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The Lindy Hop     Whitey's Lindy Hoppers in Hellzapoppin   The Lindy Hop is the original swing dance that come out of Harlem, New York in the late 1920's and 1930's.  It can be seen in classic films like "Hellzapoppin" and  "A Day at The Races", and more recently in "Swing Kids" and "Malcom X."  It is characterized by it's high energy and fun loving nature.  After virtually disappearing in the 60's and 70's, The Lindy Hop experienced a rebirth in the 80's.  In  the post swing "revival" of the 90's the Lindy Hop continues to thrive today -- loved by those who love the dance and love the music from the original swing era. Socially danced Lindy Hop is where the heart of the dance lies.   The main focus of social dancing is the music, and the person you are dancing with.  In general, there are no set dance partners and people are free to dance with anyone else, regardless of skill, level, or ability.  Other facets of the subculture include competitions, dance camps, workshops, and performance dancing.   The social aspect greatly contributes to the success of these entities as it creates friendships from different scenes and works toward creating a global Lindy Hop community.  In competition and performances, you will see some incredible and exciting air steps, dips, and tricks.   Great performances can be inspirational, entertaining and exhilarating.  Air steps aside, great performance and competition dancing have strong roots in social dance.  The partnering is still there as is musicality and the spirit of the Lindy Hop.  For the sake of safety and etiquette you don't see performance air steps on the social dance floor.  Doing air steps on a crowded social dance floor is deemed wreckless, selfish, and not very smart.