The Lindy Hop is the biggest of the swing dances. You know those movies set during WW2 where the dance scenes have girls being thrown through the air? Well, that’s Hollywood’s version of it! They’re Jitterbugs dancing the Jitterbug and going crazy on the dance floor! Don’t worry, in reality you can go through an entire night without leaving the ground.

The Lindy Hop developed at the Savoy Ballroom in Harlem, New York back in the 30s and was pretty much a street dance that evolved over time with the dancers imitating and out doing each other. The big bands were the music of the era, and when they started to swing, so did the dancers. In the 40’s Lindy Hop spread throughout the world during World War II and to this day Lindy Hoppers celebrate and dance to the music from this era.

This clip from the movie Hellzapoppin’ is one of the original and best Lindy Hop clips of all time, starring the most famous Lindy Hopper of all time, Frankie Manning! To show you the smooth and playful side of Lindy Hop, we’ve included a clip of Jo and Kevin, two of our favourite modern Lindy Hoppers.