Reserach Paper
Swing It, Baby: Discussion on Gender and Sexuality in Swing Dance
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Swing it, Baby A Sociological Discussion on Gender and Sexuality in Swing Dance By Victoria Yeung Like all other social phenomena, dance is a product of its culture and reflects the value systems and beliefs of the society from which it emerges. Partner dancing in particular, which Swing dance is one of many, is especially interesting in that it is an inherently social activity. The nature of the activity requires interpersonal contact on both a social and physical level from its participants. Furthermore, because dancing couples traditionally consist of one male and one female participant, gender and sexuality play a great role in the social interaction amongst dancers. It is these aspects of dance that will be discussed in this paper. Why Swing Dance? Unlike other forms of Partner dancing such as Ballroom or Latin dance, Swing Dance has had a history of evolution and change linked to issues regarding gender and sexuality. As well, because it is a dance based on improvisation and personal expression, it is not codified and lack structure, making it more inclined to reflect the present social condition, in other words, allowing it to ‘change with the times’. Furthermore, having been involved in the Dance culture with which I speak, as a student of sociology, I feel that the availability of personal experience and observation will be an asset to my discussion, allowing for an accurate depiction of the present condition of Swing Dance in North American society. ‘Leads’ and ‘Follows’: Gender in Swing Dance Societies have specific ways – including dance – of sending messages of sexual identity, and showing us ways to discriminate ourselves as male or female. Because Swing dance is a partnered activity, there is an obvious dichotomy in regards to the roles of each member of the couple. Traditionally, all couples in Partner dancing were male/female with the males taking on the role of leader or ‘Lead’ and the female taking on the more passive role of ‘Follow’. Dance instructors will often use the sex of the dancer (‘Men’ or ‘Women’) to refer to the role they are taking in the dancing couple (‘Lead’ or ‘Follow’). For example, a dance instructor may indicate for the ‘Men’ to go on one side of the room and the ‘Ladies’ to the other side of the room to facilitate teaching the different parts. These gendered terms both reinforce and are informed by the patriarchal society from which dance emerges. Males are given the masculine role, one that is active, aggressive, and leadership oriented. Females are given the more feminine role, one that is reactive, passive, the one being led rather than the leader. Arthur Murray, in his 1947 book, How to Become a Good Dancer, goes as far as using ‘Man’ and ‘Girl’ , implying that the female partner is young and naïve, needing to be led by the older, more competent and experienced ‘Man’. In his “Don’ts for Beginners” section, Murray gives the following advice regarding dance etiquette: The Man always asks for the favor of a dance… It is bad form for the Girl to decline to dance unless she is ill or is not dancing. Above all, she must not dance with one man and refuse another. As indicated by the excerpt above, traditionally it is the responsibility of the ‘Man’ that asks the ‘Girl’ to dance furthering gendered notions of dominant males and passive females. Even the terms ‘Lead’ and ‘Follow’ come with gendered assumptions. To be a ‘Lead’ implies responsibility, experience and control. To be a ‘Follow’ is to be guided and to react. Teachers and dancers agree that ‘the job of a ‘Follow’ is to follow’ and ‘Follows’ that try to lead are considered poor dancers (although this is starting to change: see Swing Today: Telling It Like It Is). As well, through observation, it can be noted that when a couple dances, the ‘Follow’ tends to be the member of the couple who executes more spins, has more pronounced arm-styling, and wears a more colorful or eye-catching costume. In essence, the male’s job as the ‘Lead’ is to show off the ‘Follow’ and ‘make her look good’. Consequently, observers will often compliment the ‘Follow’ on a job well done rather than the ‘Lead’ (much to the chagrin of my male dance partner), however, if a couple does a poor job, the ‘Follow’ will often be criticized more harshly for ‘not following properly’. This criticism often comes from their dance partners. Furthermore, the ‘Lead’ will often gain more sympathy from observers (after all he has so much responsibility!) than the ‘Follow’ because it is often assumed that being a ‘Follow’ is easier than being a ‘Lead’. Given these observations, it can be said that the patriarchal social structure of greater society is most definitely present in the gender dynamics of Partner dancing. ‘Swing’ vs. Swing Dance: Sexuality in Swing Dance Dance often displays a person’s sexual appeal, provides stimulating fantasy or foreplay, and communicates information as a prelude to encounters that lead to mating. Sexuality has always been a hot topic in the world of Swing Dancing. Lindy Hop, the original swing dance, was founded in the Savoy Ballroom in Harlem in the late 1920s . According to Lisa Wade, in her article, Differentiation and Hierarchy in Social Dance, Lindy Hop, primarily danced by lower and middle class young people, was a rebellion against the older generation…Swing has traditionally been described with words like ‘wild’ and ‘frantic’. The music, and inevitably the dance itself, is much higher tempo than most ballroom music and requires greater physical exertion. In the late 1920s and early 1930s, the Lindy Hop was primarily danced by lower and middle class African-Americans, however by World War II, white America was starting to not only show interest but to market the dance to the rest of the country. “Swing underwent a process of popularization and commercialization. ” Swing dancing GIs were depicted in old films such as Buck Privates (1941) and by 1943, Life magazine declared Lindy Hop to be “a true national folk dance.” As it gained popularity amongst white suburban teens, Lindy Hop was criticized for its often frenzied and sexual nature. White dancers and instructors such as Dean Collins, who is featured in Buck Privates, and Arthur Murray watered-down Lindy Hop, “de-emphasizing the lateral hip movement for a more formal and vertical style. ” One only has to compare the toned down Lindy Hop in Buck Privates to that of the original Savoy style in the classic film clip from Hellzapoppin’ (1941) which features Whitey’s Lindyhoppers, the very first Lindy Hop dance troupe. The dance that had swept the country in the thirties with its originality and exuberance, by the fifties had become a white-bread mishmash of Lindy moves known only as the jitterbug. Despite the desire to tone down the sexual nature of Swing Dance, society accepted it as an appropriate way for young people to meet members of the opposite sex and find a mate. This is illustrated wonderfully by Roni Dengel, in the book Dance – and Be Charming! As you will see, there’s no limit to the magical uses of dance in your life. And as you become more limber, lithe, and lovely – more poised as a person, more graceful a dancer – you’re bound to grow more charming as a girl. So… dance – and be charming! Not only is Partner dancing a great way to meet people, the ability to dance well is considered a ‘charming’ or attractive trait. As well, having more than one dance partner is encouraged, unlike society’s views on lovers, spouses or life partners. This is illustrated in another “Don’ts for Beginners” in Murray’s How to Become a Good Dancer. Don’t forget that when a Man takes a Girl to a dance, he always has the first dance with her… It is exceedingly impolite for a Man to monopolize a Girl for the whole evening. Unless, of course, just the two are dining and dancing together at a club or hotel, with no other friends present. ” Why the Swing Revival? By the 1960s, Partner dancing was considered old-fashioned and restrictive compared to the individualist nature of The Twist and other types of ‘partner-less’ dancing (which has recently been referred to more commonly as ‘bar dancing’ or ‘free dancing’) that emerged at that time. The twist, in its turn, ushered in the era of ‘solo’ or ‘partner-less’ dancing, now accepted as completely normal amongst the young, but still regarded as a rather startling phenomena by the middle-aged [during The Sixties] . ‘Partner-less’ dancing allowed one to dance alone or in groups, giving one the freedom to dance even if there were no dance partners present and to dance however one wanted. Ballroom dance, where a watered-down, simplified version of Lindy Hop still existed, was felt to be representative of the conservative views of the older generation regarding sexuality and was no part of youth culture during the 1960s-80s. However, as Degen Pener, in The Swing Book argues, by the 1990s there emerged a desire amongst a number of youth to return to the days of old. Since the sexual revolution of the 1960s, gender roles have become increasingly ill defined. Women were told they should ask men on dates, pay their own way, and be the sexual aggressors. Men, meanwhile, worried they could be threatened with a sexual harassment suit if they so much as looked twice at a woman. The swing movement reembraces certain established conventions: men hold doors, buy drinks, and ask women to dance. In the dance, they tend to be the leaders, the women the followers. Because of its inherent dichotomy, how men and women relate to each other in Swing Culture is regulated and dictated, especially regarding gender roles. Pener argues that youth are attracted to Swing Dance for its inherent social structure, feeling that it will make it easier to relate interpersonally, “clearly searching for a new and better balance in the relationship between guys and dolls. ” He also argues that Swing culture allows for a return to a more gendered and traditional dress for men and women. In fashion, androgyny is the norm… The swing scene marks a return to glamour. The women wear elaborate hairdos, full makeup, and feminine frocks, whereas the men are clean-cut, sporting tailor-made suits and such ‘manly’ accessories as fedoras, suspenders, and ties. Lastly, Pener also argues that the revival of Swing is also linked to issues surrounding sexuality. Like the word ‘Swing’ which “began as a purely dance and music term, later [becoming] a reference to casual sex, and is now reverting to its original, more innocent meaning ”, he feels that dance is following a similar trend. Because it incorporates skill, expertise and manners with social interaction, Swing provides a way of enjoying physical intimacy without the dangers of sex… You can very closely correlate the rise and fall of couples dancing sort of opposite the sexual revolution. In the sixties and seventies, it was fine for people to be dancing ten feet apart if they were going to go to bed an hour later. In the nineties, when there’s much more sexual reticence and carefulness, it plays a part in courtship However, one has to take Pener’s words with a grain of salt. Although some dancers completely emerge themselves in Swing Culture and adopt retro-style dress and attitudes, the fact remains that the culture in which we live today is different from the society from which the dance was formed. As easy as it is to generalize and say that all Swing Dancing males tend to wear suits, open doors for ladies, and pick up the tab, it is equally as false to say that all Swing Dancing females wear dresses, expect men to buy them drinks, and will wait for men to ask them to dance before stepping out on the dance-floor. Furthermore, although Swing and other forms of Partner dancing are governed by more rules of etiquette than other forms of social dance and can then be considered theoretically less sexual in nature than say, modern day ‘bumping-and-grinding’, the fact remains that Swing Dance is not any less sexual in nature once one considers all forms of Swing Dance, especially Blues, which is very slow and sensual. This is especially apparent in the comments found in the “Don’t Fuck Me on the Dance-floor, Please, I’m here to dance ” discussion board on the Canadian Swing Dancers forum, Lindyhopper.ca. Swing Today: Telling It Like It Is As mentioned earlier, dance has the power to inform and reflect the society that it is a part of. Because society changes over time, so do its social institutions such as Swing Dance. The Swing Dance culture that exists today is quite different from what existed sixty years ago. For example, gender roles and their relationship to ‘Leads’ and ‘Follows’ has evolved to reflect society’s striving for gender equality. Instructors such as myself have actively chosen to use the more gender-neutral terms ‘Lead’ and ‘Follow’ rather than ‘Men’ or ‘Gentlemen’ to refer to those leading and ‘Women’ or ‘Ladies’ for those following. Although the terms ‘Lead’ and ‘Follow’ have gendered implications, by concentrating on the role rather than the sex of the participants, women and men are given equal opportunity to be either leads or follows. However, it should be noted that not all instructors have embraced this way of teaching, especially when quite often the majority of male and female dancers will assume the roles of ‘Lead’ and ‘Follow’ respectively despite the use of gender-neutral terms. However, even though most males will start off learning the ‘Lead’ role and most females the ‘Follow’ role there seems to be a new dance identity that didn’t exist previously - what Wade has termed the ‘Switch-hitter’. While the roles are strictly defined, role taking is less so. Many leads also follow, many follows also lead, and if both dancers are ‘switch-hitters’ it is not uncommon for the roles to switch mid-dance. What this means is that there is a desire to learn both roles for more than teaching purposes only and that it is acceptable in most scenes for girls to dance with girls and guys to dance with guys. Some argue that it even makes one a better dancer. As a matter of fact, the American Lindy Hop Championships include a Jill and Jill Division (women as lead and follow) and a Jack and Jack Division (men as lead and follow) . Unfortunately, it is hard to teach new dancers both the ‘Lead’ and the ‘Follow’ at once and learning both takes time, which may explain why the majority of dancers learn only one role and stick with it. Like its attitudes towards gender roles, the attitudes that Swing culture takes towards sexuality are changing to reflect modern society as well. Despite the changes made to Lindy Hop to make it more appropriate for popular society in the 1940s and 50s, many Lindyhoppers (those who dance the Lindy Hop) are returning to the more sexual and frenzied style of the 20s and 30s. Because society is much more liberal today, a wider spectrum of expression and sexuality is considered acceptable. This seems to explain the recent popularity of Blues dancing and the resurgence of Balboa, both Swing Dances that are danced with a body-lead (when one leads with ones entire body, rather than just the arms) requiring very intimate physical contact between dancers. Because sexual intention and personal expression can be easily confused, one of the main issues when dancing so close is the difficulty that some dancers have in evaluating and determining appropriate behavior. This is illustrated quite strongly by ShimmeyBaby!, in her post on Lindyhopper.ca. Ok, so it has come to my attention that a retarded amount of follows have been the victim of inappropriate behavior on the dance floor. So.. here is a list of things NOT TO DO when dancing with someone. 1. When blues dancing, PENIS or pelvis leads are NOT considered appropriate. Blues should still be lead with the body. The *whole* body. 2. Keep your eyes off my chest, you'll never get to touch it so back off! 2b. Keep your hands away from my chest. You'll never get permission so BACK OFF!! 3. Grind me again and you'll crawl home, if you manage to regain consciousness that is. 4. Keep your lips to yourself. I ain't your girlfriend. Swing Tomorrow: Looking Towards the Future Although Swing Dance has changed quite a bit through out history, there is still a way to go before it is entirely inclusive. In the discussion on ‘Leads’ and ‘Follows’, SFUhopper declares, I think that gender neutrality is something worth striving for in most aspects of dancing; one of the things I like about the lindy scene is the liberal attitudes, which permeate it. Guys dance with guys, girls dance with girls, guys dance with girls. Though the dichotomy cannot be eliminated because Partner dance cannot exist without the presence of two dancers, each performing a different role, more can be done to encourage ‘switch-hitting’ so that dancers have the freedom to take either role based on mood, experience, preference, or personality rather than sex. Efforts must be made in order to teach and show beginner dancers that ‘Lead’ and ‘Follow’ are merely roles and that one is not better than the other, just different. Instructors and event organizers need to actively advocate ‘switch-hitting’, females ‘Leads’, and male ‘Follows’ as more than just an anomaly or exception. Another aspect of Swing Dance could be improved to better reflect changing social attitudes is its inherent heterosexist nature, which many dancers fail to realize or consider as illustrated by the following post made by Prosynia: This is interesting. Once at a demo a friend of one of the people who was demo-ing left because it was a swing night, and swing to her was 'too heterosexual'. I'd never thought about the issue until then. Despite the existence Jack/Jack and Jill/Jill divisions in some competitions, male-female couples remain the norm in competitive Swing Dancing. Some argue that same-sex couples lack the proper aesthetic or authenticity to make it really good dancing. I feel that this type of thinking is old fashioned and ingrained in tradition rather than expressing the present condition. Instead of creating categories such as Jack/Jack or Jill/Jill, it must be accepted that there exists a continuum of dancers of different types, looks, skills, and experience and as a result a spectrum of couple types. There is a need for pioneering couples to set examples and prove to new and existing dancers that a male-female couple is not superior to any other type of couple and can execute and perform the dance in an equally competent and expressive way. Concluding Statement Having taken a detailed look at issues concerning gender and sexuality in Swing Dance and Swing culture I have come to realize that despite the advances/changes in gender roles, concepts of ‘Lead’ and ‘Follow’, and sexual freedom, there remains elements in Swing Dance that are exclusive. As a dancer, dance instructor, feminist, and advocator of a world that is more inclusive and accepting of differences, my hope is that one day all dancers will be allowed the freedom to take on which ever role they chose for reasons other than ones based on sex or gender. I dream of a time when dancers can chose to dance with whomever they wish and be allowed the freedom to express oneself however they want though the joys of Swing Dance. Primary Literary Sources (Cited) Dengel, Roni. Dance – and Be Charming. (New York: Scholastic Book Services, 1964). Hanna, Judith Lynne. Dance, Sex and Gender: Signs of Identity, Dominance, Defiance, and Desire. Chicago: The University of Chicago Press, 1988. Michalowski, Sam. Swing Dance as Subculture: Managing Symbolic Crisis in the (Post)Modern Era. Unpublished thesis, made available through e-mail to author. Murray, Arthur. How to Become a Good Dancer. New York: Simon & Schuster, 1947. Pener, Degen. The Swing Book. Boston: Little, Brown and Company, 1999. Rust, Frances. Dance in Society. London: Routledge & Kegan Paul, 1969. Wade, Lisa. Differentiation and Hierarchy in Social Dance. [On-line paper] Available from http://www.lindycafe.com/_archives/hierarchy.html Secondary Literary Sources Martin, John. Introduction to the Dance. New York: Dance Horizons Incorporated, 1965. Royce, Anya Peterson. The Anthropology of Dance. London: Indiana University Press, 1977. Thomas, Helen. Dance, Gender and Culture. New York: St. Martin’s Press, 1993. Non-literary Sources To Lead or to Follow: Gender Issues When Starting Out… [On-line forum topic] Available from Lindyhopper.ca at http://lindyhopper.ca/forums/index.php?act=ST&f=1&t=1091&s=569365459b8067ba2d38dd58f1c4ed24 Don’t Fuck Me on the Dancefloor, Please, I’m here to dance. [On-line forum topic] Available from Lindyhopper.ca at http://lindyhopper.ca/forums/index.php?act=ST&f=1&t=1003&s=569365459b8067ba2d38dd58f1c4ed24 “Would You Like Some Swing with Your Sex?", an age-old question. [On-line forum topic] Available from Lindyhopper.ca at http://lindyhopper.ca/forums/index.php?act=ST&f=1&t=1584&s=1b25589ad7035b0a3d92bf5155922d39 Buck Privates. [Film-clip] Available from http://www.natch.net/videos/index.html,1941. Hellzapoppin’. [Film-clip] Available from http://www.natch.net/videos/index.html,1941. When Women Kill. [Video] National Film Board, 1994.
