Authentic Jazz

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As the solo dance of the Swing family, Authentic Jazz is a blanket term for a number of popular dances from the 1920s and ‘30s – The Charleston, tap, Black Bottom, Shimmy, Suzie-Q, and many more. It is danced to Jazz and Swing music, and like the other styles of the same family, it is energetic and playful.

 Many elements of Authentic Jazz can be seen in a variety of contemporary dances such as hip-hop, break-dance, modern jazz, shuffling, and more. In addition, it has influenced other swing dance styles – many steps in partnered dancing are actually variations of Authentic Jazz moves.

 At Swing it (formerly Holy Lindy Land), Authentic Jazz is a dance track of its own, alongside other tracks such as Lindy Hop and Charleston. Beginners learn the basic steps, many of which fit into the well-known choreographies like The Shim Sham and Tranky doo. In the advanced courses we begin to further explore body movement in solo dancing, and focus on improvisation and learning complex choreographies. Working on solo dancing improves body awareness, the quality of movement in partner dancing and is highly recommended for all dancers.