Lindy Hop Today - Culture

Culture

Despite the cultural and social differences between local communities, lindy hoppers have much in common. They not only share specific dance forms, but also dance cultures. There is great enthusiasm for social dancing in most lindy hop communities (with of course allowance for regional variation), and lindy hoppers are often keen travellers. The lindy exchange culture which developed in the United States and Canada, coupled with a European enthusiasm for holiday camps has seen the development of many large events held throughout the world, which not only attract local dancers but also visitors from other communities. There is a strong culture of hospitality in lindy hop culture today.

This emphasis on travel is encouraged and facilitated by the preponderance of online communication in lindy hop culture. Many Internet forums have emerged in local lindy hop scenes. These message boards serve to provide information to dancers about Lindy Hop and dance events in the geographic area. Yehoodi has become the largest of these and now caters to an international audience, although many smaller local forums also exist. Local swing dance related internet forums often reflect the local variations in scenes' cultures and dancing. Because swing dancers travel to dance quite regularly, internet forums are an important medium for communication between local scenes, and for dancers visiting a particular city or country.