The
Jitterbug is a combination of embracing holds and turns from
Europe with the solid body posture and breakaways from African dance. The dance evolved coequally with the music it accompanied,
jazz. The Jitterbug is based on earlier dances such as the
Charleston,
Black Bottom, The
Big Apple, The
Texas Tommy, and other animal dances such as the
Turkey Trot,
Grizzly bear, and the
Bunny Hug.
The Jitterbug began in Harlem, 1926. The aforementioned moves fused at the Savoy Ballroom by George “Shorty George” Snowden. George Snowden called the new dance “The Lindy Hop” because Charles Lindbergh accomplished the first Hop across the Atlantic. The name lost its appeal because of Lindbergh’s more public racist views and outspoken disdain for the swing era as a degeneracy of American culture. In 1938 Lindbergh’s accepted the highest Nazi civilian medal and the Jitterbug began to replace the Lindy Hop namesake. The Jitterbug represented the same dance but some hardcore dancers refuse to use the Jitterbug namesake because they feel it is a misrepresentation of the dance.
There are two styles currently to this dance, the L.A./Hollywood and the Savoy. There is also another called the “Lindy Circle” where the first four counts are the same as the other styles but for the fifth count the lead wraps his arm around the follows waist and leads backwards in a circular motion. The dancers move into position for a side-by-side Charleston on the next first count. Honestly I have no clue how this dance goes but sounds very fun.