple times to meet new dancers and work on your foundational skills!
**You can start with either A or B – both start at the very beginning! But you need both to graduate to the Building Blocks level.
The Building Blocks level: a) dives deeper into the moves and skills you learned in Foundations, b) teaches you variations of the basic moves and how to create your own, and c) shows you how to connect with your partner and the music for a deeper partnership.
You’re familiar with basic moves like swing outs, tuck turns, and promenades and you’re ready to take them to the next level.
To join this level, you need to have completed both Foundations sessions with us or have been dancing lindy hop for at least 4 months already.
Started dancing: 2011 in Cleveland, Ohio at the Case Western Reserve University Swing Club
Started teaching: 2012
Specializes in teaching: beginner and musicality classes
Dances: lindy hop, balboa, 20s and 30s Charleston, solo jazz, St. Louis shag, collegiate shag, peabody, blues, west coast swing, and occasionally boogie, bachata, salsa, breakin'
Started dancing: 2012 in Kirksville, MO with Truman State University Team
Started teaching: 2015
Specializes in teaching: technique and mechanics of movement
Dances: Lindy Hop, Balboa, Charleston, St. Louis Shag, Slow Bal, Collegiate Shag, and some Drag Blues, Boogie, West Coast Swing, plus bachata and foxtrot
Rachel (she/her) fell in love with swing dancing at her very first lesson in 2012, and has since spent countless weekends traveling to learn, compete, and meet new friends from all over the country.
Best described as an exuberant, enthusiastic teacher, Rachel loves to share her passion for dance with anyone willing to learn. She specializes in Lindy Hop, Balboa, Charleston, and St. Louis Shag, with experience in Collegiate Shag, Slow Bal, and Drag Blues.
Her primary focus is to dig into the mechanics of moveMENTS (versus “moves”) to help each person feel comfortable and safe in their body while dancing with a partner. The joy Rachel gets from dancing and teaching is infectious – you won’t make it through a class without a smile on your face!
As a DJ, she loves to play the jump blues vibes of her St. Louis hometown right alongside her favorite Count Basie classics while highlighting the modern bands you can still see live at events. Whatever it is — you can count on her to bring the energy to the floor!
