December 2019: DC Hand Dance

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Learn the official dance of DC! DC Hand Dance is an improvisational form of swing style partner dancing, evolved from Lindy Hop, and developed in the Washington, DC area in the early 1950s by African Americans as a form of recreation and entertainment. In the 1950s, the dance was called “Jitterbug” and the dance halls and arenas in the DC area where the best dancers honed their dance skills were Turner’s Arena, Lincoln Colonnade and the U-Line Arena. The tempo of the dance was upbeat and big bands such as Louis Jordan and Big Joe Turner fueled the dance. In the 1960s, the tempo slowed down to a “cool” rhythm as the dance became known as “Fast Dancing” and the music was Motown, Chicago Soul and the Stax Records sound. Teens danced in recreation centers, school gymnasiums, basement parties, in dance halls such as WUST (9th& V Streets, NW), and on the television show “The Teenarama Dance Party” on WOOK-TV Ch. 14. Later in the decade, as free style dancing swept the nation, small numbers of people continued to “fast dance” in and around the area, thereby creating a dance sub-culture. Individual style and interpretation is key in defining and understanding this dance style.

Our visiting teachers are members of the National Hand Dance Association. Check out this resource for more information about the NHDA and Hand Dance: https://nationalhanddanceassociation.org/