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Swing Dances Edit

"Swing dancing" is actually a large family of dances.

Line Dances Edit

Wikipedia:Shim Sham Al and Leon Shim Sham Dean Collins Shim Sham Hat Trick Shim Sham Music: Tuxedo Junction, Tain't what you do (Jimmie Lunceford)

Wikipedia:Tranky Doo Music: Dipsy Doodle (East Coast), Gangbusters (Vancouver), Tuxedo Junction.

Big Apple: Frankie's choreography from Keep Punching Music: The Big Apple Contest. Swingmatism, Solomon Douglas Swingtet. (Transcribed/recreated by Solomon Douglas from the movie for swing dancers) What's Old Is New: discussion of the costumes in Keep Punching (Lindyshopper)

Doin' the Jive: by Kelly Porter, Joshua Welter and Michael Faltesek Music: "Doin' the Jive" by the Careless Lovers

Jitterbug Stroll: by Ryan François

Wiggles Routine: Rebecca Brightly Music: "Wallingford Wiggles" by Glenn Crytzer Syncopaters' (Harlem Mad)

(Mama Lou's) Stew Music: Jumpin' at the Woodside

Shake Your Moneymaker Elmore James' Shake Your Moneymaker. Demo by choreographers Natalya Alyssa and Dan Repsch

Trickeration: used by Norma Miller for auditions Music: Nathan Bugh composed a piano piece for it. Gaby Cook demo using the music at Stompology 2016 (Youtube)



Swing Choreographies Edit

California Routine

Frankie Chorus

Blues Idiom Dances Edit

Ballroomin' Blues Line of Dance Dances Walks Stride Strut Savoy Walk (Area Dance)

Jukin' Blues Funky Butt Piedmont Triple Struttin': One-step dance from Memphis, TN Texas Shuffle

Misc Boogie Chicago Triple Fishtail Four Corners Grind Knee Rocks Mooch Belly Rubbin' Belt Buckle Polish Shake and Bake Slow Drag



Blues Aesthetic Edit

Quoted from "Damon Stone" by Adam Skoglund: The common thread that unites all dances historic and contemporary is the blues aesthetic. This mode of movement epitomizes the defining elements of Blues music in movement. Based on the Africanist movement principles, they have morphed through exposure to European dances and music forms to create a unique blend that can only be called American.

An athletic, grounded, "Earth as Center" or "get-down" body posture and movement, characterized by the weight being held on the balls of the feet, the knees bent over the balls of the feet, the hips pushed back, and the front of the shoulders or the sternum pitched forward over the knees. In this posture a dancer should be able to step in any direction without having to shift their body first. An asymmetry and polyphonic look/feel to the body, characterized by an equality of body parts. No limb or part is given precedence over another, but they all work together both in a simultaneous and serialized fashion. The center of "energy", focus and even weight shifting moves through various parts of the body; polycentric. Rhythmic movement. Not just auditory but visual. Rather than a single rhythm being used in/with the body mutiple meters or rhythms are used. Articulated movement in the torso (chest, rib cage, pelvis, butt) identifying and emphasizing different rhythms. Improvisation between dancers and on their own movements. All based, no... entrenched in the rhythm of the music. A drawing of the beats, dancing in the space between the beats, pushing and pulling creating a sense of tension both in the body and the body moving through space, while remaining loose and relaxed. The sense of moving through molasses or mud. A relaxed, lazy element to the interaction with the tempo and beats of a song, as if it doesn't matter if you are late, but somehow without seeming to rush always being on time.

The definition of the Blues Aesthetic was created from the combined agreement of the books and authors below (and supported by many more): Jazz Dance: The Story of American Vernacular Dance by Marshall Winslow Stearns Steppin' on the Blues: The Visible Rhythms of African American Dance by Jacqui Malone Jookin': The Rise of Social Dance Formations in African-American Culture by Katrina Hazzard-Gordon

Historical Dances Edit

Jig Trot: pre-Balboa swing dance

Turkey Trot

Texas Tommy

Other Swing Dances and Related Dances Edit

Acrobatic Rock and Roll

Wikipedia:Blues dance (not technically swing dancing, but is part of the swing culture)

Beach Bop

Boogie Woogie

Bugg and Double Bugg: Swedish swing dance Substyles: Social, Free Style Substyles: Free Style, Rock

Carolina Jitterbug: predecessor to Carolina Shag?

Wikipedia:Carolina Shag