You’ve probably seen it in a grainy Gap commercial from the nineties or maybe a viral YouTube clip of a competition in Sweden. People are flying. They are literally being tossed over shoulders, sliding through legs, and bouncing with a kind of kinetic energy that looks like it might actually break physics. That’s the Lindy. But if you’re asking what is the lindy dance, you’re really asking about more than just a few acrobatic flips. You’re asking about the heartbeat of Harlem in the 1920s and 30s.
It’s messy. It’s loud. It’s joyful.
Basically, Lindy Hop is the original swing dance. It’s a Black American social dance that evolved alongside the big band jazz era. It isn’t ballroom. It’s not stiff. It’s a conversation between two people—a leader and a follower—set to the syncopated rhythms of Count Basie, Duke Ellington, and Ella Fitzgerald. If you’ve ever felt the urge to tap your foot to a walking bass line, you’ve already felt the first 1% of what this dance is all about.
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The Savoy Ballroom and the Birth of a Movement
To understand what is the lindy dance, you have to understand where it lived. We’re talking about the Savoy Ballroom in Harlem. They called it "The Track." It was a block-long ballroom with two bandstands and a spring-loaded floor that had to be replaced every few years because people danced so hard on it.
Unlike most of America in 1926, the Savoy was integrated. Black and white dancers shared the floor, though the best dancers—the ones who really invented the language of the Lindy—were almost exclusively Black. Legend has it that the name came from a headline about Charles Lindbergh’s flight across the Atlantic. "Lindy Hops the Atlantic!" a dancer named "Shorty" George Snowden supposedly quipped when asked what he was doing on the dance floor.
Whether that story is 100% literal or a bit of local folklore doesn’t really matter. What matters is that the dance captured that feeling of flight. It took the structured steps of the Charleston and the breakaway patterns of earlier jazz dances and fused them into a 8-count circular flow. It was revolutionary.
Frankie Manning and the Air Step
If Lindy Hop has a patron saint, it’s Frankie Manning. He wasn’t just a dancer; he was an innovator who changed the verticality of the dance. Before Frankie, Lindy was mostly "on the floor." In 1935, during a competition at the Savoy, Frankie and his partner Frieda Washington pulled off the first "air step" (or aerial). He flipped her over his back, she landed on the beat, and the crowd went absolutely feral.
Suddenly, the dance wasn't just about footwork. It was about spectacle.
But don't get it twisted. Most Lindy Hop isn't spent flying through the air. In fact, if you go to a local swing dance tonight, you’ll probably see people doing "social dancing." This is the bread and butter of the community. It’s grounded. It’s rhythmic. It’s about the "swingout"—the fundamental building block of the dance where the leader sends the follower out and pulls them back in, like a yo-yo on a rubber band.
The Mechanics: How it Actually Works
So, how do you do it?
Lindy Hop is built on a mix of 6-count and 8-count patterns. It’s confusing at first. You’re doing "triple steps" (a quick step-and-step) and "rock steps." But the real secret isn't in your feet; it's in your connection. You aren't holding your partner's hand with a death grip. It’s more like a hooked tension. Think of it like a spring. When you move away from your partner, that tension builds up until it naturally pulls you back together.
- The Posture: You aren't standing up straight like a tango dancer. You’re "athletic." Knees bent. Hips back. You’re ready to move in any direction at any second.
- The Groove: Everything starts with the bounce. If you aren't bouncing to the music, you're just walking.
- The Improvisation: This is the big one. In Lindy Hop, the music tells you what to do. If the trumpet goes high and screechy, you might do a crazy kick. If the bass gets low and moody, you might slow down your movement to a crawl.
It’s an Africanist aesthetic. It values individuality and "flavour" over perfect, identical repetition. Two people can do the exact same move, and it will look completely different because of their personal style. That’s the beauty of it. It’s not a routine you memorize; it’s a language you speak.
Why the World Forgot (and Then Remembered)
By the 1950s, the big bands were dying out. Taxes on dance floors and the rise of Rock 'n' Roll shifted the culture. People started dancing solo or doing the "Jive" or "East Coast Swing," which are basically simplified, watered-down versions of Lindy Hop. For a couple of decades, the original Harlem style was kept alive by a few aging legends and some film clips like Hellzapoppin' (1941)—which, by the way, features the fastest, most insane Lindy Hop ever caught on film.
Then came the 1980s.
A group of dancers from Sweden, the UK, and the US (including members of the Rhythm Hot Shots) went on a scavenger hunt to find the original dancers. They found Frankie Manning working at a Post Office. They found Al Minns at the Margaret Dietz School of Dance. These elders began teaching again, and the "Swing Revival" was born.
Today, there are Lindy Hop scenes in Seoul, Taipei, Melbourne, and Vilnius. You can go to a dance camp like Herräng in Sweden—a tiny village that turns into a swing dance mecca for five weeks every summer—and find thousands of people obsessed with 1930s culture.
Common Misconceptions About the Dance
People get Lindy Hop confused with other things all the time. Honestly, it’s understandable. Swing dancing is a massive umbrella.
First, it’s not Jive. Jive is a ballroom competition dance. It’s very bouncy and upright, and while it’s related, it lacks the "swung" feel and the groundedness of Lindy. If you see someone in a sequined vest doing very stiff kicks, that’s Jive.
Second, it’s not just for "old people" or "vintage lovers." While there’s a big crossover with people who love vintage clothes, most Lindy Hoppers are just normal people in sneakers and T-shirts. In fact, sneakers are basically the official uniform because you will sweat. A lot.
Third, you don't need a partner. This is the biggest barrier for people. Most swing dance scenes are built on "social rotation." You show up alone, you take a lesson, and you switch partners every two minutes. By the end of the night, you’ve met twenty people. It’s one of the most social hobbies on the planet.
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Health Benefits (Because it’s Basically Crossfit)
If you're looking for a workout that doesn't feel like a workout, this is it. Research into social dancing, particularly high-energy styles like Lindy, shows massive benefits for cardiovascular health and coordination. But the real "secret sauce" is the cognitive load.
When you’re Lindy Hopping, you are:
- Listening to complex polyrhythms.
- Navigating a crowded floor (floorcraft).
- Communicating non-verbally with another human.
- Executing physical movements in real-time.
It’s a massive brain workout. Studies have suggested that social dancing is one of the best activities for staving off dementia and Alzheimer's because it combines physical exercise with social engagement and mental acuity. Plus, the endorphin rush from a "good dance" is real. There’s a thing called "floor sugar"—that feeling when a dance goes so well you feel like you're floating.
How to Get Started Without Looking Ridiculous
Don’t go to YouTube and try to copy the professional competitors immediately. You’ll hurt yourself, or worse, you’ll get frustrated and quit.
Find a local "taster" lesson. Most cities have a swing dance society. They usually hold a dance on a Friday or Saturday night with a one-hour beginner lesson before the main event. Go to that. They will teach you the basic 6-count step. It will feel clunky. You will step on someone’s toes. It’s fine. Everyone there did the exact same thing on their first night.
Invest in the right shoes. You want something with a bit of slide. If your shoes are too grippy (like brand-new basketball sneakers), you’ll blow out your knees during turns. Old Keds or Toms are a great starting point. Some people even put duct tape on the bottom of their shoes to make them slide better.
Listen to the music. You can’t dance Lindy Hop to modern pop music. Well, you can, but it feels weird. Start listening to "The Big Three": Count Basie, Duke Ellington, and Benny Goodman. Get that "swing" feel into your bones. If you can hear the difference between a straight beat and a swung beat, you’re halfway there.
Actionable Next Steps for the Aspiring Dancer
If you want to actually learn what is the lindy dance by doing it, here is your immediate roadmap.
- Search for "Swing Dance [Your City]" on Google or Facebook. Look for groups that mention Lindy Hop specifically, rather than just "Ballroom."
- Watch 'Hellzapoppin' on YouTube. Look for the "Whitey's Lindy Hoppers" scene. It’s the gold standard of the dance and will give you a clear vision of the energy you’re aiming for.
- Check out Frankie Manning’s autobiography. It’s called Frankie Manning: Ambassador of Lindy Hop. It’s the best way to understand the cultural roots and the Black history of the dance without it feeling like a dry history lesson.
- Don't buy fancy clothes yet. Just get a pair of comfortable, flat shoes and clothes you can move in. You're going to get hot.
- Focus on the "Bounce." In your kitchen, put on "Shiny Stockings" by Count Basie. Just pulse your knees to the beat. Don't worry about footwork. Just feel the rhythm. If you can do that, you can Lindy Hop.
Lindy Hop isn't just a dance from the history books. It’s a living, breathing community. It’s a way to connect with people in an increasingly digital world. It’s physical, it’s intellectual, and honestly? It’s just a hell of a lot of fun. Check your local listings, get out on the floor, and don't worry about the air steps until at least your second month.