Hollywood Style Swing and the Flier That Explained it All

I began swing dancing in 1997 at the age of 17. “What style are you?” was a question most often asked instead of “Would you like to dance?” back in the 1990s or the "Swing Revival" as it was referred to by many media circuits.

The term Hollywood Style Swing was coined by Erik Robison and Sylvia Skyler otherwise known as Erick and Sylvia in the dancing community. The two are a married couple who teach Hollywood Style lindy hop.

Mostly in the 1990s, "The Style Wars" went on for some time. Many individuals became heavily heated over whether one style ran supreme over another. Some dancers would watch others on the dance floor to make certain that they were dancing Hollywood Style. If the other party was not an invitation to dance would never take place.

Admittedly when I began dancing in 1997 I too would pop the question, "What style are you?" Eventually I learned to relax. Although I prefer Hollywood Style I will never turn down a dance. If you see me dancing, I'm smiling.

Below is a flier which was handed out at some workshops and events in 2000. The point of the flier was to set aside some of the debate about styles of swing and to focus on dancing.

Below is the orignal flier and underneath that is the script in a font that is legible.

Hollywood Style Swing refers to an extremely smooth, piked* and slotted* style of Lindy Hop that was familiarized in Los Angeles during the 1930s and the 1940s. This style of dancing utilizes counter-balance and adheres strictly to the partnered aspect of Lindy verses each person holding their own weight and dancing as individuals. It is referred to as "Hollywood Style" not because of it's area of origin, but because of where it was made popular. Hollywood, referring strictly to the entertainment industry, made this sooth style of dancing popular by showcasing dancers in numerous movies and shorts. One of these dancers was Dean Collins. Dean was known for making anything he did look smooth and controlled, including aerials and slip-outs. Dean came from New York to Los Angeles in 1937 and having already won 3rd and 4th place at the Harvest Moon Ball and voted 1936 Best Dancer of the Year by N.Y. Magazine, brought him all he had learned about dancing from The Savoy Ballroom. One might say that Dean was on of the orginal "Savoy" dancers. Dean was in more movies than any other swing dancer between 1930 and 1945 and for this reason. Many people refer to smooth style as "Dean Collins Style." However, there were hundreds of wonderful dancers across the country who each had their own individual smooth style and were themselves featured in many movies. A few of these dancers are Lenny and Kaye Smith, Jewel McGowan, Lou Southern, Hal and Betty Taker, Maxi Dorff and Midge Dare, Jean Phelps-Veloz, Irene Thomas and Arthur Walsh.

The most common style of dancing found in The United States today was re-popularized by Frankie Manning in the 1980s. This style is characterized by a particular Lindy pattern and the dancers positioned so that their upper bodies are closer together than their feet. Most people consider this style "Savoy Style", but actually it is "Frankie Manning Style". There were hundreds of different dance styles at The Savoy. Frankie was a member of a wonderful performance troupe called "Whitey's Lindy Hoppers" whose most famous performance is from a movie called "Hellzapoppin'", 1941. Coincidentally Dean Collins is also featured in this film doing the Lindy with Martha Rae. Whitey's Lindy Hoppers are known for their high enegry, fast dancing, and awesome aerials. Frankie's style of dancing is unique, even in comparison to the other members of the troupe. Despite contemporary myth, most dancers across the country (blacks and whites) in the late 1930s and the 1940s danced a smooth, piked and slotted style of Lindy Hop. Al Minns and Leon James were two of the original members of Whitey's Lindy Hoppers who were featured in the movie, "Day at the Races", 1938. These two men were excellent social dancers as well as great performers. They are known for dancing smooth, piked and on a slot.

The most important thing to remember is that there are as many styles of swing dancing as their are swing dancers. There is no true definition of "Savoy" style swing, there is no "Black" style or "White" style. There was certainly no East Coast Swing or West Coast Swing in the 30s and 40s. It was and is all Lindy. When asked the question, "Why style did they dance at The Savoy?", even Frankie Manning answered that it depended on which Saturday Night you were talking about!

*Pike - The literal definition is a pointed projection or sharp tip, e.g. the head of an arrow. Dancers used this word to describe a style of dancing in which the partners feet in open position are closer together than their upper bodies, giving the illusion of a "V".

* Slotted - The literal definition is to provide with openings. Dancers used this term to describe a style of dance in which the partners danced "through" each other down a single line versus dancing around each other in a circular pattern. There are conflicting reasons as to how and why slot dancing began. Some say that slot dancing began in the late thirties because as the ballrooms and dance halls became more crowded, the dancers had to adjust their style to accomodate to the tight space on the dance floor. Another common theory is that when swing dancing began to be featured in films it was much more appealing to the audience to see both of the dancers open to the same line opposed to having either of their backs to the camera.