It all started at the Savoy Ballroom in Harlem, 1926. Lindy Hop is known by other names like swing dancing
or jitterbug. The Dance didn’t have a name for a long time, people were just
having fun and dancing! Lindy
Hop is a fun and energetic dance which includes fashion and music of the swing
era. It is available to people of all ages, cultures and dance abilities.
Frankie Manning, Chazz Young and Jan O’Shea showing how the Shim Sham is done during a weekend of workshops in Sydney 2003.
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When asked ‘what is Lindy Hop’ Jan O’Shea described it as;
A dance created by the young black people in Harlem in the late 1920’s. This was a joyous expression of freedom. The dance allowed people to express themselves whether they be black or women – it was for all people. It is a dance partnership that contains freedom for each and transcends all barriers. This dance has so much happening within it that no one can express verbally. It’s a challenge, but a fun challenge. Lindy Hop is the The Dance of Freedom.
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Jan O’Shea was a close friend to the late Frankie Manning and brought him here to Australia on many occasions for students to get an opportunity to learn from him in workshops which she co-taught. Rob and Kristy went along to the workshops and also went on Frankie’s Swing birthday cruises spending the days doing workshops and then dancing the night away in the evenings. And now Kristy and Rob have brought their love of the dance here to Woolgoolga.
Lindy Hop is a fun dance which includes fashion and music of the swing era, and is available to people of all ages, cultures and dance abilities.
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For More info check out;
http://www.lindycircle.com/history/lindy_hop/
http://www.savoystyle.com/twistmouth_george.html
(http://dancing.org/lindy-what-is.html, http://www.savoystyle.com/history.html)
