Lindy exchange
Encyclopedia
A lindy exchange is a gathering of lindy hop
dancers in one city for several days to experience the dance
venues and styles of that local community and to dance with visitors and locals alike. Traveling for exchanges has contributed to the development of a global or international lindy hop community.
Although the focus of lindy exchanges is on lindy hop, related swing
dances such balboa
, charleston
, blues
, and collegiate shag
are common at 'lindy' exchanges as well, and 'exchanges' targeting these other dance styles specifically have also been organized.
The term 'exchange' is derived from school or university 'exchange' programs, where students travel to another country or city to experience the local culture. Exchange students often 'swap' or exchange their own home or place at their home university with another traveler.
Visitors at lindy exchanges are often hosted by local dancers, staying in their homes for the duration of the event.
Exchanges can vary in size. Some of the older exchanges, such as the Chicago Lindy Exchange and the D.C.
Lindy Exchange, can easily attract 400 or more dancers. All of the San Francisco
Lindy Exchanges except for 2005 attracted 500 or more people, and the Yehoodi
5th Anniversary Exchange in New York City
pulled in more than 600 people. Exchanges in cities with smaller dance communities may have fewer than 50 people.
While many workshop events existed in pre-exchange times, what really differentiated the first "Exchange" was that it had absolutely no classes or contests, it was completely a social event with a large amount of social dancing. Sometimes exchanges in newer scenes or isolated countries will include workshops in an attempt to appeal to travellers who might not otherwise come, though the usage of the term "Lindy Exchange" is questionable. Furthermore, there are plenty of dance events that would clearly qualify as a Lindy Exchange that don't use the terminology, such as the past well-attended event LindyGras in New Orleans. Due to the social nature of the event, the themes of exchanges internationally are 'hospitality' and cultural and social 'exchange', on the dance floor and in the host dance community.
, California
, between the cities of Chicago, Illinois
, and San Francisco, CA. The Chicago participants included Nicolle Wood, Riley Wymes, Julie Hamberg, Margot McGraw, Kevin Poulsen, Ray Lavko, Gimi Ramos and Young Jin Kim. The intent of this exchange was for nineteen dancers visiting from Chicago to experience the dance styles of San Francisco by attending many of its established venues and dancing with the lindy hoppers there. As the popularity of the lindy exchange increased in the United States
, the events changed from a strict city-to-city swapping of dancers to an open-invitational gathering of lindy hoppers from around the country (and, in some cases, from international locations) to one central city for a particular weekend. The first event to use the "lindy exchange" phrase in its title was held in Seattle. Promoting this event was the start of the www.LindyExchange.com website, but after the first Seattle exchange it became a place to list all of the many lindy exchanges in different cites. Now, many cities around the United States
and around the world host annual lindy exchanges, including Atlanta (ATLX - Atlanta Lindy Exchange); Austin (ALX - Austin Lindy Exchange); Chicago (WCLX - Windy City Lindy Exchange); West Lafayette, IN (LAFLX); Knoxville (KLX - Knoxville Lindy Exhange); Orlando
(ORLX - Orlando Lindy Exchange); Memphis (RHLX - Red Hot Lindy Exchange); Ann Arbor (EatME - Everyone's At The Michigan Exchange); Sacramento
; Washington D.C. (DCLX - D.C. Lindy Exchange); (DetLX - Detroit Lindy Exchange); Portland
(PDXLX - Portland is often referred to by its airport code, PDX
); Utah
; Charleston
(CHEX - Charleston Exchange); Phoenix
(PHXLX - Phoenix Lindy Exchange); Denver (DLX - Denver Lindy Exchange); New Orleans (Fleur de Lindy); Pittsburgh (Pittstop Lindy Hop); Orlando (ORLX - Orlando Lindy Exchange); New Haven
(CTLX); San Luis Obispo (sloX - SLO Exchange)-and many other cities.
The venues chosen for each dance are often picked to feature the highlights of the dancing or culture of the host city, although some of the more established exchange cities have a challenge balancing the large capacity and demand for exchange attendees with trying to display the smaller, more intimate venues that might be a more accurate depiction of the local social dancing scene. Live swing
bands based in the host city are often chosen for some venues, particularly the evening dances.
scene.
Lindy Hop
The Lindy Hop is an American social dance, from the swing dance family. It evolved in Harlem, New York City in the 1920s and '30s and originally evolved with the jazz music of that time. Lindy was a fusion of many dances that preceded it or were popular during its development but is mainly based...
dancers in one city for several days to experience the dance
Dance
Dance is an art form that generally refers to movement of the body, usually rhythmic and to music, used as a form of expression, social interaction or presented in a spiritual or performance setting....
venues and styles of that local community and to dance with visitors and locals alike. Traveling for exchanges has contributed to the development of a global or international lindy hop community.
Although the focus of lindy exchanges is on lindy hop, related swing
Swing (dance)
"Swing dance" is a group of dances that developed with the swing style of jazz music in the 1920s-1950s, although the earliest of these dances predate swing jazz music. The best known of these dances is the Lindy Hop, a popular partner dance that originated in Harlem and is still danced today...
dances such balboa
Balboa (dance)
Balboa today is commonly used both as a term to describe a fusion of dances that originated in Southern California during the 1920s and 1930s, and also referring to a specific dance from that era that was the original Balboa .The original Balboa dance is a form of swing dance that started as early...
, charleston
Charleston (dance)
The Charleston is a dance named for the harbor city of Charleston, South Carolina. The rhythm was popularized in mainstream dance music in the United States by a 1923 tune called "The Charleston" by composer/pianist James P. Johnson which originated in the Broadway show Runnin' Wild and became one...
, blues
Blues dance
Blues dancing is a modern term used to describe a family of historical dances that developed alongside and were danced to blues music, or the contemporary dances that are danced in that aesthetic...
, and collegiate shag
Collegiate shag
The Collegiate Shag is a partner dance done primarily to upper tempo jazz music . It belongs to the swing family of American vernacular dances that arose in the 1920s, 30s, and 40s.-Name:...
are common at 'lindy' exchanges as well, and 'exchanges' targeting these other dance styles specifically have also been organized.
The term 'exchange' is derived from school or university 'exchange' programs, where students travel to another country or city to experience the local culture. Exchange students often 'swap' or exchange their own home or place at their home university with another traveler.
Visitors at lindy exchanges are often hosted by local dancers, staying in their homes for the duration of the event.
Exchanges can vary in size. Some of the older exchanges, such as the Chicago Lindy Exchange and the D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
Lindy Exchange, can easily attract 400 or more dancers. All of the San Francisco
San Francisco, California
San Francisco , officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the financial, cultural, and transportation center of the San Francisco Bay Area, a region of 7.15 million people which includes San Jose and Oakland...
Lindy Exchanges except for 2005 attracted 500 or more people, and the Yehoodi
Yehoodi
Yehoodi was founded in September 1998 by Manu Smith and Frank Dellario. Its central feature is a popular Internet forum currently staffed by six volunteer administrators. Yehoodi.com is one of the oldest and most frequented swing dance community websites online today...
5th Anniversary Exchange in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
pulled in more than 600 people. Exchanges in cities with smaller dance communities may have fewer than 50 people.
While many workshop events existed in pre-exchange times, what really differentiated the first "Exchange" was that it had absolutely no classes or contests, it was completely a social event with a large amount of social dancing. Sometimes exchanges in newer scenes or isolated countries will include workshops in an attempt to appeal to travellers who might not otherwise come, though the usage of the term "Lindy Exchange" is questionable. Furthermore, there are plenty of dance events that would clearly qualify as a Lindy Exchange that don't use the terminology, such as the past well-attended event LindyGras in New Orleans. Due to the social nature of the event, the themes of exchanges internationally are 'hospitality' and cultural and social 'exchange', on the dance floor and in the host dance community.
History
The first lindy exchange, 'The Weekend', occurred on December 4–6, 1998, in San FranciscoSan Francisco, California
San Francisco , officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the financial, cultural, and transportation center of the San Francisco Bay Area, a region of 7.15 million people which includes San Jose and Oakland...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, between the cities of Chicago, Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
, and San Francisco, CA. The Chicago participants included Nicolle Wood, Riley Wymes, Julie Hamberg, Margot McGraw, Kevin Poulsen, Ray Lavko, Gimi Ramos and Young Jin Kim. The intent of this exchange was for nineteen dancers visiting from Chicago to experience the dance styles of San Francisco by attending many of its established venues and dancing with the lindy hoppers there. As the popularity of the lindy exchange increased in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, the events changed from a strict city-to-city swapping of dancers to an open-invitational gathering of lindy hoppers from around the country (and, in some cases, from international locations) to one central city for a particular weekend. The first event to use the "lindy exchange" phrase in its title was held in Seattle. Promoting this event was the start of the www.LindyExchange.com website, but after the first Seattle exchange it became a place to list all of the many lindy exchanges in different cites. Now, many cities around the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and around the world host annual lindy exchanges, including Atlanta (ATLX - Atlanta Lindy Exchange); Austin (ALX - Austin Lindy Exchange); Chicago (WCLX - Windy City Lindy Exchange); West Lafayette, IN (LAFLX); Knoxville (KLX - Knoxville Lindy Exhange); Orlando
Orlando, Florida
Orlando is a city in the central region of the U.S. state of Florida. It is the county seat of Orange County, and the center of the Greater Orlando metropolitan area. According to the 2010 US Census, the city had a population of 238,300, making Orlando the 79th largest city in the United States...
(ORLX - Orlando Lindy Exchange); Memphis (RHLX - Red Hot Lindy Exchange); Ann Arbor (EatME - Everyone's At The Michigan Exchange); Sacramento
Sacramento
Sacramento is the capital of the state of California, in the United States of America.Sacramento may also refer to:- United States :*Sacramento County, California*Sacramento, Kentucky*Sacramento – San Joaquin River Delta...
; Washington D.C. (DCLX - D.C. Lindy Exchange); (DetLX - Detroit Lindy Exchange); Portland
Portland, Oregon
Portland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...
(PDXLX - Portland is often referred to by its airport code, PDX
Portland International Airport
Portland International Airport is a joint civil-military airport and the largest airport in the U.S. state of Oregon, accounting for 90% of passenger travel and more than 95% of air cargo of the state. It is located within Portland's city limits just south of the Columbia River in Multnomah...
); Utah
Utah
Utah is a state in the Western United States. It was the 45th state to join the Union, on January 4, 1896. Approximately 80% of Utah's 2,763,885 people live along the Wasatch Front, centering on Salt Lake City. This leaves vast expanses of the state nearly uninhabited, making the population the...
; Charleston
Charleston, South Carolina
Charleston is the second largest city in the U.S. state of South Carolina. It was made the county seat of Charleston County in 1901 when Charleston County was founded. The city's original name was Charles Towne in 1670, and it moved to its present location from a location on the west bank of the...
(CHEX - Charleston Exchange); Phoenix
Phoenix, Arizona
Phoenix is the capital, and largest city, of the U.S. state of Arizona, as well as the sixth most populated city in the United States. Phoenix is home to 1,445,632 people according to the official 2010 U.S. Census Bureau data...
(PHXLX - Phoenix Lindy Exchange); Denver (DLX - Denver Lindy Exchange); New Orleans (Fleur de Lindy); Pittsburgh (Pittstop Lindy Hop); Orlando (ORLX - Orlando Lindy Exchange); New Haven
New Haven, Connecticut
New Haven is the second-largest city in Connecticut and the sixth-largest in New England. According to the 2010 Census, New Haven's population increased by 5.0% between 2000 and 2010, a rate higher than that of the State of Connecticut, and higher than that of the state's five largest cities, and...
(CTLX); San Luis Obispo (sloX - SLO Exchange)-and many other cities.
Format
The schedule of a lindy exchange varies with each exchange, but there are certain features that are common to many of them. Usually, there is an opening Friday evening dance followed by a late night party, which goes on into the early morning. On Saturday and Sunday, there are usually afternoon dances, evening dances, and late night dances. Some exchanges also have an evening dance on the Thursday before the event or a Monday evening dance, and the daylight hours are often filled with other, non-dancing social activities such as communal meals, shopping trips or games. Many cities also include various sight-seeing activities during the days of the exchange for the visiting dancers to get to know the host city.The venues chosen for each dance are often picked to feature the highlights of the dancing or culture of the host city, although some of the more established exchange cities have a challenge balancing the large capacity and demand for exchange attendees with trying to display the smaller, more intimate venues that might be a more accurate depiction of the local social dancing scene. Live swing
Swing (genre)
Swing music, also known as swing jazz or simply swing, is a form of jazz music that developed in the early 1930s and became a distinctive style by 1935 in the United States...
bands based in the host city are often chosen for some venues, particularly the evening dances.
Introduction of Blues
Starting around 2000, the music in the late night rooms started to slow down significantly until the dance started to change to match the music. Some of the events even started to have a separate "Blues" room with music that better accommodates blues dancing and frequently lasts until - or after - sunrise. The slower tempos of blues music often appeal to dancers tired after a full day of lindy hop. This was the first step in the revival of the contemporary Blues DancingBlues dance
Blues dancing is a modern term used to describe a family of historical dances that developed alongside and were danced to blues music, or the contemporary dances that are danced in that aesthetic...
scene.