Harlem Swing Dance Society preserves neighborhood's historic Lindy Hop dance
This Black History Month, we recognize one of the most extravagant dances ever to exist, the Lindy Hop. The style born during the Harlem Renaissance has evolved to live on in its home neighborhood.
The unforgettable sight of flight on the dance floor brought the Harlem ballroom scene to new heights in the 1920s.
"The Savoy [Ballroom] was in Harlem, and that's where the Lindy Hop was perfected," said Barbara Jones, executive director of The Harlem Swing Dance Society.
Striving to connect young dancers to historic dance style
Not far from where the Savoy used to stand, you can still find swing dancers shaking their hips at venues like the Robert F. Smith Center for Performing Arts at Harlem's Danny Ferrell Riverbank State Park. Jones now leads the neighborhood's efforts to hold on to the history of its native groove, including her club's role in a monthly dance exchange featuring different genre experts.
"The evolution of Lindy Hop, in a sense, has already happened because in Philadelphia, they do the Philly Bop; in D.C. they do hand dance; in Detroit, they do stepping," Jones said. "Young people need to feel like they're the future innovators. They can take this dance and make it their own, in their own way."
Jones is working to bring back the historic Harvest Moon Ball at Madison Square Garden in the fall, striving to revive excitement about the style for younger dancers.
"It's a rich history that needs to be preserved in its home," Jones said.
Practice with the Harlem Swing Dance Society every Tuesday at 7 p.m. at the Joseph P. Kennedy Center at 34 West 134th St., and check out events throughout the year by clicking here.
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