r/SwingDancing • u/Ok_Cut_9668 • 14d ago

Feedback Needed Is balboa a black dance?

We have plenty of evidence for Lindy Hop, but not so much for balboa. There’s the beach clip and a bunch of videos from Bobby McGee, all featuring white dancers. Do we have evidence for if balboa was first danced/created by African Americans?

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u/swingindenver Underground Jitterbug Champion 13d ago

Yes. Some things to consider - African-American dances are fertile with high transmission rates - Dr. Thomas DeFrantz (sp?) in a CVFC talk. 

Many dancers in the Bobby McGee clips and others weren't coded white; many were ethnic minorities.

https://youtu.be/a9aFR3TT0KQ?si=exo3XequF5Yms9p-

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u/Liqourice_stick 7d ago

I think the response to your post demonstrates my particular frustrations with the American Swing Dance culture.

Thank you for sharing— I don’t think anyone who studies the arts, particularly American jazz, would be surprised by this expository statement.