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Lindy Hop Terms

Lindy Hoppers use a vocabulary that can be a bit confusing to those new to the scene. It's not that Lindy Hoppers speak a different language, they just speak their own language. For the benefit of those struggling to figure out why the guy they just met likes to "swing" and enjoys "messing around" while doing the "shag" and enjoys experimenting with different "positions" -- here's a list of some Lindy Hop terms:

Air Steps. Dance moves that involve you or your partner leaving the ground. Air Steps are not social dance steps, but are designed exclusively for jams, competitions and performances. Not to be confused with "Air Jordan" who left the ground, but didn't Lindy Hop while doing it. The first Air Step was a back to back flip performed by Frankie Manning in 1935.

Apache. (1) An early dance that influenced the Lindy Hop. (2) What the Texas Tommy is called in some other styles of swing dancing.

Around the Back. A dramatic Air Step where the woman performs a moving jump over and around the man's back finishing up where she began the step. Also called a Kip or Lindy Flip.

Around the World. (1) A variation of the Lindy Turn where both partners spin 360 degrees, often followed by Points. (2) An air step where the woman starts in a cradle, goes behind the man's back and finished back in a cradle. (3) Where Lindy Hop has spread.

Back Beat. Accent between the Down Beat.

Beats per Minute. The speed of the music measured by the number of counts in the rhythm each minutes. Social Lindy Hop is normally done to music less than 170 BPM. Competitive and Performance Lindy Hop is done to faster music.

Big Band. (1) Large travelling orchestras that were popular in the 20's to 40's. Big Bands and Lindy Hoppers have shared a close-knit relationship since the dawn of Swing. (2) Ther term also refers to the music these large orchestras played.

Big Apple. (1) An early dance that influenced Lindy Hop. (2) A swing line dance that borrows moves from the original Big Apple dance.

Boogie Back. A Shine Step.

Boogie Forward. A Shine Step.

Boogie Woogie. A style of 6 count swing dance closely related to East Coast Swing that is popular in Europe, particularly Germany.

Break. A stop in the music or a place where a solo begins.

Bridge. In music, a solo that ties two musical phrases together.

Candlestick. An Air Step where the woman is held by her partner vertically with her feet pointed towards the ceiling.

Catalina. An annual weeklong gathering of 1,000 Lindy Hop dancers and teachers off the California Coast. Considered the Mecca of Lindy Hop dance camps. Every true Lindy Hopper is required to make the pilgramage at least once during their lifetime.

Charleston. (1) An early dance that heavily influenced Lindy Hop. (2) Any of the moves that Lindy Hop borrows from this earlier dance, characterized by kicks.

Chassez. Another term for a smooth, travelling triple step.

Closed Lindy Position. Dance position where partners share three points of contacts.

Coaster Step. In some styles of swing, a type of step substituted for the rock step or a triple step.

Cookin'. To Lindy Hop to very fast music.

Cradle. A common beginning or ending position for Air Steps where the man holds the woman in both arms in front of him.

Crazy Legs. A Shine Step.

Daisy Duck. A Shine Step.

Dean Collins. The man considered the originator of the Hollywood Twist style of Lindy Hop.

Death Drop. A Shine Step where the man drops the woman towards the floor and stops her from impacting only inches above the wood.

Dickety Boom. A Shine Step.

Double Step. Either (1) A tap-step (2) A step-tap with each move taking 1 Count.

Down Beat. Counts 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8. The pulse of the music.

East Coast Swing. A predominately 6 count style of swing dance that evolved from Savoy Style Lindy Hop.

Eight Count. (1) Dance moves that require 8 counts of the rhythm to complete. (2) Any style of swing dance that uses mostly 8 count moves, such as Lindy Hop.

Fall off the Log. A Shine Step.

Fishtail. A Shine Step.

Flea Hop. A Shine Step.

Floor Steps. Dance moves that form the basics of Lindy Hop.

Flying Charleston. A certain type of Floor Step where there is no connection between partners.

Frankie Manning. An original member of Whitey's Lindy Hoppers, a Savoy Ballroom regular, creator of the first Air Step and the man most responsible for Savoy Style Lindy Hop. At 84, Frankie still teaches Lindy Hop.

Freeze. To stop moving. Often done to "hit a break."

Full Lock Up. An Air Step that begins with a hip throw and ends with an over the back.

Glide. A variation of the Lindy Turn.

Hacksaw. A variation of the Face to Face Charleston.

Heels. A variation of the Lindy Turn.

Hellzapoppin'. A 1940's movie that featured Whitey's Lindy Hoppers performing some of the most exciting and outrageous Air Steps ever to be captured on film.

Herrang. A month long swing dance camp held in Sweden each summer. Sort of a Scandanavian version of Catalina.

Hip Toss. An Air Step which involves throwing the woman over one hip.

Hold. The physical connection between partners.

Hollywood Twist. One of two main styles of Lindy Hop. Originated by Dean Collins.

Intro. The beginning of a song before the melody begins.

Jam. (1) To dance. (2) A Jam Circle, which is explained in greater detail under Dance Floor Etiquette.

Jersey Jump. A basic Air Step.

Jig Walk. A Floor Step.

Jitterbug. Another name for Lindy Hop, used in the 40's and 50's.

Jitterbug Stroll. A swing line dance, choreographed recently by Ryan Francois.

Jive. A six count swing dance that is part of the Latin program in ballroom dance.

Jockey. A basic Floor Step used to find space on the dance floor for a Swingout and to establish tempo and timing with one's partner.

Jump. To dance.

Kick Butt Jump. An Air Step from a tandem charleston where the woman jumps and performs the splits while the man kicks.

Kickaway. A variation of the Lindy Turn.

Kip. Another term for an Around the Back.

Layout. A variation of the Lindy Turn.

Lindy Circle. A basic Floor Step. It begins in the Open Lindy Position and finishes in the Side by Side Position.

Lindy Flip. Another term for an Around the Back.

Lindy Hop. The granddaddy of all swing dances. See What is Lindy Hop?

Lindy Hopper. One who loves Lindy Hop.

Lindy Swingout. A basic Floor Step. It begins in the Side by Side Position and finishes in the Open Lindy Position.

Lindy Turn. The basic Floor Step. It begins and ends in the Open Lindy Position. Many teachers say that it takes, on average, about 6 months of steady practice to become proficient in a Lindy Turn.

Madison. A swing line dance that began in the 20's and 30's.

Mess Around. A Shine Step.

Mini Dip. A Shine Step.

Open Lindy Position. Dance position where partners share only one point of contact.

Pecking. A Shine Step.

Phrase. (1) A distinct 8 count segment of music that normally composes a verse of the song. (2) A 32 count or 48 count segment of swing music that makes up a musical "paragraph".

Pimpin'. A Shine Step.

Points. A Shine Step.

Position. Where you are your partner are in relation to each other, including points of contact and frame.

Quick Stop. A Shine Step.

Rock 'n Roll / Rockabilly. A six count style of swing dance that evolved from Jitterbug and East Coast Swing in the 1950's. Characterized by a tap-step, single step, or step-tap basic pattern, it gained great popularity on Dick Clark's American Bandstand.

Rock Step. The Anchor Step of most Lindy Hop and East Coast Swing moves.

Rubber Legs. A Shine Step.

Scissors. A Shine Step.

Shag. A six count style of swing that evolved from Lindy Hop approximately the same time as East Coast Swing. Practiced almost exclusively in the Southern United States.

Shaketime. A Shine Step.

Shim Sham. A popular swing line dance.

Shine. To really stand out (or show off) on the dance floor.

Shine Steps. Playful, creative dance moves that allow one or both partners to really stand out on the dance floor.

Shorty George. A Shine Step.

Side Car. An Air Step where the man brings the woman to each side in a pike position.

Single Step. A step that takes 2 Counts.

Six Count. (1) A dance move that requires 6 counts of the rhythm to complete. (2) Any style of swing dance that uses mostly 6 count moves, such as East Coast Swing or Rockabilly.

Stomp Off. A signal to your parnter to break or perform Shine Step, performed by stomping your feet on the last two steps of a triple step.

Sugar Push. A Shine Step.

Suzi Q. A Shine Step.

Sweep. A variation of the Lindy Turn.

Swing. A genre of swing dance that originated in the United States in the 1920's and 30's.

Swivel. (1) A Shine Step. (2) A variation of the Lindy Turn used by women.

Tacky Ann. A Shine Step.

Tandem. Charleston performed with one partner standing in front of the other.

Texas Tommy. (1) An early dance that influenced Lindy Hop. (2) A Floor Step in Lindy Hop.

Triple Step. Three steps taken in the space of 2 Counts. Normally counted "3 and 4."

Truckin'. A Shine Step.

Twist. (1) A Shine Step. (2) A variation of the Lindy Turn used by women.

Waterfall. An Air Step where the woman goes over a man's head and down his back.

West Coast Swing. A slotted style of swing dance that evolved from Hollywood Twist Style Lindy Hop. Originated in Hollywood for filmmakers.

Whip. A variation the Lindy Turn performed in both Hollywood Twist Style Lindy Hop and West Coast Swing.

Whitey's Lindy Hoppers. A Lindy Hop performance group that started in the Savoy Ballroom in the 1930's.

Wood. The dance floor.

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