From Asia to America and everywhere in between, swing dance—an energetic form of dance that includes six-step and eight-step rhythms (节奏)—has taken the world by storm. Making a recent comeback, swing dance floors (舞场) have popped up all over the world. Many clubs make fans of swing happy by holding nights when swing music is played, and sometimes even offering classes to attract customers.
Though swing dance is now popular worldwide, it first appeared alongside the jazz movements of the 1920s and 1930s in New York City. While listening to jazz, the young black people of that time developed the movements of the Lindy Hop—a style of dance that is best known for a break away or "swing out" move and sudden improvisation (即兴表演).
It was reportedly given this name when a reporter was interviewing a person at the dance hall who was watching other couples dance. When asked what that dance was called, the watcher looked at a newspaper next to him that had an article about Lindbergh—the first person to fly alone across the Atlantic (大西洋)—which was titled "Lindy Hops the Atlantic". Then the watcher announced that the Lindy Hop was the name of the dance, and it has stuck (被接受) since then.
In 1926, the Savoy Ballroom was the first large business to offer a place for people to listen to swing music and dance. With its huge dance floor, the Savoy became a big success overnight, attracting some of the best dancers and musicians in the New York area.
Within ten years, the Lindy Hop was sweeping through the United States and became a symbol of unity, as young people of all racial (种族的) backgrounds crowded into dance halls to swing the night away. Traditional dance teachers did not welcome it because they thought it was not even a real dance and were quite sure about its demise but swing has proved them wrong: it continues to be one of the world's most fun dances.
