The Big Apple - September at The Lindy Connection

During September at The Lindy Connection we are teaching a version of a late 1930's dance that swept the nation, but few people remember today.

The Big Apple might sound familiar due to the similarity to the nickname for New York City, and although dancers from New York helped to make the dance famous, it's history is much more complex and interesting.

The Wikipedia article is a good place to look for a little history about the dance, which may have come from African-American dances as far back as the 1860's.

The version of the dance we will be focusing on is a routine choreographed by Frankie Manning based only on a description in a telegram. Some would argue that this makes the dance less authentic, since Frankie had not seen or participated in doing The Big Apple before creating his own version.  However, Frankie's version created it's own place in history, was captured in the film Keep Punching, and has been danced among the swing revival scenes across the world for the last three decades.  

Today's Lindy Hop scene has been informed by the moves and feeling of this performance, so it's a great addition to your dancing vocabulary. 

Here's the clip from Keep Punching.



If you happen to live in the Tampa Florida area or within driving distance come join us for the next 4 weeks to learn The Big Apple.  Here's the link to our Facebook Event.

We'd love to see you out!