The Dances
Lindy Hop, Charleston, Solo Jazz, Rhythm Tap
Swing Dance
Swing Dance is an umbrella term for the dances of the Swing Era - which is a term used to describe the 1930s to 1940s, when Swing Music was the popular music of its day. Swing Music is really a type of Jazz Music, infectious, happy, simple and easy to listen to. Many Swing Era songs have gone on to become jazz standards. Together, both the music and the dance helped lift the hearts of many during the Great Depression of the 1930s.
Lindy Hop was brought back to Singapore in the mid 90s by Lim Sing Yuen, a Singaporean who had been dancing in London with Jitterbugs London. Since then there has always been a local community. 2021 marks the 26th year of Lindy Hop in Singapore (SG).
Lindy Hop
The Grandfather of the Partner Swing Dances
Lindy hop is the oldest of the partnered swing dances. There are dances that are older, such as the foxtrot and the charleston, but these were generally not danced to the swing music of the day. In our modern times, Lindy Hop consists of 3 major patterns, the 8 count, the 6 count and the charleston and we teach all of these in our classes.
Charleston
The Dance of the Roaring 20s!
Technically the Charleston is not a swing dance as it was danced in the 20s, earlier than the Swing Era. Many Charleston steps were incorporated into the swing dances and you can see these steps in the Lindy Hop, Solo Jazz as well as Tap Dance. It has a 2/4 feel and is characterized by its pigeon-toed pivoted legs.
Rhythm Tap
One of the oldest American artforms, both a music and a dance-form.
Rhythm Tap comes from the African American tradition of tap dance. From early on, tap dancing was a way for African slaves to make a living, express themselves outside of their identity as slaves and even earn their freedom. A combination of European clog and folk dances together with African tribal rhythms and steps, tap dancing is truly an American vernacular art-form.
Solo Jazz
A form of American Vernacular Dance, also called Authentic Jazz
Vernacular Jazz is the umbrella term given to all the dances danced during the jazz age that were born in the streets and formed from the cultures and communities that danced together in the 1930s and 40s. Solo Jazz is a modern term given to a branch of vernacular jazz dance which encompasses the movements done by the African American dancers during the 30s and 40s and consists of a variety of popular steps of that time as well as steps from older dances like the Charleston or the cakewalk. It would be used as the template for the Broadway jazz in the 50s and 60s.