Lindy Hop as Performance Art?
Posted by spectaprod on September 17, 2007
I’ve recently been on a kick of exploring Lindy Hop as a Performance Art, mostly thanks to my summer infatuation with So You Think You Can Dance. Relatedly (if only just tangentially) Alain Wong has a post about a show by Solid State Breakdance in which a fusing of break dancing and Lindy Hop occurs. Also a major catalyst to this drive is Steven and Virginie, who to me share the most exciting partnership in Lindy Hop today.
I love the whole vintage rock out Lindy movement ala ULHS, but over all I gain more inspiration from the movement of Lindy Hop forward than from the perfection of where Lindy Hop came from. Despite their detractors, what Steven and Virginie do, in my mind at least, pushes the envelope of Lindy Hop more than any other couple. And their pushing is more and more into the direction of art, rather than just social dance.
I started this post last week, and I’ve since completely forgotten about where I wanted to take it.
I would like to see more risk taken in Lindy Hop. And by risk I really mean more controversy, not just to stir up trouble, but to see what the dance can be. It seems to me that there is a very strict line to toe about what is and isn’t Lindy Hop. And this seems to be a constant point of discussion. I remember years of Yehoodi and even Lindy Cafe (don’t look it up, it’s long dead) threads debating what was Lindy Hop and what was really just hard swinging West Coast. What I don’t recall is seeing much in the way of pushing the envelope of the dancing. I can’t see how it would be bad to bring lyrical and contemporary jazz movement into performance Lindy Hop and it would certainly be great to use Lindy Hop inspired movement in those mediums as well.
There was a time when the idea of taking a modern jazz, or lyrical/contemporary (excuse my ignorant nomenclature) gave me shudders because I feared what it might do to my Lindy Hop. Now I’m practically beating down the doors of various studios looking for a teacher with inspiring ideas that I can study with because of what I hope it will do to my Lindy Hop.
Tags: dance, Jazz, lindy hop, Steven Mitchell, Virginie, lyrical
Carl said
I definitely have thought on the notion of Lindy Hop as performance art and I’ve only really seen a few examples of it that I would merit fit that description. Some of the work that the Silver Shadows are doing definitely characterizes a new level of dance performance for the lindy hop community. The pieces show a pacing and artistic appropriation of space that does not just edify the vintage rock out movement, but a more mature understanding of dance as a whole.
I also agree about the idea of modern or other dance forms to augment our ability as dancers. I’ve made statements to this effect and have started taking up contemporary and contact improv to further this end in my own dancing. It is a wonderful experience and one I promote to other dancers.
dance_hh said
I agree completely. Lindy Hop is not a fixed dance, but growing and changing with the times. I have a very varied danc background and usually mix up everything I think fits the music (and my dance partner) which makes people say: “You dance different from others”. Most say that because they are challenged and don’t like to. A few though tell me, my dancing is different because I actualle dance to the music (which is what I think I try to do), which makes me wonder … I also love to experiment with swinging, but not necessarily swing music.
Sadly, I mostly meet people who stick to what they have learned as “basic steps” and count about their figures – not just in class, but in the dancefloor. Not much creativity on the dance floor, to me it looks like drawing by pictures.
I see that Argentine Tango finally has become interesting to centemporary improvisational dancers and gained some attractive new aspects from that. I hope Lindy will do that same step soon. I tried to “infect” a contemporary group I was part of a few years ago, but they looked at the swing dancefloor and, of course, weren’t to impressed and could not see the potential. Maybe on this behalf Tango will open a path.
So, keep on moving! I am always happy to find similarly adventurous dancers.