Dance is an art that allows people to express their feelings through body movements. It is also an art that is used to entertain as well as bring people of different cultures together. Dances have also been used as a historical tool to identify people from different ethnic background, age groups and different social setting in addition to being utilized as a tool for harmonizing different people in a social event. People brought together through dancing are able to learn different cultures, thus learning how to respect and appreciate cultural and social diversity. It is common to see people that do not know each other dancing on a social floor, thanks to the social atmosphere brought by the magic of dance. During the twentieth century, people had incorporated the use of dance as the main form of entertainment as well as utilize dancing halls as a place that brought people of different race, sex and gender together. During this era, different dancing communities were formed, with each group being identified by a particular dance style and thus the dancers of similar dance communities were identified by their style of dancing.
Dancing communities became more rampant in the early 1920s, and different dance styles were invented. Among the different dance styles that were invented in the twentieth century, swing dance has successfully thrived in the modern world. This is regardless of the changes that had taken place in the types of music and culture as the dance style only makes slight changes to incorporate the beats of the new types of songs. During the invention of swing dance, different dancing communities were also formed each with a distinct characteristic that helped them to be identified by the outside world. Most of these groups had however died as jazz music was replaced by other types of music that also led to the introduction of new dance styles such as disco.
However, several dancing communities that upheld the swing since its inception has thrived in the modern day dancing, with the communities being identified by their distinct culture. Lindy hop, a famous dancing community is one of the dance communities that have thrived since its inception during the Harlem Renaissances in the early 1920s. The group is well known for its success in bringing people of different races and diverse beliefs together during the time of segregation when blacks and Caucasian Americans could not share the same facility. Even today is easy to recognize a member of lindy hop dancing community based on their similar culture pertaining dance. The group had maintained this social-cultural responsibility of creating a safe and harmonious environment where people are free to relax and express their feelings through dancing. This had however been affected by a recent sex harassment scandal that had made many people question the relevance of dancing in shaping different social and cultural values and beliefs. It also poses a question on whether swing dancing could be used to overcome social injustices such as sexual harassment the same way it overcame racial disparities during the time of segregation.
The popularity of the lindy hop dance owes greatly to George Snowden “Shorty” the dance legend who is usually termed as the king of the Savoy among other popular dancers of the early 1920s. The dance is basically rooted to the Harlem district of New York where people migrating from the agricultural south settled in the early years of the twentieth century. The dance was part of the culture of the people and had a lot of significance regarding presenting their cultural identity as well as defining the model of the relation between individual. Lindy hopers usually stayed together and shared a lot in common irrespective of their different cultural and racial background. They formed communities with bonds that were not easy to break.
The lindy hop dance borrows a lot from the African and European dance moves owing to the cultural backgrounds of the people who were involved in its development. It can, therefore, be said to be an authentic afro-Euro-American type of swing because it was prevalent in America but was rooted to African and European cultures. The lindy hop was influenced greatly by the Charleston and also borrows a lot from the ballet, the jazz and tap steps among other dance moves popular at the time. The dance involved synchronized moves where partners danced in a sequence before breaking away from each other a move that allowed each party to showcase their signature moves which sometimes incorporated some acrobatics. This thrilled the crowd as it presented the dancers with a moment to showcase individual talent and shine.
Lindy hop dancers were inspired to come up with new steps by the evolution of music particularly because their steps and dance moves were either supposed to synchronize with the lyrics in songs as well as the rhythm or cross the rhythm to add value to the dance. As times changed the lindy hop metamorphosed to different clusters of dances such as the Rock n roll, boogie-woogie, the west coast swing, and jitterbug among others. The great moves drew people to dance concerts and brought the connection between people and music a move that not only entertained people but also helped people overcome various stresses associated with life as well as social ills such as crime and racial discrimination that were prevalent at the time.
The dance was used as a way of expressing oneself and above all brought people together for a common purpose and encouraged them to overcome the challenges experienced. The Lindy hop grew in popularity among the members of the black community. After the migration to the north and particularly the district of Harlem in New York, the people realized that life there was equally hard. There were no enough jobs and the housing facilities too were scarce. The rent was high owing to the fact that the landlords were white and the tenants black at the time of segregation. As a result, people were drawn together where they danced their troubles away. Parties which involved dancing were organized to raise money for people who could not afford.
Analysis
Swing dance has been in existence since the early 1920s and despite the diverse cultural identities, beliefs and practices; swing dancers such as the lindy hop community share common characteristics of music. Thriving of dancing communities bound together by similar beliefs among people of different is what makes dance form a unique forum where people have resolved social and cultural differences through dancing together for a common core. However, the emergence of unethical cases such as sexual harassment in dance groups portrays a negative picture of a cultural way of life that has a reputation of doing the impossible in resolving social conflicts. For instance, swing dance successfully brought together people of different colors together when segregation laws were at the peak of the simple form of introduction being having the ability to dance.
The inception and evolution of swing dance into the modern day can be described as one of the major social tools that brings unity and harmony in the society regardless of who started the dance. Swing dance was started in the form of African style that involved vibrant body movement. However, due to the fun present by the dance as well as the ability to absorb a person’s worries and concerns, and frustrations, the dance style was adopted by people of varied background whereby groups such as lindy hop has its members in different parts of the world, all joined by a similar culture and beliefs in terms of dancing. This means that if a dance group could create and maintain a wide network over all those years, then it is possible to curb the emerging societal issues that could affect the value of dancing.
However, as White (2015) points out, the evolution in social- cultural issues is one of the major causes of ethical issues that are currently experienced in dance communities. For instance, sexual harassment was unheard of during the early days mostly because of the equality and mutual respect that existed between the dance groups mainly shaped by the moral values presented by the community. Such values are however slowly diminishing, and instead, such values are being replaced by distrust even among the community members. Lack of open communication in case a person feels offended has also increased cases of harassment because talking about such issue could warn a person from repeating particular acts in the future, failure to which there may be possible consequences.
Another issue that had caused a disparity between the modern and initial swing dance communities is the changes in social status. During the early inception of dance communities such as lindy hop, all the dance group members were viewed to be equally involved in learning and executing dance moves regardless of whether one was a trainer or a dancer. This social status has however changed in time. This is whereby modern dance groups are defined by the financial status of the top and lower employees. As such, some dancers may expose themselves into cases of sexual harassment knowingly or unknowingly. An example includes a dancer seeking to be the instructor’s favorite student may knowingly or unknowingly allow the instructor to behave in a manner that can be termed as sexual harassment.
Such cases require immediate attention whereby the dance communities need to know that sexual harassment exists even if the victims are not willing to discuss it openly due to the fear of consequences that could involve possible termination from the group and embarrassment to the society. This brings us to the next step of understanding how can dance be used as a tool for mitigating social- cultural vices such as sexual harassment bearing in mind that dance had succeeded in overcoming racial segregation during the early twentieth century.
How dance can be used to combat social evils
The lindy hop dance enabled people to overcome various challenges that faced them in the 1920s. Some of the most prevalent challenges as mentioned were lack of jobs, high rents, overcrowding, low wages and above all racial discrimination. This drew people who would otherwise suffer in silent together and together they were able to keep themselves busy and at least forget the problems that were associated with their lives. The Savoy Ballroom for instance remains one of the most significant places in the history of dance and the country at large as it was a place where people converged without taking into considerations their race or cultural backgrounds. This milestone was achieved because of the love for the dance, and it portrays the strong influence that dance has on the society. Although it is anchored on the social setting, dance also brings significant impacts on the society.
There are simple methods of solving this issue that is tainting the lindy hop and dancing in general. Some of the measures that should be put in place to combat it include enlightening the dancers on the acts that amount to sexual harassment. This is because many are young people who are ignorant of the vice whereby most of them do not even know the limits that their partners should in the process of dancing in terms of touching and body contact. When people know their right on the dance floor, they would pinpoint cases of harassment and avoid them accordingly.
The other way of stopping harassment in dance is through encouraging victims to speak out of the vice. This can be aided by the assurance that not victimization should befall those who speak out. Standing against the vice should start with the stopping the person touching another inappropriately as they could be doing so unintentionally. This will help people be vigilant and stop the vice from escalating to uncontrollable levels. Since some of the harassment comes from senior people in the art, there should be clearly stipulated channels of handling such cases to prevent intimidation. Dance groups should also ensure that they encourage people to share their ordeals with their close partners and avoid keeping things to them. This would deter the sex predators as they will be aware that their advancements will be discussed among different people.
There should also be clearly set guiding principles regarding the conduct during and after dances and practice sessions. This should include meetings by members of the groups beyond the dancing facilities as older dancers could lure younger and naïve ones into these acts. Another import aspect of preventing the vice is having respect for each other. One of the reasons why the Savoy Ballroom attracted people from different backgrounds, is because everyone was treated as equal regardless of their status in the dancing field or social status. This concept could also be introduced in the dancing scene because many young dancers are falling into the trap of sexual harassment because of the celebrity status accorded to some dancers which gives them a leeway to intimidate and lure younger dancers into these acts. This is mainly because the newcomers want to associate with the respected people as they aspire to be like them.
As mentioned in the paper, one of the challenges facing the dancing scene in the world today is sexual harassment. It has become so prevalent that people are now questioning the authenticity of dancing with some viewing it as a mere plot by a few instructors to predate on unsuspecting minors. The revelations of Sarah Sullivan who narrated her ordeal in the hands of a trusted and popular dance instructor sparked the debate about the safety of young people who are keen to follow their passion in the dancing scene. Sarah is among many other young people who are sexually assaulted by colleagues in dance groups where in some cases the victims don't even realize that the actions of their counterparts amount to sexual harassment. Also, the love for the art of dancing and the fear of expulsion from the groups or victimization prevents many from speaking out. This has bred a culture of assault in the dancing world with the vice slowly becoming part of dance. However, encouraging the principle of respect for dancers as well as communication is the best way to prevent people in the dance scene from predating on young people keen to grow their talents.
References
White, B. (2015). Sexual Abuse and a Legend. Retrieved from https://swungover.wordpress.com/2015/01/23/sexual-harassment-and-a-legend/
The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. (2003, March). Lindy Hop in Harlem: The Role of Social Dancing. Retrieved from http://artsedge.kennedycenter.org/interactives/harlem/themes/lindyhop.html
Sullivan, S. (2015, January 22). ssullivan410. Retrieved from https://ssullivan410.wordpress.com/
Guarino, L., & Oliver, W. (Eds.). (2014). Jazz Dance : A History of the Roots and Branches. Gainesville, FL, USA: University Press of Florida. Retrieved from http://www.ebrary.com.library.esc.edu
Archives of Early Lindy Hop-Biographies of the Original Swing Dancers. (2003, January 10). Whitey’s Lindy Hoppers. Retrieved from http://www.savoystyle.com/whiteys_lindy_hoppers.html
Yehoodi Swings. "A Conversation on Creating Safe Swing Dance Spaces." YouTube. N.p., 27 Jan. 2015. Web.<https://www.youtube.com/watchv=nRbK4uvAtLI&feature=youtu.be>.
