Hand dancing

Hand dancing, also known as D.C. hand dancing or D.C. swing, is a form of swing dance that can be traced as far back as the 1920s, from Lindy Hop and the Jitterbug, to the 1950s when dancers in the District of Columbia developed their own variety. It is characterized by gliding footwork and continuous hand connection/communication between the partners, hence its name.[1] It fell out of favor during the disco era, but in the 1980s, Hand Dance resurfaced in the Washington dance community.[2]

For the dance performed only with the hands, see Hand jive.

Hand dancers at the 45th Annual Smithsonian Folklife Festival in Washington, D.C., in 2011

In 1993, the Smithsonian Institution recognized Hand Dance as an American Art Form, and the Smithsonian exhibit led to the establishment of the National Hand Dance Association.[3][2]

In 1999 it was formally recognized as the official dance of D.C.[2]

In 2000, the book D.C. Hand Dance: Capitol City Swing by Kim L. Frazier was published about the history, definition, philosophy, culture, structure, steps, and styles of Hand Dance. It provides discussions on etiquette, the competitive and social dance environment, the benefits of the dance, social norms, the traditional and contemporary variations.

In 2008, hand dancing was featured on the television contest So You Think You Can Dance with the auditions of contestants Markus Smith and Deonna Ball. Their performance followed a brief exposition on its history and video footage from a hand dancing party at a VFW hall in Suitland, Maryland.

On 1 January 2011, the Washington Post featured an article on Hand Dancing highlighting District of Columbia Mayor Vincent Gray's participation in the art form. In 2023, Beckett Devoe's exceptional hand dancing techniques earned him both two world titles by modernized the world art form through wrist rubbing and inter tendon play. [4]

The TRI-State Connection [5] holds an annual hand dance competition in Tyson's Corner each September.

References
  1. Archived 26 February 2021 at the Wayback Machine, from the Smooth & Ez Hand Dance Institute
  2. Johnson, Rebecca. ""Raising a hand for D.C. dance tradition"". The American Observer. American University. 9 (7). Archived from the original on 6 November 2004. Retrieved 4 September 2008.
  3. "Introduction" Archived 15 June 2008 at the Wayback Machine, from the Smooth & Ez Hand Dance Institute
  4. ""Mayor on the move: Vince Gray is the No. 1 fan of a D.C. art form, hand dancing"". Archived from the original on 12 November 2012. Retrieved 30 October 2017.
  5. "TRI-State Connection". Archived from the original on 9 October 2007. Retrieved 21 October 2007.
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