New York has always fostered the arts, and it's been especially influential in the field of dance. The Big Apple in particular has always been a hotspot for the dance community, contributing to the development of swing and the Fox Trot, as well as nurturing many major dance companies.
Swinging in the 20th Century
The dance culture of New York is best characterized by the 1920s and the invention of swing dancing. It was developed by the African-American community as a dance to go with to jazz music, and led to the development of the Charleston and the Lindy Hop. But, it wasn't until the Savoy Ballroom opened its doors in 1926 that swing dancing truly began to thrive.
The Savoy was a popular dance venue because it provided ample dancing room, which swing dancing requires. A large amount of floor space, combined with great jazz musicians attracted the best dance talent in New York. This dance trend continued, and by the 1930s the Jitterbug had been added to the list of swing dances.
Musicians like Cab Calloway and Benny Goodman were helping swing dance evolve, but it was the swing dancers themselves that were getting their style recognized nationally. Around 1935, Herbert White, who was as a bouncer at the Savoy Ballroom, formed a dance troupe he called Whitey's Lindy Hoppers. Thanks to the talents of Frankie Manning, a member of the dance troupe, the group was featured in four Hollywood films:
A Day at the Races (1937)
Hellzapoppin (1941)
Sugar Hill Masquerade (1942)
Killer Diller (1948)
Though most of these films met with very little success, they helped pave the way for other dancers to make their mark in Hollywood. The most well-known among them being Dean Collins, who had learned swing dancing from spending most of his time in the Savoy Ballroom. Over a 20-year period Collins contributed his talents to over 100 Hollywood films, either by performing in the films or choreographing them.
The more society-minded dance schools refused to teach swing dancing during its heyday. Dance schools continued to teach only the more established dances, such as the tango, samba, meringue, and the waltz. This changed in the 1940s when Arthur Murray Studios directed its dance instructors to teach the trendier dances of the cities where they were located.
From the 1940s until today, swing dancing has been taught across the nation. Some of the older generations still enjoy swing dancing as a past time today. Swing dancing did find a popular place in younger generations during the mid-to-late 1990s, but it failed to take a firm hold.
Moving Through History with the Fox Trot
The Fox Trot was invented in 1914 by a Vaudeville actor named Harry Fox. Fox was a Jack of all trades and master of none in his early life. At the age of 15 he depended on himself for his own survival. He got by as a circus performer and later as a professional baseball player. He was eventually discovered by a music publisher in San Francisco who hired him to sing at the city's Vaudeville theaters. However, after the 1906 earthquake he left for New York, where he continued his career in Vaudeville.
By 1914, Fox had made a name for himself in New York's Vaudeville scene. Around this time, the New York Theater was being converted into a movie house, but the owner had decided to hire Fox to perform in between shows to help garner more business. This event was advertised in Variety Magazine, which proved very successful for the theater. People arrived in droves to watch movies and Fox's performance.
Part of Fox's act was to do trotting steps to ragtime music, and, thus, the term Fox Trot was born. Soon talented dancers throughout New York were trying to mimic Fox's style. It was American dancer G.K. Anderson who solidified what the Fox Trot is today. Anderson used the Fox Trot all over London to win several dance competitions.
Unlike swing dancing, the Fox Trot did not have difficulty being adopted into the ballroom dancing style. However, minor adjustments had to be made in order to make the dance work in a ballroom setting. Essentially, the amount of movement that was required had to be made minimal. As a result, On-the-Spot dancing was created. This style of dance was a version of the Fox Trot that several people could enjoy without the worry of running out of room on the dance floor, or running into other dance partners.
Today, the Fox Trot is considered to be one of the most significant developments in the history of ballroom dancing. It's a dance that provided a nearly limitless amount of variety, which can also make it difficult to learn. However, the fun in learning the Fox Trot nearly negates its learning curve.
Ballet, Modern, and More
Of course, there's a lot more to New York's dance scene than swing and the Fox Trot. Numerous acclaimed dance companies make New York City their home. On the classical side, there's the Joffrey Ballet, American Ballet Theatre, and the world-renowned New York City Ballet. Modern dance companies include the Martha Graham Dance Company, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, and Paul Taylor Dance Company. Some groups specialize in other styles of dance; among them are Ballet Hispanico, the Hip-Hop Dance Conservatory, and Alegrias Flamenco Theater. And who could forget about The Rockettes?
Even if your travels don't take you to the Big Apple, don't worry, you'll still find plenty of places to see a performance. Cities all across the state support performing arts centers which bring in touring shows, including dance. In fact, the New York City Ballet has been spending its summers at the Saratoga Performing Arts Center ever since 1966. Some cities have their own dance companies as well, such as Albany Berkshire Ballet, Ithaca Ballet, and Garth Fagan Dance in Rochester.
From the advent of swing dancing to today's contemporary dance companies, the Empire State has always been on the cutting edge of American dance. One thing's for sure - New York loves dance.
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