Jitterbug

Category: Swing vernacular / show label
DWTS performances in dataset: 14
Average total score: 27.0
First appearance: Season 7, Week 5 — Brooke & Derek (Don't Be Cruel)
Lift rule on DWTS: Allowed (non-core / specialty style on DWTS).

Origins and history

“Jitterbug” was a popular mid-century term for energetic swing dancing related to Lindy Hop and jive. On DWTS it appears as a specialty label rather than a separate WDSF syllabus dance.

Sources

• Wikipedia: Jitterbug — Popular name for swing dancing

How it is danced

Aspect	Detail
Time signature	4/4
Tempo (MPM)	Varies
Tempo (BPM, approx.)	Often up-tempo swing
Character	Wild, energetic swing cousin; on TV often a high-energy kick-oriented number.
Hold / frame	Swing holds; breakaways.
Basic steps & figures	Swing basics with kicks; theatrical variations on DWTS.
What judges look for	Energy, swing pulse, entertainment.

Competition tempi cite WDSF Competition Rules E.3.2 and related DanceSport charts where applicable; theatrical styles are song-driven.

History on Dancing with the Stars

Statistics below are computed from the Data with the Stars SQLite performance and score tables (not invented).

• Times danced: 14
• Score range: 20.0 – 37.0 (total judges’ score as stored)
• Perfect nights (every judging mark = 10): 0

Average score by era

Era	Performances	Average total
S1-10	11	25.55
S11-20	2	30.5
S21-30	1	36.0

Best scores

• 37.0 — S15 W4: Melissa & Tony — This Cat's on a Hot Tin Roof (Brian Setzer Orchestra)
• 36.0 — S23 W7: James & Sharna — In the Mood (Glenn Miller)
• 29.0 — S7 W5: Brooke & Derek — Don't Be Cruel (Elvis Presley)
• 29.0 — S7 W9: Lance & Lacey — Jim Dandy (Black Oak Arkansas)
• 28.0 — S7 W5: Cody & Julianne — Big Time Operator (Big Bad Voodoo Daddy)

Lowest scores

• 20.0 — S9 W6: Kelly & Louis — Bread and Butter
• 21.0 — S9 W6: Louie & Chelsie — Baby Likes to Rock It
• 24.0 — S9 W6: Mýa & Dmitry — C'mon Everybody
• 24.0 — S9 W6: Donny & Kym — Choo Choo Ch'Boogie
• 24.0 — S19 W5: Jonathan & Peta — Rock This Town

Most-used songs

• Jim Dandy — Black Oak Arkansas (2×)
• Don't Be Cruel — Elvis Presley (1×)
• Big Time Operator — Big Bad Voodoo Daddy (1×)
• That Old Black Magic — Sammy Davis Jr. (1×)
• C'mon Everybody — Eddie Cochran (1×)
• This Cat's On a Hot Tin Roof — Brian Setzer Orchestra (1×)
• Bread and Butter — The Newbeats (1×)
• Baby Likes to Rock It — The Tractors (1×)

Charts

• Data CSV: data/jitterbug-by-season.csv
• SVG: charts/jitterbug-frequency.svg, charts/jitterbug-score-trend.svg

Watch top performances

• No linked YouTube clips in the dataset for this style yet.

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Educational fan reference. Dance histories paraphrased from cited sources; DWTS stats from project data. Not affiliated with BBC Studios or Disney.