Boogie-woogie dance is a European variation of

swing dance Swing dance is a group of social dances that developed with the swing style of jazz music in the 1920s–1940s, with the origins of each dance predating the popular " swing era". Hundreds of styles of swing dancing were developed; those that h ...

often done

competitively Competition is a rivalry where two or more parties strive for a common goal which cannot be shared: where one's gain is the other's loss (an example of which is a zero-sum game). Competition can arise between entities such as organisms, individ ...

that developed in the 1940s. Although its name derives from the

boogie-woogie Boogie-woogie is a genre of blues music that became popular during the late 1920s, but already developed in African-American communities since the 1870s.Paul, Elliot, ''That Crazy American Music'' (1957), Chapter 10, p. 229. It was eventually ex ...

genre of music, it is most often danced to

rock music Rock is a Music genre, genre of popular music that originated in the United States as "rock and roll" in the late 1940s and early 1950s, developing into a range of styles from the mid-1960s, primarily in the United States and the United Kingdo ...

. The form is cited in

Madonna Madonna Louise Ciccone ( ; born August 16, 1958) is an American singer, songwriter, record producer, and actress. Referred to as the "Queen of Pop", she has been recognized for her continual reinvention and versatility in music production, ...

's hit single "

Music Music is the arrangement of sound to create some combination of Musical form, form, harmony, melody, rhythm, or otherwise Musical expression, expressive content. Music is generally agreed to be a cultural universal that is present in all hum ...

Description

Boogie-woogie in competition is a led, partnered dance, not choreographed. It falls under the umbrella of swing dance, but is distinct from

Lindy Hop The Lindy Hop is an American dance which was born in the African-American communities of Harlem, New York City, in 1928 and has evolved since then. It was very popular during the swing era of the late 1930s and early 1940s. Lindy is a fusion of ...

. It follows a six-beat

dance pattern Dance moves or dance steps (more complex dance moves are called dance patterns, dance figures, dance movements, or dance variations) are usually isolated, defined, and organized so that beginning dancers can learn and use them independently of each ...

, usually cued as "step-step, triple step, triple step", each word taking one beat but the second syllable of "triple" delayed to match the music's syncopation. In some parts of Europe, boogie-woogie is mostly done as a

social dance Social dances are dances that have social functions and context. Social dances are intended for participation rather than Concert dance, performance. They are often danced merely to socialise and for entertainment, though they may have Ceremoni ...

, while, in others, it is mostly a competition form. The competitions are regulated by the

World Rock'n'Roll Confederation World Rock'n'Roll Confederation (WRRC) was registered in 1984, although its history traces to 1974. It is an umbrella organization for national professional and amateur Rock and Roll dancesport federations. Its statute that it "aims at promoting ...

.{{Cite web , title=WRRC - World Rock'N'Roll Confederation {{! , url=https://wrrc.dance/ , access-date=2023-10-18 , language=en-US The competition forms of boogie woogie consist of main and junior classes.

References

Swing dances Dancesport Competitive dance Articles containing video clips