May I have this dance? Aurelia Santos invites us to join the festivities.
A-one and a-two and a-you know what to do. Any lindy hopper worth their swing out recognizes those as the words of the great Frankie Manning – a Black American dancer and choreographer, who we credit as one of the inventors of Lindy Hop, back in the 30s, and whose birthday we celebrate today – World Lindy Hop Day.
I got hooked on swing dance in the 90s, after seeing a Gap TV Commercial featuring Louis Prima’s Jump and Jive. When I started lessons, I found a community of dancers of all ages, genders, and socioeconomic backgrounds.
Lessons from lindy hop are many. It’s okay to be silly on the dance floor. It’s not a mistake, they say. It’s a variation.
And it’s okay to say no to a dance invitation. Dance communities are heavy on consent. We learn to respect each other’s no.