swing dancing

refers to a variety of dances that were originally started in the 20-40's including Jitterbug (aka East Coast Swing), Lindy Hop, West Coast Swing, Charleston etc. They are generally partner dances and are done to big band/jazz/blues music. There has recently (late '90s) been a resurgence in interest in these dances.

Though it looks complex, swing dancing is fairly simple for the lead, who basically just goes chassé left, chassé right, rock-step no matter what the partner is doing. The partner is led through a series of spins and turns, where the sequence of steps remains the same and the direction of travel varies. Hand position is critical - take a normal dance hold with someone for swing and fingers will break.