East Coast Swing and Lindy-Hop

Lindy Hop is an energetic partner dance that emerged in the late 1920s in the African American communities of Harlem, New York City, during the Harlem Renaissance and the rise of swing jazz music. Often credited to dancers at the Savoy Ballroom, it was named after aviator Charles Lindbergh's historic "hop" across the Atlantic in 1927, symbolizing the dance's exuberant leaps and aerials. Characterized by its improvisational style, Lindy Hop features a mix of 6-count and 8-count footwork patterns, incorporating swings, turns, spins, and acrobatic elements like flips and lifts, all danced to upbeat jazz rhythms. It heavily influenced later swing dances, such as East Coast Swing and West Coast Swing, and experienced revivals in the 1980s and beyond, remaining a staple in social dance scenes for its joyful, high-energy partnering and connection to jazz culture.