Historicizing and Engaging Lindy Hop: The Development, Presence, and Absence of Black Cultural Values and Aesthetics
This thesis examines the social factors surrounding the development of Lindy Hop in Harlem, New York during the 1920s and 30s from a sociocultural perspective, applying the findings to an instance of contemporary Lindy Hop practice at Jazz Attack, a Lindy Hop venue in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in order to ascertain where elements of Black culture are present or absent. As Lindy Hop practice has transitioned from its point of origin in the Black space of the Savoy Ballroom to primarily white spaces today, questions arise about cultural preservation and erasure in this historically Black dance.Using historical methodologies, this research examines the human experience of historical Lindy Hop participants to analyze the culture that developed within the dance. Ethnographic methodologies, including the use of participant observation and interviews, are then used in a cross-cultural comparison to examine where elements of historical Black Lindy Hop culture are present or absent in an instance of contemporary Lindy Hop practice. The findings argue that, while the reasons for engagement in Lindy Hop are intrinsically different between historical and contemporary participants, elements of emotional or spiritual release and an emphasis on community are present today. Other historical Black cultural elements surrounding the approach to movement source creation and bodily aesthetics are minimal or absent.
Dance, Black history, American studies, Black dance, Lindy Hop, Savoy ballroom, Swing dance
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