How to Prepare for the Lindy Hop

The Lindy Hop was a dance created in New York in 1927. It evolved with jazz music and is typically explained as a fusion of four dances: the hop, Texas Tommy, Charleston and jazz. The dance was named after Charles Lindbergh's 1927 flight to Paris. It has a solid rhythmic eight-count pulse, making it what many say is the gentlest, smoothest and lightest of all Swing dances.

Difficulty: Challenging

Instructions

1. Learn the difference between a six-count swing and an eight-count swing. This difference is important to know because the six-count swing is a completely different dance known as the East Coast Swing or Basic Swing. The Lindy Hop is the Basic Swing with two added steps.

2. Dress comfortably. If you're a woman, wear a full skirt so that you can enjoy the way the fabric moves around you as you spin but wear shorts underneath since your skirt can ride up quite high. Men can wear casual pants.

3. Start with a basic swing-out away from your dance partner to begin dancing the Lindy Hop. This move involves taking a step back from your partner and then immediately doing a triple step towards him or her.

4. Follow the swing out with two steps while closely holding each other and finish off with a triple step away from your partner.

5. Practice your moves. Once you become more experienced, you can follow these steps with improvising steps to the same count.

Tips & Warnings

• Also known as the Jitterbug, the Lindy Hop has a core tempo range of 120 to 180 beats per minute.
• If you're a beginner, you don't need to spend money on special dance shoes. Soft soled shoes are good enough.