Cat's Corner is long gone. The Lindy niche has been taken over by others.
This set of pages is kept here purely as an archive
(you know, preserving a little history which will otherwise be too forgotten!).
Nothing listed within the Cat's Corner area is current.

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Dance Floor Etiquette

The dance floor can be a dangerous place. With people often doing out of control air steps with reckless abandonment and charleston kicks that resemble kung fu moves, it's a wonder that there isn't an ambulance standing by outside Lindy Hop dance clubs. Throw in the bruised feelings that result from rudeness and the frustration one feels when continually jostled on a busy dance floor and you have the potential for a riot. All these things can be easily avoided if everyone simply abides by the "unwritten" rules of dance floor etiquette which have served Lindy Hoppers well for almost over 70 years:

• Dance in your space, not someone else's. As the floor gets more crowded, make your steps smaller and kicks shorter. This applies to every dancer, no matter how experienced.
• If you bump into someone else on the dance floor, assume it is your fault and apologize immediately.
• If the dance floor is too crowded, wait until the next song.
• Save your air steps for jams, performances and contests. Social dance floors + Air Steps = crippled Lindy Hoppers.
• Wear appropriate clothes and shoes. The male armpit is not a thing of beauty at close range and not every guy enjoys placing their hand on a gal's sweaty back. Extremely high heel shoes or heavy boots are injuries waiting to happen. A towel is recommended for those who are perspiration-challenged.
• On the social dance floor, don't teach, offer suggestions or critique your partner's dancing unless they ask you to or they give you permission ... social dancing is meant to be fun, not stressful.
• Dance in a manner and at a distance that your partner is comfortable with. Not every woman enjoys "dirty dancing", creative hand placement, or testing the static cling ability of clothing.

While not considered "rules" the following are considered good etiquette and will certainly help you enjoy a night of Lindy Hopping more:

• Save your first and last dance for the person you came with. Its only common courtesy.
• Dance with other people besides the person you came with. This is the only way to be a good social dancer.
• Don't say "no" to anyone who asks you to dance unless you're tired. If that is the case, make sure you sit out the whole song before dancing again.
• If you promise someone a dance -- especially the "next song" -- keep your promise. Don't make them come find you ... be polite and find them.
• Dance with beginners. It's the only way they'll ever learn to dance socially.
• Don't get water without leaving a tip. The term for such rude Lindy Hoppers is "water buffaloes" and they are the chief cause of rising cover prices and the demise of swing dancing in clubs worldwide.

Jams

Back in the big band days, Lindy Hoppers often had a hard time finding enough space to safely do their best moves. Shine steps, air steps, and travelling steps were simply too dangerous or impossible to do on the busy dance floors of those days. Thus, Lindy Hoppers would often form what was called a "Jam Session," "Jam Circle" or simply a "Jam." The dancers would clear out a wide area on the dance floor by standing in a circle and then take turns inside the circle to show off their best moves while the other Lindy Hoppers cheered them on. This "Jam" would go on until (a) every Lindy Hopper had their turn or the (b) non-Lindy Hoppers threatened physical violence. Today, the classic tradition of jams still lives on in the finer Lindy Hop clubs around the world. Here's the rules of a Jam:

• If non-Lindy Hoppers are present, Jams should only last two or three songs. The only exception is if Frankie Manning is running the Jam, in which case the Jam can go on indefinitely.
• A spontaneous Jam can be started at any time by any group of Lindy Hoppers clearing a circle for one couple to dance in.
• Organized Jams are normally ran by the lead dancers at a club in conjunction with the DJ/Band Leader.
• If an organized Jam starts, all Lindy Hoppers in the club should stop what they are doing and join the circle to cheer on the couple inside.
• Once you enter the Jam, you stay until (a) you decide to leave or (b) another couple enters the circle. Don't stay past your time.
• To enter the Jam, grab your partner and wait just inside of the circle. As long as the couple inside the circle is cutting it up, wait. When they leave or run out of steam, enter the Jam.

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