Written by Beth Jordahl
Partners swirling across the floor. Big dips, lifts, and tricks. Fast and slow movement. Stories being told. There is something magical about swing and ballroom dancing! These styles of dance have a rich and varied history. They are styles that have captivated us in movies, T.V. shows, and on the stage. It is also something so fun to participate in!
If you are interested in swing and ballroom dancing and want to know more, here are some facts to get you started!
1. Ballroom and ballet come from the same root and beginning.
The words ballroom and ballet can be traced back to the latin word ‘balare’ meaning ‘to dance. Ball (meaning formal dance) and the Italian word ballare are also among several derivatives of this original beautiful word.
Centuries ago, ballroom dancing was primarily for the privileged and well-to-do, while the commoners had to make do with folk dancing. Now ballroom dancing applies to numerous dances in which a “leader” and a “follower” dance together in close proximity. This lets the two move together to the music!
2. The traditional stances and holds in ballroom dancing may have originated from swords and smells.
The “closed hold” is believed to have started as a way to avoid the sword. Since swords were always worn on the opposite side of connection, it makes sense to avoid it!
The other interesting hold of a beautiful stretch may developed as a result of bad body odors. It was a common practice among the aristocracy to bathe very infrequently during the early days of the waltz. So it was a good move by followers before deodorant!
3. Swing dancing brought together all ethnic traditions.
In the 1900s, America had a lot of different ballroom and folk dances. Then in the 1920s with the rise of jazz music, European-style ballroom began to merge with unique styles from traditional African dances, and African-American dances like Juba and tap. This ended up in a combination of formal and celebratory traditions with wide-legged, synchronized, energetic styles that are still a part of modern swing.
4. Both swing and ballroom encompass lots of types of dance!
It sounds like we are talking about 2 styles of dance. Actually, swing dancing includes Lindy Hop, West Coast, East Coast, Charleston, Balboa, and more. While ballroom dancing includes Waltz, Foxtrot, Tango, Quick Step, Samba, Cha-Cha, Rumba and more. So if you take either a swing dance or ballroom dance class, you will be learning a lot!
5. You can compete in swing or ballroom dancing competitions!
The first things that might come to mind are Dancing with the Stars and So You Think You Can Dance. But there are also local competitions, collegiate competitions, and more.
For a bonus fun fact, check out these famous swing and ballroom dancers. Their passion and persistence changed the way we tap now.
● George “Shorty” Snowden was actually the inventor of Lindy Hop, along with his partner, Mattie Purnell in 1928. He initiated the very first performance group for Lindy Hop – the Shorty Snowden Dancers. There is a classic Lindy Hop move named after him called “Shorty George”.
● Frankie Manning is arguably the most famous swing dancer in history. As one of the best dancers performing at the Savoy Ballroom, Frankie was a talented choreographer of famous Lindy Hop moves, such as when he introduced aerials in a dance competition in the mid 1930s. After taking a break for several decades when WW2 started, Frankie was a major player in the swing revival of the 1980s, and carried on teaching Lindy Hop to the next generation of dancers.
● Norma Miller, also known as the “Queen of Swing”, started dancing Lindy Hop as a teenager. She was the youngest member of the original Lindy Hop group “Whitey’s Lindy Hoppers”. Norma is a Lindy Hop legend for helping to popularize the dance, as well as fuel its revival in the 1980s. Norma would regularly perform and teach at the Herräng Dance Camp in Sweden until she was 98 years old.
● Irene and Vernon Castle were a pre-WWI ballroom dancing sensation. They performed all the partner dances and sought out new forms based on African dance and jazz. Their wholesome appearance, growing ballroom repertoire, and the "safety" of a married couple demonstrating all the latest partner dances helped to boost them to stardom.
● Fred Astaire had a full dance card of gifted partners who were ballroom luminaries in their own right, but one of his most iconic and enduring partners was Ginger Rogers. Together they made nine memorable films, including Flying Down To Rio, The Gay Divorcee, Top Hat, and The Story Of Vernon & Irene Castle (who were strong influences on the young Astaire's style and career). All the films featured stand-out, crowd-pleasing dance numbers. His smooth style, incorporation of dramatic and comedic elements, and quintessential grace in ballroom dancing outshone even his effective crooning and acting.
● Ginger Rogers had her own very successful acting career, but it was her dancing films with Fred Astaire that cemented her stardom and their legend as one of ballroom's greatest duos. Their partnering style combined foxtrot, waltz, tap, and jazz - sometimes in the same routine. It's true Rogers did everything Astaire did, backwards and in heels. Although he was the more talented dancer, she contributed attitude and acting skills to their collaborations, and together they were a ballroom dancing juggernaut in the 1930s and 1940s.
Now that you know some more about swing and ballroom dancing, are you ready to get started? You can take either swing or ballroom at Turning Pointe!