Venmo: @bobbyswungover
Recent Posts
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The 1938 Harvest Moon Ball
Venmo: @bobbyswungover This is the shorter, snack-sized version. For the longer, Geek-Out version of this article, which includes the most in-depth information and research, click here. Updated 8/29/21 — We found some mroe footage! This is part of the Harvest Moon Ball essay series. To see all the Harvest Moon Ball essays, please visit…
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The 1938 Harvest Moon Ball (GEEK OUT)
Venmo: @bobbyswungover This is the longer, Geek-Out version of this article, which includes the most in-depth information and research. For the shorter, Snack-Sized version, click here. (Update: 8/29/21— We have found more footage) This is part of the Harvest Moon Ball essay series. To see all the Harvest Moon Ball essays, please visit Swungover’s…
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Introducing: BAL PLAY
I’m very excited and proud of this project, many years in the making: BAL-PLAY. Goals: 1. Enjoy practicing alone as much as possible 2. Focus on true improvisation and solo self-expression in Bal. How does it work? 6 lessons, each covering a major piece of dancing we can play with: Movement, Rhythm, Punctuation, Kicks, Turns,…
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The Rise of the Big Apple
Venmo: @bobbyswungover Guess what? You can listen to a reading of this article at the Integrated Rhythm podcast! Just subscribe wherever you get your podcasts, or check it out on YouTube here. Summer, 1937. Just a couple weeks after the 3rd annual Harvest Moon Ball in August, the Black American newspaper The Pittsburgh…
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The 1937 Harvest Moon Ball
Venmo: @bobbyswungover This is the shorter, snack-sized version of this article. For the longer, Geek-Out version, click here. This is part of the Harvest Moon Ball essay series. To see all the Harvest Moon Ball essays, please visit Swungover’s HMB page. The “New” Kid On Aug 12, 1937, the Daily News announced the third Harvest…
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The 1937 Harvest Moon Ball (GEEK OUT)
Venmo: @bobbyswungover This is the longer, Geek-Out version of this article which may have more information and research than you may care about. For the shorter, Snack-sized version, click here. This is part of the Harvest Moon Ball essay series. To see all the Harvest Moon Ball essays, please visit Swungover’s HMB page. The “New”…
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Introducing: INTEGRATED RHYTHM Podcast!
Associate Professor, instructor, and swing and Zambian heritage dancer CHISOMO SELEMANI and I are proud to introduce INTEGRATED RHYTHM, a new weekly podcast where two swing dancing besties navigate race and the Black Experience in the world of Jazz Dance and other Afro-centric social dancing. We will mostly spend our time interviewing a range of…
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The Legacy of Norma
Happy Birthday Norma! The following recollections were part of a eulogy for Norma Miller published at Swungover in 2019. You can see the full essay here. Norma grew up Black and a woman trying to pave her way through the 20th century. It was very important for her to connect with Black people in the…
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Interview with an Everyday NYC Swing Era Jitterbug
Venmo: @bobbyswungover About five years ago we had the opportunity to talk with an average White American jitterbug from the original swing era about what dancing was like, and meant to, an avid social dancer of the time. “Anthony” (name has been changed at his request) was born in 1925 and grew up in an…
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Consider This: Reframing Whitey’s Tiers
Venmo: @bobbyswungover In the past few months we have covered two specific groups of Whitey’s Lindy Hoppers in detail: In A Gaze into A Day at the Races we learned about Norma Miller’s main group in 1937. And in Whitey’s Lindy Hopping Maniacs at the Savoy, we learned about Frankie Manning’s main group in this…
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The Life of “Tiny” Bunch
Venmo: @bobbyswungover Part 1 Every now and then you get lucky in research. It all began with an advertisement for an All-Black revue called “Harlem Express” we found. At the bottom, in the biggest letters: That Wilkes-Barre part is the lucky part — Wilkes-Barre is a small, mostly-White Pennsylvania coal city equally just as far away…
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Practice w/ Bobby SEASON 3!
Over the COVID-19 quarantine I’ve been doing 30 minute, down-and-dirty Improv jazz dance training. Here is SEASON 3! It’s only $20 for FOUR HOURS of dance training (and, you know, fish eye lenses and FB live video quality!). JUST CLICK ON THE PICTURE TO GET THEM. (Links to the videos are also over at the…
PAST ARTICLES
As you read, please remember these articles span the time from 2009 to the present. They are of their time and the swing scene at the time of writing. Though many of their ideas are still valid, there are others that are not reflective of my current values in Swing dance.
Click Here For Posts in Order of Publication
“The Quarantine Collection”
New essays & projects from the quarantine.
For The Harvest Moon Ball Project (And all of its essays) Just go to its page.
Shag @ the Harvest Moon Ball (1936-1939)
The 1940 Harvest Moon Ball (& Geek Out version)
The 1939 Harvest Moon Ball (& Geek Out version)
Introducing: The Air Swungover
Relentless: 1939 & The Whitey’s Lindy Hoppers
The 1938 Harvest Moon Ball (& “Geek Out” version)
The 1937 Harvest Moon Ball (& “Geek Out” version)
Contents
Selections
A few of Swungover’s most popular posts.
As you read, please remember these articles span the time from 2009 to the present. They are of their time and the swing scene at the time of writing.
A BASIC INDEX OF CLASSIC CLIPS
On Partnership (Love & Swing Part III)
The Proactive Follower
The Listening Leader
The “Heavy” Follower
Build Your Own Practice Dance Floor
Savoy Style vs. Hollywood Style: A Fight to the Death (Hopefully?)
Savoy vs. Hollywood Footnotes
The Old Timer Essay
The Definition of Jitterbug
The Mysterious History of the Tranky Doo
Pride and Pretzel-Turns
Swingjugend: The Real Swing Kids
23 Ways To Look at a Competition
9 Clips of Classic Black Lindy Hoppers Who Aren’t Whitey’s
9 Clips of Classic Black Lindy Hoppers Who Aren’t Whitey’s (Geek Version)
The Swung Furies: The Subway
Scenes From a Movie Shoot
SoCal Swings (1935-1939-ish) (Balboa/Swing/Bal-Swing/etc.)
Lindy Comes to SoCal (1937-ish-1945)
Long Live the Queen: Norma Miller Tribute (w/ LaTasha Barnes, Mickey Davidson, Tena Morales, Alexis Davila, and Shana Weaver)
Oh, the Dances You Will Have!
Swing 101
A series for those new to dancing and the swing scene
So you’ve just started dancing
Etiquette & Floorcraft
Beginning Your Swing Dance Education
8 Ways You Can Get Better At Swing Dancing
Which Workshop Should I Go To?
20 Original Lindy Hoppers Every Beginner Should Know (Or At least See Dance)
A Dance Etiquette Poster
Why Frankie.
The Swungover* Guide to Basic Floorcraft
Build Your Own Practice Dance Floor
Swing History 101
Made in Carolina: The Charleston (??-1928)
Birth of Lindy Hop (1900s-1929)
Video 1: The Birth of Lindy Hop (1900s-1929)
Video 2: The Dark Ages (1929-1937)
Golden Age of Harlem Lindy Hop (1935-1942)
SoCal Swings (1935-1939-ish) (Balboa/Swing/Bal-Swing/etc.)
Lindy Comes to SoCal (1937-ish-1945)
20 Original Lindy Hoppers Every Beginner Should Know (Or At least See Dance)
Reference
A BASIC INDEX OF CLASSIC CLIPS
Frankie On Film
Norma Miller Interview: Growing Up Next To The Savoy
Interview with Norma Miller: The Hard Questions
Savoy Style vs. Hollywood Style: A Fight to the Death (Hopefully?
Savoy Vs. Hollywood Footnotes
Cab Calloway’s Cat-Alogue
WHO’S WHO IN (PURE) BALBOA
WHO’S WHO IN BAL-SWING FOLLOWERS
WHO’S WHO IN BAL-SWING LEADERS
Swingjugend: The Real Swing Kids
The Original Jitterbugs
GENERAL
20 Original Lindy Hoppers Every Beginner Should Know (Or At least See Dance)
Al Minns: A Dancer’s Dancer
Breaking it down: Al Minns Around-the-World Charleston (Video)
Long Live the King: Frankie Manning Homage
A Way-Too-Brief History of Balboa
The Definition of Jitterbug
The Deal with Stripey Socks
The Deal with Keds
The Story of Mata Hari
Random Balboa Geek Discovery: New Information on the Venice Beach Clip
Savoy Style vs. Hollywood Style: A Fight to the Death (Hopefully?)
Savoy Vs. Hollywood Footnotes
Pinning Down the California Routine
Random Lindy Hop and Balboa Geek Discovery: Bal, Swing and Lindy from the Waist Down (and Something Possibly Amazing)
UPDATE: New Discoveries on the Waist-Down Dancing Clip
A Few Random Clips
For Hal (Tribute Article to Hal Takier)
Frankie On Film
My Favorite Year: 1938
Swingjugend: The Real Swing Kids
Why Frankie.
Happy Birthday Jewel McGowan, Queen of So-Cal Lindy
R.I.P Ray Hirsch, Great So-Cal “Swing” Dancer
The Savoy, Clarified
The Venice Beach Dress (video)
Venice Beach Clip essay
The Mysterious History of the Tranky Doo
R.I.P Ann Mills
Long Live the Queen: Norma Miller Tribute (w/ LaTasha Barnes, Mickey Davidson, Tena Morales, Alexis Davila, and Shana Weaver)
R.I.P Izzy Hignett
R.I.P. Irene Thomas
The Pieces of Individuality
Whitey’s Lindy Hop & Harlem Lindy Hop Specific
A Gaze into A Day at the Races
Al Minns: A Dancer’s Dancer
Breaking it down: Al Minns Around-the-World Charleston (Video)
Long Live the King: Frankie Manning Homage
Why Frankie.
Long Live the Queen: Norma Miller Tribute (w/ LaTasha Barnes, Mickey Davidson, Tena Morales, Alexis Davila, and Shana Weaver)
Norma Miller Interview: Through the Clips.
Norma Miller Interview: Growing Up Next To The Savoy
Norma Miller Interview: The Hard Questions
Savoy Style vs. Hollywood Style: A Fight to the Death (Hopefully?)
Savoy Vs. Hollywood Footnotes
Pinning Down the California Routine
Made in Carolina: The Charleston (??-1928)
Birth of Lindy Hop (1900s-1929)
Video 1: The Birth of Lindy Hop (1900s-1929)
Video 2: The Dark Ages (1929-1937)
Golden Age of Harlem Lindy Hop (1935-1942)
The Pieces of Individuality
Mildred Pollard AKA Sandra Gibson
Willa Mae Ricker, patron saint of respect for Lindy Hoppers.
Joyce James AKA Joyce “Little Stupe” Daniels ISDFNKA #5
Frankie On Film
The Deal with Keds
The Mysterious History of the Tranky Doo
The Swung Furies: The Subway
The Savoy, Clarified
9 Clips of Classic Black Lindy Hoppers Who Aren’t Whitey’s
9 Clips of Classic Black Lindy Hoppers Who Aren’t Whitey’s (Geek Version)
SoCal Lindy Specific
Savoy Style vs. Hollywood Style: A Fight to the Death (Hopefully?)
Savoy Vs. Hollywood Footnotes
SoCal Swings (1935-1939-ish) (Balboa/Swing/Bal-Swing/etc.)
Lindy Comes to SoCal (1937-ish-1945)
Incredible Follower: Irene Thomas
Special edition: Swing Memories: Calling Irene Thomas
Genevieve Grazis, the lost follower (AKA Jenny Gray)
R.I.P. Irene Thomas
Balboa Specific
WHO’S WHO IN (PURE) BALBOA
WHO’S WHO IN BAL-SWING FOLLOWERS
WHO’S WHO IN BAL-SWING LEADERS
SoCal Swings (1935-1939-ish) (Balboa/Swing/Bal-Swing/etc.)
Lindy Comes to SoCal (1937-ish-1945)
Venice Beach Clip 80th birthday essay
The Venice Beach Dress (video)
Random Lindy Hop and Balboa Geek Discovery: Bal, Swing and Lindy from the Waist Down (and Something Possibly Amazing)
UPDATE: New Discoveries on the Waist-Down Dancing Clip
For Hal (Tribute Article to Hal Takier)
R.I.P Ann Mills
A Way-Too-Brief History of Balboa
On the nature of Pure Balboa
R.I.P Izzy Hignett
“THE OLD TIMER” ESSAY
Part 1: A Classless Dance
Part 2: A Release of Energy
Part 3: Inside and Outside the Box
Part 4: “The Only Count I Know is Basie.”
Conclusion: Making Noise
INCREDIBLE FOLLOWERS NO ONE KNOWS ABOUT
Mildred Pollard AKA Sandra Gibson
Irene Thomas, sassy brunette.
Special edition: Swing Memories: Calling Irene Thomas
Willa Mae Ricker, patron saint of respect for Lindy Hoppers.
Genevieve Grazis, the lost follower (AKA Jenny Gray)
Joyce James AKA Joyce “Little Stupe” Daniels ISDFNKA #5
“DISCOVERIES” & RANDOM RESEARCH
The Definition of Jitterbug
Random Balboa Geek Discovery: New Information on the Venice Beach Clip
Genevieve Grazis, the lost follower (AKA Jenny Gray)
Pinning Down the California Routine
Random Lindy Hop and Balboa Geek Discovery: Bal, Swing and Lindy from the Waist Down (and Something Possibly Amazing)
UPDATE: New Discoveries on the Waist-Down Dancing Clip
Modern Swing Culture & Teaching
GENERAL
Long Live the King: Frankie Manning Homage
Great Debate: Should Lindy Hop be danced to non-swing music?
A Few of the (Many) Reasons I Love My Partner
The “Heavy” Follower
Finding Out A Team Name
The Jam Cellar Guide to Practicing Aerials.
Inspiring Neo-Swingers to Lindy Hop
The Deal with Stripey Socks
The Deal with Keds
The 2010 Swungover Year in Review
Oh, the dances you will have!
Things I’ve learned about dancing and having a bad back.
Anatomy of a Choreography: “Chimes at the Meeting”
The Etiquette of Stealing
So we made some DVDs for Balboa followers
Implied in the Contract: The Hidden Implications of Doing a Professional Dance Instruction Gig
Josh Collazo on Swing Drumming
In Response To “31 Signs You’re Not An Advanced Dancer Yet.”
A Quick Note on Floorcraft
On Having Fun
I Love You, Facebook
A Quick Note on Training Bands to Play For Dancers
23 Ways To Look At A Competition
John Wooden & Swing Dancing
The Proactive Follower
On #ImprovRespect
How to Move Forward & Create Safe Dance Spaces
Sexual Harassment and a Legend
Recovering from “Whiplash”
The Swungover* Guide to Basic Floorcraft
Build Your Own Practice Dance Floor
Scenes From a Movie Shoot
The Listening Leader
Swungover’s Response to the “Jack & Jill” debate
What’s it like to make a swing album (Podcast) w/ Josh Collazo, JonathanStout, Naomi Uyama, Hillary Alexander, Michael Gamble
What’s it like being Black in the scene? (Podcast) With Darold Alexander, Latasha Barnes, James Agena Georges, Javier Johnson, Breonna Jordan, Mikayla Pryor, and Radeena Stuckey
Consider this: Huh-huh-huh-ho
The Scientist, The Madman and The Mechanic.
The Pieces of Individuality
The Dancer’s Body (Video)
Consider This: Pan-style Teaching vs Lone-style Teaching
DANCE PRACTICE & IMPROVEMENT
The Dancer’s Body (Video)
Practice W/ Bobby Season 1
The Scientist, The Madman and The Mechanic.
The Proactive Follower
The “Heavy” Follower
The Listening Leader
John Wooden & Swing Dancing
Practice Podcast w/ Michael & Evita
COMPETITION & JUDGING
10 Competition Tips (video) w/ Annabel Quisao
23 Ways To Look At A Competition
On Judging (Introduction): A Few Questions
Part 1: The Basic Competition Blueprint
Part 2: Watching and Note-Taking Technique
Part 3: Judging Philosophy 101
Interview on Judging/Competing for Jo Hoffberg
TEACHING & PEDAGOGY
The Dancer’s Body (Video)
Consider This: Pan-style Teaching vs Lone-style Teaching
John Wooden & Swing Dancing
On Education & Individuality
The Pieces of Individuality
Implied in the Contract: The Hidden Implications of Doing a Professional Dance Instruction Gig
What’s it like being Black in the scene? (Podcast) With Darold Alexander, Latasha Barnes, James Agena Georges, Javier Johnson, Breonna Jordan, Mikayla Pryor, and Radeena Stuckey
Interview with Lindsay Longstreth, Organizer of Alternative-Education Swing Events
Interview with Paul Overton of Paul & Sharon
Interview with Tim Vail, Deaf Lindy Hopper
Love & Swing IV: Opportunity Costs
Practice w/ Bobby Season 1 (videos)
What’s it like to make a swing album (Podcast) w/ Josh Collazo, JonathanStout, Naomi Uyama, Hillary Alexander, Michael Gamble
Great Debate: Should Lindy Hop be danced to non-swing music?
Josh Collazo on Swing Drumming
Interview with Hilary Alexander of the Campus Five
Interview with Paul Cosentino of the Boilermaker Jazz Band
Interview with Jonathan Stout, Leader of the Campus Five
Interview with Glenn Crytzer, leader of the Syncopators Swing Band
Interview with Kyle Smith, Master DJ
The 9-Minute One O’Clock Jump
CONSIDER THIS
On the nature of Pure Balboa
On Education & Individuality
A Leader/Follower Conundrum
Swingjugend: The Real Swing Kids
German Swing Kids, Our closest Relatives?
Huh-huh-huh-ho
Pan-style Teaching vs Lone-style Teaching
LOVE & SWING ESSAY SERIES
I: “To Meet Boys.”
II: Non-Dancing Significant Others vs. Dancing Significant Others
III: Partnership
IV: Opportunity Costs
ON JUDGING ESSAY SERIES
On Judging (Introduction): A Few Questions
Part 1: The Basic Competition Blueprint
Part 2: Watching and Note-Taking Technique
Part 3: Judging Philosophy 101
Interview on Judging/Competing for Jo Hoffberg
DIAGRAMS & GRAPHS
#1: “Friends”
#2: “Neo-Swing”
#3: “Leader’s Clothing”
#4: “Balboa / Blues”
#5: “Non-Dancing Significant Others”
#6: “Partnership”
#7: Lindy at Blues Events
Graph #1: Dancing Ability & Drinking
SWING MEMORIES
My First Lesson
Frankie Manning’s 85th
The Sewanee Swing Society (Building a College Swing Club)
Calling Irene Thomas
SWING ANALOGIES
A dance floor is like a glacier
A good lead is like shouting in a library
A student is like a bad juggler
Balboa is like a poem…(cough)
A good follower is a proactive passenger
Follow up: Random Notes on Leading/Following
Your voice will probably be like a stew, and you probably don’t want it to be a ransom note
Moves are like legoes
Lindy Hoppers are 22-to-25-year-olds
Dips, tricks and small aerials are risque jokes
Swing Analogies: The Artist and the Tool Maker
THE ART OF VINTAGE “MASCULINE” STYLE & FASHION
Introduction
Shaving with a Safety Razor, Lather, and Soap
Ties
Men’s Vintage Haircuts
INTERVIEWS
Interview with Hilary Alexander of the Campus Five
Interview with Paul Cosentino of the Boilermaker Jazz Band
Interview with Jonathan Stout, Leader of the Campus Five
Interview with Valerie Salstrom, Mastermind of the All Balboa Weekend
Interview with Lindsay Longstreth, Organizer of Alternative-Education Swing Events
Interview with Glenn Crytzer, leader of the Syncopators Swing Band
Interview with Kyle Smith, Master DJ
Interview with Tim Vail, Deaf Lindy Hopper
Interview with Paul Overton of Paul & Sharon
Interview with Norma Miller,Lindy Hop Legend.
An Interview with David Rehm, founder of The Experiment.
SWING PHOTOGRAPHERS
Interview: Eric Bertrand
Gallery: Eric Bertrand
Interview: Hilary Mercer
Gallery: Hilary Mercer
Swing Photographers: Jason Swihart
Gallery: Jason Swihart
P-LINDY-X
(Basically, a lot of workout reviews)
Complete P90X Blog (Part 1 of 2)
Complete P90X Blog (2 of 2)
Bobby’s Complete P90X Plus Blog (All 4 of 4)
P90X2: Post 1
P90X2: Post 2
Strictly Humorous
GENERAL
Pride and Pretzel-Turns
Notes from the First Jam Cellar Town Hall Meeting
News Headlines: The 2000s: A Decade in Swing
The Case of the Dancing Stud (Complete Story)
The Ballad of the Oxford Baggies
My top secret plan for ILHC next year (Muppet Hellzapoppin)
News Briefs From Yesteryear (Part 1)
The Haunted Jam Cellar: “The Sketchy Guy”
The Haunted Jam Cellar: “The Clown in the Woods”
April Fool’s: Downton Abbey Season 4 Spoiler
A Space-Gravity Conundrum
RANDOM NOTES
Light and humorous swing dance travel essays
Random Notes from the 1950s
A Quick Note on Floorcraft
Random Notes from Salem, Mass.
Random Notes from Seoul Korea (June, 2010)
Random Notes from the Balboa Experiment
Random Notes from Reading and Gloucester, UK
Random Notes from Sydney, Australia
Random Notes from Wellington, “New Zillund”
Random Notes from the Airport (Part 1: Economy)
Random Notes from Melbourne, Australia
EVENT VIDEOS
The Experiment 2012 Welcome Video
All Balboa 2012
Le Hot Sauce 2012
EBC 2012 Chris Owens Hunt Video
The Balboa Experiment 2013 Application Teaser
Swingin’ In The Rain 2013
Why I Love Balboa (The Balboa Gathering, 2013)
Shuffle Amsterdam/Stir-It!
10 Awesome Things in Switzerland (Stir-It!, 2013)
A Swing Kid Walks Into A Bar…(EBC 2013)
History of Caucasian Dancing
Junk Drawer
1. After Seben
2. Nick and Carla at ILHC 2009
3. Todd and Naomi routine at ULHS 2005
4. Rhythm Hot Shots at Can’t Top The Lindy Hop in 1994.
5. Start Cheering (original Balboa clip)
6. Lady Be Good (Collegiate Shag)
Insanity! #1
Insanity! #2
Insanity! #3
Insanity! #4 (Abort!)
Cab Calloway’s Cat-Alogue
Junk Drawer: Meeting Irene Thomas, New Jewel Clip, New Charleston Soundie
Copyright
Basically, I appreciate greatly when you like something enough to send people to my site or link to an article. But please do not republish things without asking first.
Swungover* 