So you've mastered your basic 6-count footwork, your swing outs are feeling solid, and you're ready to expand your horizons. Welcome to the exciting middle ground of swing dancing—where knowing what to learn next matters just as much as how you practice it.
This guide introduces five foundational swing styles that every intermediate dancer should explore. Each offers distinct skills that will make you more versatile on the social floor, plus clear direction on where to focus your practice time.
1. Lindy Hop: The Core Language
Difficulty: Intermediate–Advanced
Prerequisites: 6-count basics, 8-count basics, basic swing out
Born in 1920s Harlem, Lindy Hop remains the dominant swing dance worldwide—and for good reason. Its combination of 6-count, 8-count, and Charleston patterns gives you maximum flexibility across tempos and song structures.
What makes it essential: Lindy Hop teaches you to manage momentum. The swing out—its signature move—requires precise connection through compression and stretch. Master this, and every other swing style becomes easier.
Where to start: Frankie Manning Foundation instructional videos offer historically grounded technique. Focus specifically on the "lead-follow conversation" in your swing outs before adding styling.
Practice drill: Spend 15 minutes dancing to medium-tempo songs (140–160 BPM), restricting yourself to swing outs and basic 6-count turns. Record yourself and watch for dropped frames or late foot placement.
2. Charleston: Dynamic Footwork and Energy
Difficulty: Intermediate
Prerequisites: Basic 8-count, comfort with faster tempos
The 1920s Charleston brings explosive energy and distinctive kick-step patterns. While often performed solo, its partnered form adds sharp visual punctuation to your dancing.
What makes it essential: Charleston develops your ability to dance up in your body—high kicks, quick direction changes, and precise weight shifts. It also trains you to maintain rhythm through visually busy patterns.
Where to start: Look for "20s Charleston" partnered tutorials that emphasize hand-to-hand and side-by-side positions. Avoid aerial-focused content at this stage.
Practice drill: Practice the basic Charleston kick-step pattern solo, then with a partner holding single-hand connection. Work toward seamless transitions between 20s Charleston and your standard Lindy footwork.
3. Balboa: Connection and Musical Precision
Difficulty: Intermediate–Advanced
Prerequisites: Solid frame, ability to hear 8-count phrases, comfort in close embrace
Developed in 1930s Southern California, Balboa evolved as a response to crowded dance floors and fast tempos. Its defining feature: partners maintain close chest-to-chest connection throughout.
What makes it essential: Balboa demands impeccable frame and pulse control. You cannot fake your rhythm or compensate with arm tension. The skills transfer directly to cleaner Lindy Hop connection.
Where to start: Search for "Pure Balboa" fundamentals before attempting Bal-Swing hybrid patterns. The close embrace requires trust and clear body communication.
Practice drill: Stand in closed position with your partner, no footwork. Simply pulse and shift weight together for three minutes, maintaining consistent chest contact. When you can breathe and move as one unit, add basic Balboa steps.
4. Solo Jazz (Shim Sham): Vocabulary for Improvisation
Difficulty: Beginner–Intermediate
Prerequisites: None—open to all levels
The Shim Sham is the universal solo jazz routine, performed socially at swing events worldwide. Created by tap dancer Leonard Reed, it combines classic jazz steps into a repeatable structure.
What makes it essential: Solo jazz builds your personal movement vocabulary. When you know steps like the Tacky Annie, Half Break, and Boogie Back, you can insert them into partnered dancing or survive when a lead drops out.
Where to start: Learn the standard 32-bar Shim Sham from any reputable instructor, then study variations by dancers like Norma Miller or Ryan Francois.
Practice drill: Perform the full Shim Sham daily for two weeks. Then try improvising for 32 bars using only steps from the routine, in any order. This builds confident solo movement.
5. Jitterbug: Streamlined Energy
Difficulty: Intermediate
Prerequisites: 6-count basics, comfort with faster tempos
Here's where history gets interesting: "Jitterbug" was originally a catch-all term for Lindy Hop and related styles, used differently across regions. Today, it often refers to a simplified, high-energy 6-count–dominant approach.
What makes it essential: Jitterbug patterns prioritize efficiency and drive. You'll learn to generate energy without elaborate preparation—valuable when the band accelerates past 200 BPM.
Where to start: Seek instruction emphasizing "bouncing" 6-count patterns and simple turns. The goal is sustainable
