The second innovative dance contest idea comes from Israel where there is a solo Lindy competition. Yes, Lindy is a partner dance, but there are many jazz steps incorporated into the dance, which allow both partners to be creative while still dancing in partnership.
It’s also common for teachers to put together routines so that students can practice the jazz steps. Sometimes such a routine, like Ryan Francois’ Jitterbug Stroll, will catch on and become a popular dance in Lindy communities world wide. The most widely known such routine, The Shim Sham Shimmy, is a classic tap routine adapted by Lindy Hoppers in the 1930s and still danced in many places today.
So again I’m surprised no one has thought of this earlier! I’m also surprised it hasn’t caught on elsewhere since this is not the first year the Israelis have held this contest. Check out these fabulous dancers strutting their stuff sans partners:
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by LaurieAnn Lepoff
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