Whitey's Lindy Hoppers Best Lindy Hop Harlem Congaroo Dancers 1937 Swing...

           Lindy Hop is a partner dance that originated in the 1920's and 30's in Harlem New York. It includes complicated footwork borrowed from both the Charleston and Tap, and is always danced with a partner. Lindy Hop can be both wild and Spontaneous or cool and sophisticated, but either way it's incredibly fun to watch. During the Harlem Renaissance Lindy Hop broke through the "race" barriers and became a dance that all different people enjoyed. People from all over the city could always be found dancing in a Harlem speakeasy. It was the one place they could drink alcohol, and enjoy themselves freely.
            Lindy Hop is an example of the Harlem Renaissance theme, reconstruction of the "negro". It came from a blending of African rhythms and movements with European structured dance. Lindy Hop was created by mixing two different cultures and making something new. It was a type of dance that everyone enjoyed regardless of the segregation going on between Whites and Blacks. This dance was a beginning of something new. Our society is a mixture of hundreds of different cultures all thrown together to create out communities. Lindy Hop is one of the first examples of that. It was born from the racism and discrimination of Harlem New York, and grew into a world known art form.
             I picked this video in particular because it was one of the few videos of Lindy Hop that included African American dancers. Though it's not the best quality, it was important to me to include Black dancers because that was the birthplace of Lindy Hop. I love how everyone in the video looks like they are having so much fun. The bouncing, fast movements, and the expressions on peoples faces shows how Lindy Hop made people feel during desperate times. Lindy Hop was the middle ground for many people, and they were able to forget about racism and unfair rights. I love that a form of dance, out of all things, was able to break some of the barriers between races, and create an enjoyable experience for everyone.

http://www.lindycircle.com/history/lindy_hop/