What is Swing Dancing?

Swing dancing is a family of social dances that grew up alongside swinging jazz music from the 1920s to the 1940s. These dances started in African American communities, in busy ballrooms and packed clubs, where the focus was simple; move to the music, connect with your partner and have fun.

Swing and jazz dances did not disappear; they evolved. The rhythms, attitude and improvisation of dances like Lindy Hop, Charleston and solo jazz helped pave the way for later styles such as rock and roll, funk, hip hop and break dancing.

Many of the ideas you see in modern street and club dancing, such as call and response, battles, freestyling and playing with the beat, can be traced back to these early jazz dance traditions.

Lindy Hop

Lindy Hop is the main dance we teach at Swing Dance Cumbria. It is a joyful, playful partner dance with African American roots that began in the dance halls of Harlem, New York. Lindy Hop blends elements of tap, jazz, breakaway and Charleston; you will see everything from relaxed, smooth movement to big, expressive shapes and classic “swing outs”.

You do not need previous dance experience to start learning Lindy Hop. If you can walk in time to music and are willing to laugh when you get things wrong, you can learn to Lindy!

Balboa

Balboa is the second core style we teach and we run regular beginner balboa courses and workshops throughout the year, It is a close-hold partner dance that developed in Southern California as a way to dance in crowded rooms where there was not much space to move. Balboa has a smooth, subtle feel and is often danced to faster swing music; instead of big movements and kicks, you use small, precise footwork and a strong connection with your partner.

Dancers often enjoy Balboa because it feels gentle on the body yet mentally engaging, and it can be adapted for both mid-tempo and slower music.

Charleston

Charleston is a lively and energetic jazz dance that uses bouncy movement, syncopated rhythms and playful kicks. We mostly teach partnered Charleston in our Lindy Hop classes, although Charleston is also a popular solo dance style. You will often see Charleston shapes mixed into Lindy Hop on the social dance floor.

Solo Jazz

Solo jazz focuses on individual movement and rhythmic improvisation. In workshops we teach classic moves such as Suzy Qs and Tacky Annies, along with short routines that combine well known jazz steps. You might also learn group dances such as the Shim Sham or Jitterbug Stroll. Solo jazz helps you develop your own style and can be added into all the partner dances above.

Blues

Blues dancing is a family of partner and solo dances that grew out of African American communities alongside blues music. It is usually danced to slower or mid-tempo tunes and focuses on connection, subtle movement and musical expression rather than big shapes or flashy tricks.

In Blues, you work closely with the feel of the music; bending your knees, shifting your weight and changing the quality of your movement to match the mood of each song. It can feel grounded, intimate and calm, which makes it a lovely contrast to the higher energy feel of Lindy Hop or Charleston.

Blues is especially welcoming for beginners who are nervous about fast footwork, as it allows plenty of time to listen, breathe and find your own natural way of moving.