~ ALASKA SWING DANCE ~

WELCOME TO ~ NELLEE’S LINDY HOP SHOP

SWING HISTORY

CHAPTER 19

*********************************************************************************************

(Text is adapted from “The Swing Book”):

“EVEN MORE OFTHE REBIRTH OF SWING”!!!! !!

THE DANCERS & THE MUSIC COME TOGETHER!!!

THE SWING DANCE SCENE WAS NOW FULLY FORMED. The style, the music, and the dancing had all come together. But in the early 1990’s, it was still relatively underground. During the first 4-5 years, it was only popular in San Farancisco and Los Angeles. Both cities had lots of bands and swapped them back and forth. The original scene at the Club Deluxe had been 30 or 40 people. But the crowds grew from 200 people to 600 people to more than 1000 at the dances – to the astonishment of the pioneers of the swing revival. They hadn’t realized what they started!

Club Deluxe – designed in 1949

1511 Haight Street – at the corner of Ashbury...

At the Derby, where Big Bad Voodoo Daddy eventually took over the Wednesday slot from Royal Crown Revue, lines to get in and dance soon snaked around the block.

Royal Crown Review

People started forming the line at 7 p.m. and it was there until 1 in the morning – they’d order pizza in line and have it delivered. But its popularity in California was just the tip of the iceberg – Swing was about to go national again!!!

Inside The Derby, Los Angeles – Now

Cars lined up at The Derby – 1940s

NEXT TIME:

 “EVEN MORE OF THE REBIRTH OF SWING”:

Neo Swing’s National Success (for awhile ...)!!!

CLICK ON CARMEN TO GO

BACK TO THE MAIN PAGE: