Austin Lindy Hop
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Austin Lindy Hop
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Click on any question to skip to it, or scroll down for all of them. (Keep in mind that we don't really teach group lessons, anymore, although some answers might not reflect that fact, yet.) Who started Lindy Hop and why? What type of music do you dance Lindy Hop to? Are there any Instruments mainly danced to in the music? What is the difference between Lindy Hop and Ballroom Dancing? What level/class should I start with? I have learned Ballroom or Swing elsewhere. What level/class should I start with? Can I take group lessons without rotating partners? Can I start in the middle of a session? Can I/Should I repeat a class before moving on? What is the age range of Lindy Hoppers? What dominant culture is associated with Lindy Hop? What are your prices? Do you offer any Discounts? What is "Lindy Hop?"Lindy Hop is a fun, improvisational, athletic, social (partner) dance that stems from the most prevalent rhythm in American music: Swing rhythm, be it in traditional Jazz or Blues, early to modern “alternative” Rock, or even Hip Hop and Rap music. The origins date back to the dawn of Swing music in the ballrooms and backrooms of Harlem in the 1920s and 30s. Due in large part to the Neo Swing revival of the 1990s, Lindy Hop has re-emerged and continued its development into a newly-evolved, modern social dance. In contrast to the slow, stiff ballroom dances of the European tradition like the Foxtrot or Waltz, Lindy Hop developed and is best understood as more of an American Street Dance with its own unique, athletic style of movement and form, very much like Salsa and Meringue are Latin Street Dances that eschewed the stiffness of traditional Latin Ballroom dances like Mambo and Cha-Cha. There are many different "styles" of Lindy Hop (Savoy, Dean Collins, L.A., Hollywood, Smooth, Ithaca, Chicago-style), but they all essentially "Lindy Hop." The dance is difficult to describe in words, but the basic move has the leader pulling the follow from an open position (standing apart, facing each other, holding hands with one arm) into closed position (ladies arm on the man's shoulder, with the other hands held together) while pivoting 180 degrees, and then "swinging her back out" to the spot where she started, all in 8 counts of the music and all while the two partners generally face each other. Lindy Hop is the dance you might recognize from the famous stop-image-in-mid-air, "Gap Swings" television commercial, the Harlem ballroom scene in the movie "Malcolm X," the dance scenes in the movie "Swing Kids," or the dance that was mostly featured in the hit, Broadway musical "Swing!" Lindy Hop looks similar to all other forms of Swing dance—Jitterbug, East and West Coast Swing, Shag, Balboa—mostly because they all evolved from Lindy Hop. Who started Lindy Hop and why?Lindy Hop did not just "start" one day, but instead evolved over a course of years in the late-1920s to early-1930s from other popular dances such as the Black Bottom, Truckin, Charleston, and others. It developed to manifest the rhythms and energy of Swing music, which no other dance manifested sufficiently. What type of music do you dance Lindy Hop to?Lindy Hop is a rather diverse dance that can be done to anything with a 4/4 Swing rhythm, perhaps the most prevalent rhythm in all American music: where the bass generally hits evenly on every beat and the drums slightly "syncopate" the 4/4 beat so as to create a feeling of "swinging" from one musical bar to the next. "Swing Rhythm" is not the same thing as "Swing Music." Swing rhythm exists throughout rock, country, jazz and blues: again, an even, 4/4 beat hit with a slight syncopation that gives the feeling of "swinging" from one bar to the next. "Swing music" refers to an specific era/genre of music that first used Swing Rhythm, but also has other characteristics such as the same harmonic structure (Swing Jazz), orchestral/ big-band arrangements, and general "feeling." Since Lindy Hop and Swing dancing re-emerged from virtual extinction in the mid-1990s, it has grown and evolved far beyond the poppish Neo Swing Music and vintage Swing- Era Swing Music that helped bring it back to life. Musical preferences differ within the Lindy Hop "scene" about as diversely as within a high school: some people like metal, some like hip hop, some like pop, and some kids even like classical music. Swing rhythm is present in the prototypical "Swing" music that everyone now knows, but it also is omnipresent in Country, Rock, Blues, and Modern Jazz (not just old, Swing Era Jazz). It is also even found in some Funk, Hip Hop, and Rap music. The music is accurately stereotyped as uplifting, happy music, but, like the Blues, it can also be rich, vibrant, dark, sad, contemplative, or even loving and romantic. Music is difficult to describe connotatively in just words. Thus, examples provide the best explanation. Lindy Hop originated to the Big Band Harlem Swing of the Swing Era: Benny Goodman, Duke Ellington, Chick Webb, and Count Basie. Lindy Hop re-emerged in the 1990s along with the popularity of Neo Swing bands such as Royal Crown Revue, the Cherry Poppin Daddies, and Big Bad Voodoo Daddy. However, most Lindy Hoppers now listen and dance to modern jazz and blues with a swing rhythm: jazz musicians such as Oscar Peterson, Nat King Cole, or Diana Krall; Blues musicians such as Buddy Guy, Muddy Waters, or Stevie Ray Vaughn; and even some rock musicians such as Chris Issak, Van Morrison, or the Rolling Stones. Any song that gets your toes tapping on an even-keeled beat most likely use a swing rhythm. For more information, check out our Music Guide. Are there any Instruments mainly danced to in the music?Yes, the rhythm section: bass, drums, rhythm guitar and sometimes piano. Dancers do (and should) respond to the entire orchestra/band, but derive the fundamental drive of the dance from the rhythm section. What is the difference between Lindy Hop and Ballroom Dancing?Although there are obvious similarities (because you dance with a partner in both ballroom and Lindy Hop), Lindy Hop developed as a sort of revolution from the Waltz and Foxtrot European Ballroom tradition back in the 1930s. Like Hip Hop dancing in modern America, and like Salsa and Meringue in Latin cultures, Lindy Hop is more of a "street" dance than a ballroom dance. It simply evolved as Swing music became popular as a way to manifest the intangible music into physical form. People could not help but dance to the music, and there was no other dance around that could hack it. Moreover, just like Hip Hop and Salsa are derided today by pundits claiming that they manifest and encourage the degeneration of civilized society, pundits of the era sneered at Lindy Hop originally as a "devil's dance" because it evoked such enthusiasm that would be "undignified" of a person of "proper upbringing and comportment." Ballroom dance has never drawn such fire from stodgy-minded critics, but instead has most always been looked upon as an "appropriate" form of dance. Lindy Hop generally is also more athletic than ballroom dancing. Instead of an upright, elegant posture, Lindy Hoppers dance with an active, athletic "squat" (much like athletes when they play sports) that keeps their muscles activated at all times. (Many people sweat so much that they change through several shirts a night out of respect for their next partners). The music takes more than just a background place. Lindy Hoppers tend to dance with different partners all through the night instead of developing "dance partners" with whom they always practice and dance. Lindy Hoppers tend to focus less on perfect form according to what a panel of judges have determined is the "right' way to dance than on simply having a good time with each other and dancing within a large window of acceptable form that accommodates differences in personalities, tastes and preferences. Thus the mantra, "Dance like nobody is watching" is popular in Lindy Hop circles, whereas in Ballroom circles, the dance is all about creating an elegant, visual form as if someone is always watching and judging. Some snippiness has unfortunately evolved in the Lindy world about "proper" Lindy style and form as time moves on, but despite these imperfect moments of natural human uppitiness, the dance remains a free-flowing, open form of dancing that allows you to enjoy music in ways you might never have imagined. What classes do you offer?Our name emphasizes that we specialize exclusively in teaching Swing Dance and Lindy Hop. In truth, it is all Lindy Hop, but people tend to identify or know about "Swing Dance" separately from "Lindy Hop," so we just adapt to that mistaken convention in our slogan instead of fighting it. We also teach dances such as "Charleston," "Shag," and "Balboa," in all our classes because they are also all Swing dances that you can do to the very same music: Swing music. We currently teach four classes in progressive, six-week sessions: Basic Swing, Swindy Hop, Lindy I, and Lindy II. Each "session" breaks down into six individual lessons: one per week. Basic Swing, Swindy Hop, and Lindy I teach the same things every session. Lindy II is a series of six different sessions (A, B, C, D, E, & F) that each teach different moves and principles one should master before moving on to Lindy III. As such, a person can re-take Basic Swing, Swindy Hop, or Lindy I and will see the same moves and principles taught session after session. The moves and principles in Lindy II will not repeat until the lettered session (A-F) comes around in the rotation again. The moves and principles in Lindy III never repeat. What level/class should I start with?All of our classes are aimed at teaching Lindy Hop (the ultimate Swing dance), and begin with Basic Swing. Basic Swing teaches the basics of social dancing plus many moves that allow you to go out and start dancing. However, the simplicity of the moves and patterns in Basic Swing also allows you to develop solid social dance skills upon which you can build in later levels. In other words, Basic Swing allows you to learn how to dance with a partner in a simple dance pattern before moving on to more complicated steps and principles in Lindy Hop. Thus, people with little to no experience dancing with partners should begin with Basic Swing. I have learned Ballroom or Swing elsewhere. What level/class should I start with?This is one of the touchiest questions we receive. First, without seeing you dance, it is difficult if not impossible to give a generic answer over the internet, even if you provide us with a dossier of your dance experience. Skills differ from Ballroom studio to Ballroom studio, even more so from Swing dance instructor to Swing dance instructor. We also know that there is a certain pride associated with not taking "beginner" lessons when someone feels as if he or she has progressed far beyond that level, and we certainly want to respect that pride and not offend anyone. We also do not want to turn customers away. Nonetheless, even if you have taken Swing lessons elsewhere, we generally recommend that newcomers to Austin Lindy Hop start with Basic Swing so that we can teach you the proper skills necessary to Lindy Hop. We tend to err on the side of caution and steer people toward the more fundamental classes instead of dropping them in classes for which they are not ready. This practice not only helps new dancers develop more solidly, it is also only fair to the other students in our classes so as to not hold a class back when a new student has not benefited from the principles we teach in prior classes. The way in which we teach Basic Swing and Lindy Hop differs from some others and (we hope) produces more solid social dance skills. Taking the fundamentals from us assures that you leave our classes being able to dance, not mistakenly thinking that you are able to dance. It also is possible to take different levels concurrently from us so as to build upon your fundamentals while still allowing you to progress at a higher level. All of our classes are taught on one night and are staggered so that you can take Swindy Hop and Lindy I, or Lindy I and Lindy II concurrently. So as to encourage people to re-learn the fundamentals, and to reward repeat customers, we offer generous price breaks for students who take classes concurrently. One final note. There is a tendency to "level-jump" in all Swing and Lindy Hop workshops and classes. People get hung up about being "beginners" or being held back to learn or re-learn certain things. I understand it because I went through it, myself, when I learned how to dance. However, one instructor at a workshop changed my perspective on the whole ego thing when he said that, when he was learning how to dance, himself, he made it a matter of pride to completely master the material in one level before moving on to the next level. That way, he gained the confidence that competence provides. Because we all do it for personal fun (not to get a raise or a degree), pride should not come from moving up prematurely, but instead from really learning the material before you move on. Thereafter, I stopped forcing myself into Advanced classes (in which I really did not belong at the time), and started taking and re-taking beginner and intermediate classes. I became a much more solid and well-rounded dancer than I otherwise would have by doing so. Do I need a partner to take lessons?You do not need to have a partner to register for or to take any of our Group Lessons. Although couples are definitely welcome and encouraged, very few people actually register with a specific partner, and nobody should use that as an excuse for not learning how to dance. Even if registering with a partner, all students will need to rotate partners in class so as to learn solid social dance skills that will make sense when dancing with anyone in the country, not just here in Austin. A large part of the fun of social dancing comes from dancing with different people, anyway. Can I take group lessons without rotating partners?Many people also take classes at Austin Lindy Hop with a partner. Many of them start out insisting that they only want to dance with their partner, so they do not want to rotate partners. We understand your concerns and we are glad that love like that exists in the world. We also understand that some people initially feel frustrated rotating partners.
However, we rotate partners as a matter of course for several reasons. First, in our lengthy experience and the experience of every other dance instructor we know, it is the best way to learn.
Every effective group dance class forces rotation as a matter of course as an instructional tool, not just a way to promote social interaction. Instead of learning how to lead or follow with just one person, you will learn how to truly lead and follow effectively and look good doing so.
Most if not all people who learn with one partner end up unintentionally developing odd, quirky habits that show up in their dancing. Can I start in the middle of a session?All of our classes are designed to be progressive in that you build upon the skills you learn from week to week. However, Basic Swing, Swindy Hop, and Lindy I are especially designed like that because they teach the basic skills necessary to handle the material in later classes. If you miss the first week of a session, it is possible to make up that lesson before the next one. However, after the second week, please understand that it would be unfair to our other students to let people into the class who have not learned the basic material in the previous lessons. We rotate partners throughout the class, and every student relies upon each other for feedback and practice. Lindy II and Lindy III are more flexible for drop-ins, because they build upon the basics learned in Basic Swing, Swindy Hop, and Lindy I so diversely that almost anyone could benefit from them. As a rough guide, Lindy II is for people who have taken up to a year of Lindy Hop lessons, whereas Lindy III is for people with more experience. Can I/Should I repeat a class before moving on?Each class teaches all the material necessary to progress to the next level, and many people do progress through the classes without repeating a session. However, we do encourage people to re-take a session when they do not feel confident enough in their abilities in large part because we do pack so much material into each class. We have many students who have done so, and, frankly, those who swallow their pride and do so often end up developing into our best dancers because their fundamentals become so strong. There are also some people who simply (and understandably) do not have the time to practice enough, and who thus should repeat a session before moving on, if only for the practice. For some other people, it unfortunately takes a bit longer to unlearn "office-job" body mechanics that they have developed into habit over the years that inhibit their ability to move smoothly and efficiently while also moving athletically and musically. It is frustrating to some, but they should gain reassurance that it is not at all uncommon and is never incurable. The good news is that they at least are finally unlearning those bad habits. For those who feel uncomfortable but still eager to move on to the next level, we do offer price breaks to those who take two sessions concurrently: repeating a session to brush-up, while taking the next session at the same time. Our class times are staggered so as to allow people to take successive levels on the same evening. Many of our most successful students have also done so. At the prices at which we offer lessons, it is often worth it if only for the practice. Two sessions from us often costs less than a single session of lessons elsewhere. What should I wear?Clothes The clothing/costuming you wear is not nearly as important as being able to move in the clothing. Loose-fitting, lightweight clothing is the best for dancing. Tight jeans or tight skirts are the worst because they bind and restrict movement. Many advanced dancers also wear clothing made with synthetic fibers because they do not absorb perspiration like cotton does and thus allow the perspiration to evaporate instead of soak their clothing like a sponge. Many dancers also prefer to wear "track-pants" not as a fashion statement but because they are loose-fitting pants made with synthetic fibers, designed to not restrict movement, even when you perspire. The whole "vintage clothing" relationship to Lindy Hop and Swing dancing is rather exaggerated. Many fantastic Lindy Hoppers do not even own any vintage clothes, not less wear vintage clothing, and many people who wear vintage clothes do not know how to Lindy Hop or Swing dance at all. Some of the best Lindy Hoppers do consider wearing vintage clothes as a part of the fun of learning how to dance and learn about a bygone era, but it is not an essential element of the dance or "the scene," at all. Lindy Hop is not about costumes. Do it if you want, don't bother if you don't. It's totally up to you. Shoes As for shoes, there are specialty dance shoes you could purchase, but they are not necessary or really useful until you progress to later levels. Lightweight shoes with medium-thick soles are the best. Gym shoes/running shoes often suffice for Swing I. Boots and other thick-soled, clompy shoes are unideal. As time progresses (and unlike, say, for basketball), you will also prefer shoes with a somewhat slick sole so that you can slide across the floor. What is the age range of Lindy Hoppers?Anyone from 8 to 80. No, come to think of it, there are actually 6 year-olds and 86 year olds who do it. Admittedly, though, most Lindy Hoppers first learn to dance when they are single adults, any time from their late teens to their early 40s or 50s. There are roughly equal numbers of younger (18-25), middle-aged (30-40), and "mature" adults who are a part of Austin's Lindy Hop "scene." Some "moms" and their daughters take classes together. An interest in a healthy, active, musical activity is a more apt similarity among our students than focusing upon age, alone. What dominant culture is associated with Lindy Hop?The dance evolved out of black culture in Harlem in the early 1930s. The vast majority of Lindy Hoppers today happen to be white. However, Lindy Hop is a dance that anyone can do, regardless of race or color or creed. Race (or "cultural background") might be of historical significance, but it is otherwise irrelevant today. Indeed, one of the proud, historical legacies of Lindy Hop stemmed from the fact that Lindy Hop dances in Harlem were often integrated, with white people and black people uncommonly mingling and dancing with each other, even though the world outside the ballroom unfortunately was still bitterly segregated. The Savoy Ballroom--the "home of happy feet" in Harlem which was the center of the Lindy Hop world during the Swing Era--was famous (and even reviled in its day by pundits) for being a place where people could escape the racial boundaries, bigotry, and tensions of the Era. Black bands played for white dancers, and white bands played for black dancers, and everyone danced with each other. That legacy remains true today. Although the dance did unquestionably evolve out of black culture over 70 years ago, and although the vast majority of Lindy Hoppers today are not black, those contrary historical facts only emphasize that Lindy Hop is not a "black" or a "white" dance. Similarly, baseball unquestionably evolved out of "white" culture in the 1800s, but that does not mean that baseball is a "white" sport or that Blacks or Hispanics cannot play it today as well if not better than whites. The racial or cultural background of the dance is of historical significance, but it does not define the dance or limit its appeal. What are your prices? Do you offer any Discounts?Please click here for our "Pricing and Deals" page.
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