re Snuffy's and Azizi's posts :
I thought I remembered seeing a video clip of a Line Dance from the 50s/60s called "The Madison", so I went net-searching :

Jitterbug Stroll : The Jitterbug Stroll is a line dance based on early jazz steps tracing back to the swing era. It was created specifically for Lindy Hoppers and was choreographed by the extraordinary dancer Ryan Francois who is credited with the choreography in "Swing Kids", and "Malcolm X". It is danced to a Blues Format (6 bars per phrase). Woodchoppers Ball was the tune chosen by Ryan himself for this dance.

Madison Time : The Madison is an amusing line dance that originated in the late 1950's. According to Lance Benishek (dance historian), "The Madison probably started in Chicago, although it may have been Detroit or Cleveland. The Baltimore Colts learned it in Cleveland and brought it to Baltimore in 1959". It is danced to the Ray Bryant tune, The Madison Time, with calls for the particular dance sequences provided by Eddie Morrison. Eddie was a Baltimore disc jockey who started calling the steps live on the air. Based on a six count chorus step, The Madison contains several dance sequences which make playful references to the big stars of that time period. The Dance resurfaced in 1988 in the John waters film "Hairspray". According to Ryan Francois, there is also a Madison partner dance that is still danced today in England.

The Shim Sham : is a line dance based on early jazz/tap dance steps. Lindy Hoppers have taken this original Tap Routine and made it there own. The dance is divided into 10 musical phrases with specific steps such as; the Shim Sham, the Cross Over, the Tacky Annie, and the Half-Break. These steps are repeated and then followed by Boogie Backs, Boogie Forwards, and Shorty George steps, after which you grab the nearest person and dance until the song is finished. The version we teach is heavily influenced by Frankie Manning.

The Trunky Doo : is another line dance which dates back to the early Thirties, however this one was created by the Lindy Hoppers themselves. It has a more challenging and complex set of patterns. The version we teach has been more recently rearranged and tends to be the popular version throughout the swing circuit.

found at : www.savoycentral.org/classoverview.html


Cheers! R-J