Swinging Toward Social Change: How Lindy Hop Promotes Gender Equality

Lindy Hop is a type of swing dance that became popularized in the late 1920’s. As a dancer in the current revival, I have noticed a dissonance between the discussions of gender equality in the community and the people’s actions. After conducting interviews and observations at The Snowball, a Lindy Hop event in Stockholm, Sweden, I coded my data and organized it based on common themes. I discovered that the community members’ actions and experiences are not as progressive as their discussions. Furthermore, individuals have not thought much about their goals for the future of Lindy Hop. I believe that we can bridge these gaps through being accountable for our actions, creating discussion, and holding our leadership to high standards.