Calling all you wonderful Swing Dancers or Swing Dance lovers. I'm in a desp

Question:So, I like to consider myself a novelist and without giving away too much information, I am planning on writing a Swing Dance novel.

The only problem is, I have NO idea what to call the amazing steps. And while I have searched the internet high and low, I've been unsucessful in finding the information I need.

Can someone help me by either giving me links to places where I can learn about the steps, or--if at all possible--a short definition of the terms and movements?

Thank you in advance to those who help me! Blessings,
~Mackenzie

Best Answer - Chosen by Asker: So, I like to consider myself a novelist and without giving away too much information, I am planning on writing a Swing Dance novel.

The only problem is, I have NO idea what to call the amazing steps. And while I have searched the internet high and low, I've been unsucessful in finding the information I need.

Can someone help me by either giving me links to places where I can learn about the steps, or--if at all possible--a short definition of the terms and movements?

Thank you in advance to those who help me! Blessings,
~Mackenzie

Well, first I will say that's a great idea, and I love it! But I will offer you this point of advice: if you make the descriptions of the dancing too specific, you may lose the general reader who is not going to know about what you're talking about.

That being said . . .

If you're going with the idea of traditional big band swing era setting, you'll want to read up on "The Lindy Hop". Lindy is the original swing dance created out of Partnered Charleston in Harlem during the late 1920's. This also the dance the brought you all of those amazing air-steps (or aerials) that are famously associated with swing dancing. (You may also want to research The Balboa, The Collegiate Shag, and several other styles of swing that have gone the way of the Dodo.)

First, you should get involved with swing dancing, and try and learn as much as you can. Find the local lindy hop scene in your area and take lessons and go to dances. Try searching your city/state on this website:
http://www.thelindyhop.com

I would also recommend you go to a major Swing Dance Camp/Weekend/Competition. This will get you a lot of exposure in a short amount of time. One example is:
http://www.camphollywood.net
Check out the calendar of events on this website:
http://www.lindyexchange.com

Additionally, you can try posting on the National Swing Forum, Yehoodi. Someone might be able to help you find some lindy hoppers in your area (plus you can discuss your novel with the group, and have a direct link to people that would be extremely interested in purchasing it, once it's finished).
http://www.yehoodi.com

There are several Biography style books written by some of the great swing dancers of the Era. You should get copies of their books and read through them to get some first hand accounts of what it was like to be a full time professional swing dancer during the 30's, 40's, and 50's. They also have descriptions of "moves" and "air-steps" that they worked on during this time period.

Frankie Manning's Autobiography:
http://www.amazon.com/Frankie-Manning-Am...

Norma Miller's Autobiography:
http://www.amazon.com/Swinging-Savoy-Mem...

You might also want to check out this children's book on the Savoy Ballroom:
http://www.amazon.com/Happy-Feet-Savoy-B...

You can watch Frankie and Norma dancing in this film clip from 1941, as Whitey's Lindy Hopers in the movie "Hellzapoppin":
http://myspacetv.com/index.cfm?fuseactio...

In terms of online resources, you should take a look at the videos at this website:
http://www.idance.net
They have online lessons on moves for Lindy Hop and other swing dances. It costs $1 to view the instructional video, but you can preview the moves before you buy.

What some moves are called differs depending on what region you live in, but I'll try to cover most of the possible names. These are some of the basic "moves" you should familiarize yourself with:

Outside (or Underarm or Tuck) Turn
Inside Turn
Trade Places
Cuddle (or Sweetheart)
Hammerlock
Apache (or Texas Tommy)
Swing Out (or Whip)
Closed Circle
Shoulder Release
Send Out
Switches
Quick Stop
Free Spin

These are some of the air-steps (or Aerials) you should familiarize yourself with:

Babydoll Drop
Frog Jump
"A" Lift
Pancake
Waterfall (or Up and Over the Head)
Candle Stick (or Ace in the Hole)
Knicker Bocker
Italian Waterfall
Helicopter (or the Frankie)
"K" Flip
The Snatch
Shake the Change (or Shakin' Change)
Over the Back (or Flying Home)

Additionally, there are several terms used to describe footwork, styling, and break-away jazz steps you should also become familar with:

Triple Step
Boogie Step
Swivals
Boogie Forward
Boogie Back
Shorty George
Suzy Q's
Tacky Annie
Charleston
Jump Charleston
Squat Charleston
Long Legged Charleston
Rusty Dusty
Spank the Baby
Ride the Pony
Kick Ball Change (or Flap Ball Chang in Tap)
Gaze Afar
Peckin'
Hesitation Shorty George
Full Break
Half Break

Some other terms you should use that pertain to swing dancing:

Jam Circle (or Cats Corner)
Birthday Dance (or steal dance)
Jack n' Jill (type of competition)
Showcase (type of competition)
Jitterbug (not a dance, but a dancer)

This should give you a full vocabulary to build off of as you collect research for you book.

I hope this helps!

Happy Dancing.

P.S. here's an amazing video from a recent lindy hop competiton, last September:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=myJj0mNNe...

I am at a loss to what you call "Swing Dance".

I play in a Duo over here in New Zealand and play for a lot of Dance Clubs, but have never heard of "Swing Dance". A Jive can be swing, you also get a Swing Waltz.

More information would help, like the timing eg ... 4/4 or 6/8 Jive Rock 'n Roll etc.

Have fun.

Swing dance is an Amercan dance that came out of the 1920's and 1930's. The Lindy Hop was really the first swing style and it came out of Harlem .I don't really know swing dance moves per se, but I would recommend you go to a class and ask if you can observe and take notes.
The instructor will undoubtedly be demonstrating the moves and naming them to the students.
Or perhaps you can rent a video of instruction and learn them that way?!
good luck
http://www.rossmernyk.com/swing.html
acheck this out for more info

How Exciting!! I can't wait to read it !

There is a wide spectrum of dance that is called 'swing.' What style of swing are you interested in? Lindy hop? East coast? West Coast? Jive?

My personal favorite is modern west coast swing. Watch Myles Munroe&Tessa Cunningham or Jordan Frisbee&Tatiana Mollman on YouTube. There are lots of dance videos you can watch if you search west coast swing on YouTube.

Swing is a dance style that is constantly evolving so there is no 'glossary'. Of course some of the standard moves have names, but people make up names as they make up moves.

Why don't you take some swing dance classes? Or attend a local showcase or competition? to learn the lingo.

Does that help?

What you are likely to find is that individual elements within Lindy Hop, for example, tend to have different names dependent on the area you are in.

If you want to contact me, I would be happy to help you identify elements. We could work something out insofar as how to communicate.

Just let me know. :)

Before writing a novel you have to put in a lot of a time and effort into research to make sure certain details are accurate. I know a best selling author who has to fly all over the world in order to do research on certain places she's going to write about. So see the research as equally as important and time consuming as the writing itself.

Check out the following website which shows Lindy/swing "moves of the week".

http://www.newmoveoftheweek.com/

You might also buy an instructional video or two from here: http://swingdanceshop.com/

Or read Frankie Manning or Norma Miller's books and see what you can pick up from there.

here's a hint: try it out for yourself! there's a whole community involved in swing dancing, and i think a novel that was unaware of it would be truly misguided. get to know more than the steps - know some dancers, too!