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Lindy Hop was so named after Charles Lindbergh's flight to Paris in 1927, when the newspaper headline read: "LINDY HOPS THE ATLANTIC". The dance has no "hop" in it. On the contrary, it is smooth and solid, and while there is a constant rhythmic 8-count "pulse" that you feel in your bones, there is no hopping, bopping, or prancing in the dance.
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Lindy Hop, also known as Jitterbug, is the authentic Afro-Euro-American Swing dance. It is an unabashedly joyful dance, with a solid, flowing style that closely reflects its music -- from the late 20's hot Jazz to the early 40's Big Bands. Just as Jazz combines European and African musical origins, Lindy Hop draws on African and European dance traditions. The embracing hold, and the turns from Europe, the breakaway and solid, earthy body posture from Africa. The dance evolved along with the new swing music, based on earlier dances such as the Charleston and the Black Bottom, by black people in Harlem.

Lindy Hop is a social dance. Partners are connected smoothly and gently to each other, while relating closely to the music, in feeling, improvisation and phrasing. The core tempo range is 120-180 beats per minute.

Films such as Hellzapoppin and Day at the Races, as well as Malcolm X and Swingkids show seemingly reckless airsteps (aerials), often done at very fast musical tempos. Far from being just acrobatic antics, airsteps are in fact smooth, extremely precise, and perfectly in synch with the music. They require a superb degree of expertise and are not danced socially, but only for performance, if only inside a protective ring of spectators, as in the Cats' Corner jams at the Savoy Ballroom. Airsteps are impressive and spectacular, so that's what you see in the movies!

Savoy style Lindy Hop, as taught by Frankie Manning and Steven Mitchell, has the lightest, gentlest, and smoothest connection of all the common Swing dances! It is solid, low, relaxed and energetic.

Just as Swinging Jazz music feels very different from, say, Rockabilly music, Lindy Hop feels very different from other dances, such as West Coast Swing, East Coast Swing, Jive, and Rock'N'Roll-Jitterbug, especially in posture, partner connection, and musical connection.

Lindy Hop is a Jazz dance. Jazz is dancing music. Swing is Jazz music.
History © and courtesy of http://dancing.org/

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Learning is FUN!

Once comfortable with the basics, you decide what level you want to take your dancing to — you can stick with the basics and become an accomplished social dancer, think about performance-styled dancing embellished with aerial movements, or maybe work towards competitive dancing.

A World of Dance

You can learn dances like Balboa, Blues and Shag, as well as the line dances like the Shim Sham, the Big Apple, and the Jitterbug Stroll.

These are all a part of the dancing you'll see at every one of metro Denver's FIVE nights of dancing EVERY week!

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Why Sit at Home

Talk about affordable — the most 'expensive' night of dancing doesn't even get close to the cost of going out to a movie.

It's a social activity where you'll make new friends, it's cheaper than your cable bill or renting from NetFlix.

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You CAN do it!

As a beginning dancer, few things can compare with that rapturous feeling you have the first time you dance through an entire song!!

Do yourself a favor: Get out of the house — you already own everything you'll need — and meet me on the dance floor.

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About Eight Count Magic

It's really simple: I like socializing. I'm one of those people who doesn't mind a crowd and I've always kept a large circle of friends. I love dancing; dancing is very social; so partner dancing is almost nirvana for me. I believe Lindy Hop is one of a few activities where strangers come together to create something beautiful, and I like sharing that with other people. I was taught that I shouldn't expect a Follow to follow a movement if I couldn't lead it.

Therefore, I focus my classes on teaching movements that can be lead and followed by dancers NOT in my classes. I couple that with stressing the importance of maintaining a good

Frame and a consistent Connection with your partner, to enable dancers in leading and following these movements. I make it a point to try and dance with EVERYONE who takes my classes, Follows & Leads.

I believe this gives me necessary first-hand feedback on the effectiveness of my teaching methods. I love teaching and I would love the opportunity to show you the magic of Lindy Hop.

Lindy Hop = Life with Style!

My site is best viewed with Firefox or Safari. Internet Explorer likes to crash.

Learning is FUN!

A World of Dance

Why Sit at Home

You CAN do it!