From the short: GROOIE MOVIE 1944 This is probably the best picture quality we’ll ever get for this classic swing dance short. This is from a studio released DVD collection […]
This is one of those informal “amimal” ragtime dances that preceded swing dance and to at least some extent set the stage for what was to come later. The video […]
From a 1930’s newsreel 1938 This clip has the best picture quality I’ve ever seen for this newsreel. It may also be the most complete. I’m not sure of the […]
From the movie: ALL AMERICAN CO-ED 1941 A typical jive number from the 1940’s featuring Marjorie Woodworth, The Tanner Sisters and Johnny Downs in drag.
From a Cinesound newsreel: 1945? Some great dancing here with way too much talk. I’m not sure of the year but my guess would be mid 1940’s. I think at […]
From the movie: SWING YOUR LADY 1938 This is mostly a song and dance number featuring Penny Singleton and Sammy White, but there is at least a reference to swing […]
The most horrific war in human history officially ended 75 years ago today. I can still remember as a 6 year old 1st grader walking to school past houses with […]
From a Fox Movietone out take 1929 Another 1920’s dance that I’ve never heard of before called “The Cakestone”. I’ve included two versions the second beginning at about the 1:20 […]
From the movie: IN THE NAVY 1941 This mostly a typical jive vocal by the Andrews Sisters but there’s also some swing dance starting at about the 2:30 mark with […]
From the movie: SONG OF THE OPEN ROAD 1945 I’m told the dancers are Stanley Catron and Kaye Popp. The band is Sammy Kaye’s. The girl at table is young […]
From a newsreel: 1938 The narrator says this swing festival took place in Chicago in 1938 with 200,000 in attendance. I lived most of my life in the Chicago area […]
From : THE COLGATE COMEDY HOUR !0/04/53 This clip shows that among other things Jerry Lewis was a very good dancer. I’m not sure who his partner is but she’s […]
From: THE DAVE SENNETT DANCE PARTY 1962 Another clip of teens dancing to this Ricky Nelson record on this WPRO-TV teen dance show from Providence, Rhode Island.
From the short: OKLAHOMA BOB ALBRIGHT AND HIS RODEO DO FLAPPERS 1929 Another assortment of 1920’s dance steps this time by dancer Bertha Muller with Oklahoma Bob Albright on the […]
From a Pathe newsreel 1943 Dancers Tony Jackson and Mavis Sutton demonstrate a British version of the Jitterbug. This clip references the fact that some in the British dance community […]
From Fox Movietone newsreel out takes 1943 There’s some pretty good dancing here especially beginning at about the 1:20 mark. I like the brunet with the ribbon in her hair […]
From: THE JACK SPECTOR SHOW 1961 Another clip from “The Jack Spector Show” on WPRO-TV in Providence, Rhode Island. There’s some pretty good footwork in spots.
From the movie: DANCING CO-ED 1939 A very brief clip of swing dancing to the music of Artie Shaw and his band. Among the dancers are Ray Hirsch and Patti […]
From the soundie: THE JOINT IS JUMPIN’ 1941 The inimitable Fats Waller sings, plays and mugs with a little swing dance thrown in. The singer is Myra Johnson.
From the movie: TAXI 1932 This is a version of the Fox Trot that you don’t see that often. It’s sometimes called the Peabody One Step, the Peabody Fox Trot […]
From the soundie: COUNT ME OUT 1946 The band features Henry “Red” Allen on trumpet, J. C. Higginbotham on trombone and Don Stovall on alto sax. The dancers are Johni […]
From a British Pathe short 1943 American service men swing dance with a group of Australian girls at an American Red Cross dance somewhere in Australia during WWII.
From a Fox Movietone Newsreel 1928 A group of ladies at something called “The Debutant’s Ball” at the St. Regis hotel in NYC give us some 1920’s style dance backed […]
From the movie: DANCING CO-ED 1939 This is mostly a big band swing number by one of the best bands of the era, Artie Shaw and His Orchestra, with a […]
From the movie: TWICE BLESSED 1945 One of the classic swing dance scenes in a Hollywood movie. The dancers include Lenny & Kay Smith, Wally & “Mousie” Albright, Hal Takier […]
From: THE DAVE SENNETT DANCE PARTY 1962 Typical period Rock & Roll music and dance from “The Dave Sennett Dance Party” TV show from station WPRO-TV Providence. Rhode Island. Unfortunately […]
From the TV show: PARTY TIME 1959 The picture and sound quality are pretty bad but it’s kind of interesting to see him without his wife Tina during this period. […]
From the movie: LOVE N’ DANCING 2009 Some great lindy hop featuring at least three of the best swing dancers of more resent years, Ben Morris, Carla Heiney and Sarah […]
From the soundie: HONEYSUCKLE ROSE 1941 This is mostly a vocal and instrumental featuring the inimitable jazz great Fats Waller with a little jazz dance thrown in.
From: The Texaco Star Theater TV Show 1955 The dancing is very theatrical, the orchestra sometimes drowns out Bill Haley and the picture quality is poor, but this does have […]
From the movie: MAD YOUTH 1940 Ray Hirsch and Patti Lacey dance to some Latin background music. Also dancing are Betty Atkinson and a young Tommy Wonder.
From a Fox Movietone outtake 1929 Not really swing dance but kind of interesting just the same. The waterlogged band is Jackie Taylor and the Cocoanut Grove Ambassadors.
From the movie: THE JAZZ BOAT 1960 The British were very good at combining Rock & Roll era dance with Jazz in the 1950’s & 60’s. Here’s an example featuring […]
From: THE JUDY GARLAND SHOW 1964 This is sort of an updated version of the jitterbug number that was cut from the movie “The Wizard of Oz” that also featured […]
From the movie: RIDE ‘EM COWBOY 1942 Some great swing dance with Dean Collins and Jewel McGowan beginning at about the 2:00 mark. Also featured are the great Ella Fitzgerald […]
One hundred years ago today at the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month “The Great War” or as we call it today World War One ended. […]
Outtakes from a Fox Movietone newsreel 1932 Lucille Stoddard and her partner demonstrate a dance called “The Earhart Hop” which is obviously named for famed aviatrix Amelia Earhart. This may […]
From: THE JACK SPECTOR SHOW 1961 Another TV teenage dance show. This show aired on WPRO-TV in Providence Rhode Island. The record is closer to Jazz than Rock & Roll, […]
From the movie: MISS ANNIE ROONEY 1942 Peggy Ryan and Roland Dupree play this mostly for laughs as Shirley Temple and Dickie Moore look on, but there is some interesting […]
From the movie: FOUR BOYS AND A GUN 1957 It’s too bad the camera didn’t concentrate more on the dancers but that’s the way it often goes in these movies. […]
From the movie: SALLY, IRENE AND MARY 1938 The best part of this is the kind of cute swing dance sequence starting at about the 4:00 mark. Before that there […]
From the soundie: ZIG ME DADDY WITH A GENTLE ZAG 1941 Not exactly the best example of swing dance you’ll ever see but a fun number none the less. The […]
From the movie: SPEED CRAZY 1959 The female dancer is identified only as “Lucita” and the first guy she dances with might be Lennie Smith but I’m not at all […]
From the movie: HOLLYWOOD CANTEEN 1944 The best part of this is the Lindy Hop chorus routine beginning at about the 2:55 mark. Joan McCracken was a very charming and […]
From the documentary: LEGENDARY DANCE MOVES 1941-1979 The recording is Danny & The Juniors classic “At the Hop” first from Dick Clark’s “American Bandstand” and then beginning at about the […]
From the movie: KING OF JAZZ 1930 The dancer is actually Paul Small not Paul Whiteman and this is from the recently released restored version of the 1930 classic musical […]
From the TV special: ATLANTIC CITY HOLIDAY 1956 This is from a TV special August 12, 1956 featuring Bill Haley and His Comets with a group of chorus dancers who […]
From the movie: MAD YOUTH 1940 One of the best swing dance clips on film with somewhat better picture quality than my previous posting of June 27, 2015. The dancers […]
From the short: MAMA DON’T ALLOW 1956 A group British teenagers and twenty somethings and maybe older dance to the “Trad Jazz” of The Chris Barber Jazz Band in a […]
From the movie: HOOSIER HOLIDAY 1943 Some cute jive with Dale Evans and “The Music Maids” with some jitterbug and even a little Shag at about the 1:50 mark. Things […]
From the documentary: THE DAVE SENNETT DANCE PARTY 1962 Another clip from one of those teen dance party TV shows from the 1950’s and 60’s this one from station WPRO-TV […]
From the shoundie: BACKSTAGE BLUES 1943 The first dancers may be Ann & Lou Ellen. I know for sure that the girl was also part of a dance team called […]
From the movie: BABES ON SWING STREET 1944 I didn’t know who Peggy Ryan’s partner was here but I’m told it was in fact choreographer Louis Da Pron. She’s great […]
From the movie: JAMBOREE 1957 The dancing is good if perhaps a bit formal and in my view anything with Count Basie in it is worth a watch and especially […]
From the documentary: THE BUDDY DEAN SHOW 1950’s & 60’s Buddy Dean had a hugely popular TV teen dance show in Baltimore from 1957 to 1964 and is said to […]
From the short: RUFUS JONES FOR PRESIDENT 1933 If you can get past the awful racial stereotypes in this scene the number itself is really fun with great energy. I […]
From the movie: RUMBLE ON THE DOCKS 1956 I have no ides who any of the dancers are other than actors James Darren and Laurie Carroll. The band is Freddie […]
From the movie: SWEET AND LOW DOWN 1944 There’s some group swing dance at the end at about the 1:55 mark following a jive vocal by Lorraine Elliot dubbing for […]
From the short: TWO SHADOWS 1938 A fun combination of tap and swing dance featuring the diminutive brother and sister dance team of Billy & Beverly Bemis. I have to […]
From the soundie: OL’ MAN MOSE 1941 After at times a kind of crazy opening vocal by Ginger Harmon there’s a fun jitterbug dance routine by the team of Judy […]