12/05/2026
In our class on Friday we chatted a little about the Breakaway, and what that meant for partnered dancing at the time.
The Breakaway was unique due to the fact that for a few counts of music the dancers would breakaway from closed position (although still connected with a hand) and then come back together. This was a huge innovation for this time, as most dances were being done in close hold - this breakaway would redefine what partnered dancing could mean. In open hold there was suddenly a lot more space and opportunity for self-expression and for the dancers' individual character to come through!
This clip is part of a film called “After Seben” which features "Shorty" George Snowden and Mattie Purnell. They introduce Breakaway steps to the closed-form of Charleston - it might look like a variation of partnered Charleston as there are no tuck turns or swivels or many of the other things that make up our modern idea of Lindy Hop. But the seed was planted for what would become the foundation of our modern Lindy Hop (the swingout!) as well as one key trait - the ability for partners to express themselves equally both individually and as a partnership.
The full clip shows three couples dancing in a contest, and it is generally acknowledged that these couples mark the birth of Lindy Hop on film. Please note that the emcee is a white vaudeville performer in blackface, which was unfortunately common during these times within films and minstrel shows.
Many thanks to .es for this wonderful clip enhanced by AI!
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Reposted from .es
The birth of Lindy Hop on film! The Lindy Hop sequence from After Seben (1929) enhanced by artificial intelligence. Three couples from the Savoy Ballroom perform the latest dance styles, mainly the Charleston. The last couple is “Shorty” George Snowden and his partner, Mattie Purnell. Full remaster: https://youtu.be/uN8STT7AtJY
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