Swing dancing evolved in the United States in response to the swing music that became popular from the late 1920s through into the 1940s. In ballrooms up and down the country, dancers started to invent new ways of moving to the music of Chick Webb, Count Basie, Fletcher Henderson, Benny Goodman, Artie Shaw, and many more. Swing Dancing is actually an umbrella term for many related, but distinct, dance styles including Charleston, Lindy Hop, Balboa, and various forms of Shag. Close relatives of swing dancing include Jive and Rock & Roll. The different styles of swing dancing emerged because people…
Balboa is a swing dance that originated during the 1930s in the dance halls of the Balboa Peninsula in Newport Beach, California. Seaside venues such as the Rendezvous Ballroom were so popular and so crowded, it is reputed that signs were posted prohibiting “breakaways” so that couples were obliged to maintain a close connection while dancing. This dance, which we now refer to as “Pure” Balboa, is therefore characterised by a close hold and subtle footwork. Elsewhere in the region, breakaway movements were commonplace, and often included intricate turns in a style that is referred to as Bal-Swing. Both of…