what's
Lindy hop?
... and what are authentic Jazz dances?
Lindy Hop is an energetic authentic jazz dance combining elements of couple and solo dancing, born in the African-American communities of Harlem NY towards the end of the 1920's. It was very popular at the end of the 30's and in the beginning of the 40's. This uniquely African-American dance joins movements and improvisation that are both typical of African dances but also has 8-count temporal structure and a partnership that are typical of European dances - all well illustrated by its emblematic move, the Swing Out.
lindy hop is a black dance
ChARACTeRISTicS
Here are the most important characteristics of Authentic Jazz Dances, according to Harri Heinila, Jazz dances historian :
rhythme is essential in authentic jazz dance.
For example, Pepsi Bethel said: withtout rhythm, it is nothing. The rhythm is more important than the movement you do. There is no unique way to do any movement in authentic jazz dance but only rhythm has to remain consistent.
the most important part is individuality.
Each dancer is unique and different. We should not try to copy exactly another dancer.
the source of movement is jazz music.
When you are listening to music and Jazz dancing, you have a dialogue with music. You communicate with music and be a part of the orchestra as an instrument as for example Mura Dehn has explained in her Spirit Moves documentary.
that is
AUTHENtic jazz dance
The definition of Jazz dance is very diverse and can be subject to debate... Lindy Hop historian Harri Heinila wrote an article which sheds a welcome light on the subject. I will share sections of his text "What is Authentic Jazz Dance?" below in order to help clarify the question.
"When you search the Internet, you find out many different definitions of what is Authentic Jazz Dance or Authentic Jazz for short.
Many of these definitions connect Authentic Jazz Dance to jazz steps which are especially from the 1930s. When you are doing those steps, you are jazz dancing.
That, however, is only a part of enormous dance collection which contains all jazz music-related dance forms including solo dances, group dances, and partner dances, briefly saying from Cakewalk via Charleston and Lindy Hop to Hip Hop dancing. It could be argued for even earlier dance forms than Cakewalk, which are part of Authentic Jazz Dance, even if, there is no clear connection to jazz music. African-American dancing has its roots in a much earlier time than Cakewalk.
AUTHENTIC JAZZ IS A GENERAL TERM TO DESCRIBE THESE DANCES.
"The term authentic jazz dance is obviously from the end of the 1950s when Marshall Stearns began to use it. Stearns was an american jazz critic and musicologist who founded the Institute of Jazz Studies, the largest and most comprehensive library and archives of jazz and jazz-related materials in the world. The change in terminology happened probably because of the Modern Dance and Ballet-connected modern jazz dance movement started more and more to take over the term jazz dance."
After him there were Old Timers like Albert ’Al’ Minns, Leon James, Charles ’Cholly’ Atkins, Louise ‘Mama Lou’ Parks Duncanson, Mura Dehn, and Alfred Pepsi Bethel, who used the term authentic jazz dance.
Nowadays, original jazz dance, modern jazz, modern jazz dance, jazz dance, and jazz (where dancing is concerned) are usually connected to Modern Dance and Ballet-based dance forms, which are only loosely (if not at all) connected to jazz music.
Some authors also have used vernacular jazz dance or swing dance terms to describe original Jazz Dance forms. As Terry Monaghan has stated vernacular means ordinary, and many times original Jazz Dance forms have been highly practiced, and they may contain complex techniques. To call the practicers of these dance forms ordinary would not be correct for them.
The terms swing dance and swing dancing have usually been based on swing music-related dance forms, even if there has been Texas Tommy Swing dance a long time before swing music emerged. The terms swing dance and swing dancing, however, have been connected varyingly to only some jazz music-based dance forms during the years, and they have not been used as coherently as the terms jazz dance and authentic jazz dance have been used.
In summary, according to Harri Heinila,
"Authentic Jazz Dance is thus the best alternative to use until Jazz Dance is again firmly related to jazz music-based dance forms."
Dance clip from the movie Hellzapoppin', 1941, showcasing Whitey's Lindy Hoppers.
Dancers in order of appearance:
-
Frances “Mickey” Jones & William Downes
-
Norma Miller & Billy Ricker
-
Willamae Ricker & Al Minns
-
Ann Johnson & Frankie Manning
Music by Slim and Slam, originally choreographed on "Jumping at the Woodside" by Count Basie.
It's also important to recognize the context in which this movie (like most movies of that time) has been filmed because it shows the segregation and racism that existed. In this particular clip, dancers had to be dressed as servants in order to be shown on the screen because their skin colour was black.
Frankie Manning at 94 years of age, one of the best Lindy Hop dancers of all time, original dancer from Harlem's Savoy ballroom and ambassador of this dance in modern times in an interview about Lindy Hop.
- Lindy hop is such a happy dance.... it's a wonderful dance ... and good exercise too!
RECOGNIZE AND CELEBRAte the african-american roots of authentic jazz dances
