Intro to Swing Dance!

Join Coach Steve as he introduces you to one of his favorite hobbies: Traditional Jazz Dance! Not to be confused with modern jazz, traditional (or vernacular) jazz was invented by by the Black community in Harlem, New York, and is done to swing jazz music of the 1920s, 30s, and 40s. It includes rhythms and patterns that were the basis for a lot of what you see in many modern dance styles.

We will be learning the Frankie Manning Shim Sham, which was used as a warm-up routine for Lindy Hop performers. Nowadays, it is a line dance done at nearly every lindy hop venue in the world.