#10 Dancing at the suds bucket from the movie, a league of their own (1992)
This is a classic seen that a lot of people forget about and if you haven’t seen it, I recommend watching a movie. The theme of this movie is about baseball, but many of the characters demonstrate their swing, dancing acumen with class, making this one of the more memorable scenes of the entire movie. This scene is so much fun to watch because all the dancers are having a great time.
The energy from the characters makes you want to get on the dance floor. The great part about the scene that most of these moves the dances are doing can be done by those watching a movie. If you’ve got that itch to learn how to swing dance, make sure you check out the free lessons in the description.
#9 “Mr. Zoot Suit” Blast from the Past (1999)
This clip starring Brendan Fraser and Alicia Silverstone captures the style and energy of the late 90s swing revival. They primarily dance East Coast swing moves to the class song “Mr. Zoot suit” performed by Ingrid Lucia and the Flying Neutrinos. They also throw in a little tango, a hint of salsa and classic Lindy Hopper aerials. Brendan eventually dances with two partners Mary Ann Hermansen and Deborah Kellner who both were also delightful to watch.
#8 “Surprise Dance” Love and Dancing (2009)
This exciting clip is from the movie “Love and dancing.” The lead character visits a group of middle schoolers to present a discussion on disability awareness. One of the kids in the crowd ask the question what the lead character could do with his disability. This is when the lead character decides to demonstrate his swing dancing skills to the audience surprise. His moves are influenced by many western swing dance lifts and turns. Eventually, the audience joins in on the excitement and starts clapping to the music.
#7 “Cab Calloway” Sensations (1945)
This is an incredibly classic seen led by the inimitable Cab Calloway. Many of the moves seen in this clip art foundational. Lindy Hopper moves down over the last 70 years. The conductor, Cab Calloway sets the tone for the scene with his hair, flopping energy. We also get a brief shot of the famous pianist Dorothy Donegan, who performs with such class and rhythm that makes it nearly impossible to not tap your foot. My favorite part about this clip is how much joy everyone is showing when you’re dancing.
#6 “Diggin & Jive” Twice Blessed” (1945)
This classic Lindy Hop clip show some of the best dancers caught on film demonstrating hence at the Hollywood style Lindy Hop. The great part about the scene is there’s so many dancers that do not seem like extras. Everyone is bringing their a game on the dance floor. The scene is so impressive to me because there’s very few aerials and then Dancing still captures the excitement.
#5 “One Girl and Two Boys” Swing Fever (1945)
This classic Lindy Hop clip highlights, classy dancing of Jean Veloz Sharing the jam circle with Donna Gallagher and Lenny Smith. All three dancers cut loose in his classic Hollywood style Lindy Hop jam circle, while the crowd bounces to the rhythm. Jeanne gracefully shows off her skills smoothly transitioning from one partner to another without missing a beat. Jane demonstrates so many classic Lindy Hop moves with finesse and class, making the clip a must for this top 10 list.
#4 “Aerial Swing” Let’s Make Music (1941)
This brief clip demonstrates why Dean Collins is one of the most influential Lindy Hopper’s of all time. His incredible control and styling show the viewer how different he was from everyone else at the time. He performs seamless transition from shag, to Lindy Hop, Tango and Aerials. Even though this movie wasn’t very successful, many of his classic styling cues are emulated by swing dancers today.
#3 “All God’s Chillrun’ Got Rhythm” A Day at the Races (1937)
There’s so much to love about the scene. All the dancers in this clip do not seem like they are acting at all, but appear to seem just excited to dance to the wonderful swing music. There are so many classic Lindy Hop sequences performed in this routine, and the majority of this is credited to the outstanding talents of Whiteys, Lindy Hopper’s. I would say this is one of the top three most influential clips for the genre of swing dancing. My favorite part is getting a chance to see styling one of my favorite Lindy Hopper’s of all time Leon James.
#2 “Sing Sing Sing with the Swing” Swing Kids (1993)
This movie is a must see. This lively scene captures the atmospheric energy of the original swing era. The movie is an interesting protest film and even shows Bruce Wayne swing dancing. For more on this scene check out my reaction video in the description.
#1 “Whitey’s Lindy Hopper’s” Hellzapoppin (1941)
This movie is OK but the lindy hop scene is one of the greatest dance scenes of all time. I would say it is the most influential swing dancing clip ever put on film. The scene captures the original choreography of Frankie Manning, the athleticism of Norman Miller and the incredible flexibility of Al Minns. This routines, rapid pace, and raw athleticism captures the spirit of Lindy Hop like no other. This is why it is on my number one spot.
So what do you think of my picks?
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Jamin Jackson
