Swing dancing is amazing, and luckily there are places to swing dance in Detroit and the suttounding areas. Southeast Michigan swing dancing has some great places to dance and Swing Detroit is a top swing dancing hotspot.

There are a number of different types of swing dancing found in the Detroit area, and the scene also has some fantastic blues dance classes. Here are a few of the swing dances in southeast Michigan that you can see out on the dance floor.

Lindy Hop,  

Created in the middle of the Great Depression, Lindy Hop’s exuberance reflects both the dancers’ desire to shake off their worries and the high-energy jazz being played in Harlem at the time. It experienced a revival in the mid-90s with the movie Swing Kids and is still danced to vintage-style music with syncopated 8-count rhythms. As far as performing goes, it is best known for its highly athletic lifts and aerials.

Charleston,  

The dance of choice for the wild flappers of the 20s, the Charleston was named for its place of origin – Charleston, SC – and was popularized by the tune “The Charleston.” It features high kicks and complex, energetic footwork to match the music of the time, and, unlike other partner dances, can be danced solo as well. Modern Charleston dancing is usually found in the same venues as Lindy Hop. 

Balboa 

Balboa was developed in the 1910s and danced to faster tempos of 8-count jazz. Designed to take up very little space, it is danced in closed embrace and uses weight shifts and footwork with minimal traveling across the floor. This makes the dance less interesting to watch, but still fun for the dancers. 

Blues dancing is another expanding part of our dance scene. There are a few different types of blues dances, and there will be more information about blues dancing in the detroit area posted soon!