Lindy Hop Interviews

1. Teaching History & Origins of the SJSU Swing Class
Megan: How long have you been teaching swing here at SJSU?
Bud: I’ve been teaching since 2007

Megan: And the swing class itself—did it start in 2007 as well?
Bud: No, it existed before, but I took it over in 2007.
Megan: I found your Spartan Daily article from 2007 with photos of students dancing. You were 50 then—nice!

2. Lindy Hop as a Liberating Activity
Megan: Have you seen Lindy Hop culture used as a liberating activity here?
Bud: Definitely. It broke away from uptight social rules—women could dance wild, un‑ladylike, even be thrown. Beauty standards went out the window.

3. Changes in Swing Culture Over the Past 20 Years
Megan: Has the culture of swing dancing changed on campus or in the Bay Area?
Bud (Lindy Hop): Lindy hasn’t changed much—though more people add acrobatics. The problem is distinguishing performance moves (aerials) from social dancing.
Bud (West Coast Swing): WCS has evolved a lot. You can tell teachers by their signature slides, arm catches instead of hand holds, circular patterns instead of straight lines. Competitions now demand about 30% interpretive content—only basics like whip or basic remain recognizable.

4. Dancer Personality & Musical Motivation
Megan: Do personalities differ between WCS and Lindy dancers?
Bud: WCS dancers are highly creative and love interpretive freedom. Lindy dancers are driven by the music and movement—deep into swing tunes, perhaps less experimental but very passionate.

5. Class Demographics & Scheduling
Megan: Have you seen shifts in gender or ethnic makeup over time?
Bud: Today’s swing classes have more men than 20 years ago; we also see more white students overall.
Megan: What about class times?
Bud: Morning classes at 8:30 am drew only 12–18 students—sometimes forced cancellations. Moving to noon filled every session. By contrast, Latin classes stay full at any hour.

6. Off‑Campus Social Dancing Scene
Megan: Have swing opportunities declined off campus?
Bud: Yes—where swing peaked in the ’90s, venues declined partly because swing dancers don’t drink, so bars aren’t keen to host us. Mama Kin’s stopped swing nights for that reason.

7. Cultural & Historical Terminology
Megan: What’s the difference between “Jitterbug” and “Lindy Hop”?
Bud: They’re essentially the same. Historically, “Lindy Hop” was the Black‑origin term; white communities called it “Jitterbug.”
Megan: And “boogie‑woogie”?
Bud: A related style, less commonly understood.

8. Roots & Cross‑Cultural Influences
Megan: How did tap and swing emerge?
Bud: Irish step dancing influenced early tap through shared poverty contexts. African banjo rhythms and call‑and‑response shaped jazz, which led to swing.

9. Music & Future of Swing
Megan: Is there enough new swing music today?
Bud: No—Brian Setzer, Squirrel Nut Zippers, Big Bad Voodoo Daddy brought fresh tunes in the ’90s. Now, Postmodern Jukebox does modern covers, but original swing songs are scarce.
Megan: Do you think swing will resurge?
Bud: Possibly when people feel comfortable with close contact again. American individualism and personal‑space norms slow that, unlike Latin dances which thrive on closeness.

1. Years Active in the Swing Community
Megan: What years were you active in swing dancing on campus?
Ian: I first took swing in Fall 2022—my junior year. From Fall ’22 through the end of that academic year, I was pretty consistent: weekly swing events. By the last semester of senior year, I started taking occasional breaks for life stuff (including a breakup). All told, it’s been roughly two years of regular participation.

2. Consistency & Recent Breaks
Megan: You mentioned breaks—how often are you dancing now?
Ian: Lately I’ve been taking more breaks—life got busy. But I’m trying to get back into the group as much as possible.

3. Pandemic’s Impact & Community Recovery
Megan: How has the swing community changed since you started?
Ian: When I began in 2022–23, social dancing was just coming back from COVID lockdowns—attendance was low. Now, COVID’s largely over, and we’ve seen a rebound. West Coast Swing (WCS) in particular has exploded: there are at least three weekly WCS socials in the South Bay, so you can get your swing fix almost any night. Lindy Hop’s recovered too, but WCS is definitely the hotter scene right now.

4. Evolving Pedagogy
Megan: Have teaching methods shifted?
Ian: Absolutely. Back in Fall ’22, Wednesday Night Hop had a single “Beginners + Concepts” class plus one elective. Now they’ve split into full levels—Beginner, Fundamentals, Intermediate, and even Audition tracks. The structure is much more formalized, and there’s real effort among instructors to expand Lindy Hop pedagogy.

5. Race & Gender Context in the Bay Area
Megan: What changes have you seen around race and gender?
Ian: The Bay Area Lindy community is very socially conscious. For example, at Camp Hollywood there was a two‑day workshop led by a queer instructor who avoided “leader/follower” labels—he used “rocking on left foot” vs. “rocking on right foot” to neutralize gender roles in the dance. It was revolutionary for our scene.