New generation getting in the swing of the Lindy Hop
CAMBRIDGE, Mass. -- For a group of twenty-somethings outside of Boston, the Lindy Hop's twists and triple-steps are a way to reach back into the past.
Millenials Mariel Adams and Dang Mai are regulars at a Friday night dance party.
"Why do you think so many in your generation are so hip to this dance?" we asked them.
"It's fun! In this technological age we are all on our phones ... but here you are connecting with people," Adams told CBS News.
The Lindy Hop was created in the 1920's in the dance halls of Harlem, like the famous Savoy Ballroom. The high-flying flips combined with big band jazz orchestras turned it into a craze made famous in movies like the 1941 Lindy hop classic "Hellzapoppin'".
"It's really a melting pot dance, it is America," said Mike Hibarger, who organizes the dances for the non-profit Boston Swing Central. A typical crowd is more than 200.
"They love the music, they love the connection, the community is fantastic," Hibarger told us.
The resurgence began about a decade ago. MIT now has Lindy Hop social clubs which give weekly lessons for beginners.
The first Lindy hop era began to fade in the 1950's when jazz moved from ballrooms to lounges, giving bands like Phil McGowan's the chance to re-introduce the movement to a new generation.
"I think people are waking up to the fact that live music is one of those experiences will never happen again, you can't get it on iTunes," McGowan said.
"It's just pure joy," Adams said. "I can't help but smile."
