"Swing Dancing" is a big umbrella term for lots of different styles of dance that developed in response to the exciting new Swing music of the 1920s & 30s. Below you'll find examples of the styles of dance that we teach here at RVA Swing. At any given social dance, you will see all of these styles being danced, and often mixed & matched within the same song.
Lindy Hop
Lindy Hop is the quintessential swing dance and a true American art form. Invented by Black Americans in the ballrooms of Harlem, this exciting, playful dance is still a world-wide phenomenon today.
Balboa
Balboa is named for the Balboa peninsula of California, where the dance originated. This compact, footwork-focused dance evolved in response to the tightly packed dance floors in Southern California.
Collegiate Shag
This energetic dance is danced to uptempo music and features lots of kicks & flicks.
Charleston
Charleston, a fast & bouncy dance with lots of kicks, can be danced solo or with a partner.
Solo Jazz
In the Swing world, we often call anything that you dance without a partner "solo jazz." While not strictly a style of swing dance, jazz dance was integral to the development of swing dancing and is considered an important foundation for creativity & improvisation.
