Rock'n'roll Boogie Woogie Lindy Hop Bugg
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KEEP ON SHAKIN‘ ROCK’N’ROLL BOOGIE WOOGIE LINDY HOP BUGG BOOGIE WOOGIE The World Rock’n’Roll Confederation The World Rock‘n‘Roll Confederation (WRRC) is the international umbrella organization of the national Rock‘n‘Roll dance sport federations. The WRRC supports and promotes the Rock‘n‘Roll, Boogie Woogie, Lindy Hop and Bugg dance styles. In 1974, the first modern Rock‘n‘Roll dance competitions in The highest awards that can be won in the various disci- Europe were organized by a group of four countries - France, plines are World Champion, European Champion and World Germany, Italy and Switzerland. After a number of large Masters Champion. championship events, and many years of negotiations and collaborations, the World Rock‘n‘Roll Confederation finally A standard assessment system is used under which the cou- came into being in 1984. The agreement on the formation of ples receive points for choreography, dance performance, foot the new umbrella organization was signed on 3 November technique and acrobatics. To make the competition more excit- 1983 in Zurich. ing for both participants and audiences, couples at the World Masters dance against each other in a knock-out system. The Rock‘n‘Roll dance sport has grown enormously since the WRRC was founded. More than 32 nations now belong Around 30 competitions are organized each year under the to the organization. aegis of the WRRC. Over 4,000 dancers annually apply for a tournament license, and they are assessed in the individual Since 1994, the WRRC has been an associate member of the disciplines by around 100 judges. International Dance Sport Federation (IDSF), which, in turn, became a member of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in 1997. Every year, the WRRC awards and supervises European and World Championships, World Masters and World Cup tourna- ments to be organized in line with the WRRC‘s guidelines. Member of the International Dance Sport Federation international DanceSport federation ROCK‘N‘ROLL The development of Rock‘n‘Roll music in the 1950s and early 1960s saw the parallel development of compatible dance styles. Swing, which emerged around 1920, evolved early on to produce Lindy Hop, the first partner dance to include acrobatic elements. Around 1940, Lindy Hop developed into Boogie Woogie, based on much faster music. With the emergence of Rock‘n‘Roll music around 1955, the rebellious youth of the era turned Boogie Woogie into Rock‘n‘Roll dance. Rock’n’Roll Boogie Woogie Rock‘n‘Roll is pure movement, a cheerful, fast-moving dance The Boogie Woogie is characterized by fast footwork and that provides a real show for spectators. Rock‘n‘Roll is charac- lack of choreography. It is a “led” dance requiring harmony terized by the jumped basic step and acrobatic figures. It is between the couples, and is danced to the hot rhythms of the marked by high-precision movements carried out at great 1940s and 1950s. To a certain extent, Boogie Woogie can be speed, and by the fluid combination of dance and spectacular seen as the European equivalent of the American dance style acrobatics. Rock‘n‘Roll has developed into a sport that, apart of the early 1950s. from the name, has little left in common with the wild dance and flair of the 1950s. As a competition dance, Boogie Woogie mainly differs from Rock‘n‘Roll in that it has no practiced choreography. A further difference lies in the foot technique and the accent The WRRC recognizes the following dance categories: on the offbeat. A characteristic of Boogie Woogie music, this accent on the offbeat is transferred to the dance step. In Youth For children of 14 years or younger. Rock‘n‘Roll, on the other hand, the accent is on the first and Juniors For teenagers up to 17 years old. third beats in four-four time. Cat. B For adults. Most acrobatic figures involve the couples remaining in contact. One round of foot technique and one of acrobatics. The WRRC recognizes the following dance categories: Main Class For the best and most active dancers. The highest category in Rock‘n‘Roll. One round of foot Boogie Woogie Juniors For young people of 17 years or technique and one of acrobatics. younger. Girl Formation Junior For formations of children and Boogie Woogie Main Class For the best dancers. In the final, teenagers (synchronized dance). the couples have to dance both a slow and a fast round. Girl Formation Main Class For female formations Boogie Woogie Seniors (Oldies) For couples where one partner (synchronized dance). is 35 years old or more and other is 40 years old or more. Junior Formation For up to 6 couples of children and teenagers. Boogie Woogie Formations For formations of up to 6 couples Main Class Acrobatic Formation For formations of up to 6 couples. dancing to Boogie music as a team (choreographed). ROCK ’N’ ROLL BOOGIE WOOGIE BOOGIE WOOGIE LINDY HOP BUGG Lindy Hop Bugg Lindy Hop emerged at the end of the 1920s in the large New Bugg emerged in Sweden in the 1960s. It has its roots in Lindy York ballrooms where people were dancing to the Swing music Hop, which took Sweden by storm in the 1940s. What clearly of the big bands. The Savoy Ballroom in Harlem played a major differentiates Bugg from Lindy Hop, Boogie Woogie or role in the development of the dance. The Savoy, open to all Rock’n‘Roll is that it is a four-step dance (instead of six or eight), regardless of class or color, was a real melting pot, and Lindy and is performed to popular, live dance music. Hop became one of its special attractions. Just like the Lindy Hop and Boogie Woogie, Bugg is a dance for Dancing mainly takes place in couples, and the main features of couples and has many turning and spinning elements. Interpreta- Lindy Hop are the delight in harmony, the exchange of move- tion of the music plays an important role. Unlike the other WRRC ment ideas during the dance, and interpretation of the music. dances, no acrobatic moves or jumping is allowed. Today, the dance is becoming increasingly popular across the entire world, with the dancers continuously swapping ideas to Improvisation is called for instead of a practiced choreography. develop it still further in various different directions. Bugg has become an extremely popular dance in Sweden, with competitions taking place as social events practically every week. The WRRC recognizes the following categories: The WRRC recognizes the following categories: Juniors Seniors Juniors Main Class Main Class (Slow Round/Solo Round) Oldies Bugg Formations Double Bugg Double Bugg is a formation or team dance for three people. Such a trio is normally made up of one man and two women. The man leads both ladies simultaneously in an exciting im- provised or choreographed show program. The basic step is danced according to Bugg, Boogie Woogie, Lindy, Hop Jitter- bug, Jive and Rock’n’Roll styles. Categories: Juniors Main Class [email protected] WWW.WRRC.ORG.