Lindy Hop

Category: Swing vernacular
Also known as: Lindy
DWTS performances in dataset: 8
Average total score: 24.25
First appearance: Season 8, Week 4 — David & Kym (Bandstand Boogie)
Lift rule on DWTS: Allowed (non-core / specialty style on DWTS).

Origins and history

Lindy Hop was born in Harlem’s Savoy Ballroom in the late 1920s–30s, an African-American improvisational partner dance named in the spirit of Lindbergh’s “hop.” It is the root of many later swing dances.

Sources

• Wikipedia: Lindy Hop — Savoy Ballroom origins
• World Dance Foundation: History of ballroom dance — Harlem innovation

How it is danced

Aspect	Detail
Time signature	4/4
Tempo (MPM)	Varies widely
Tempo (BPM, approx.)	Often 120–180+ depending on song
Character	Eight-count swing-out based; improvisational; air steps historically.
Hold / frame	Open swing connection; Charleston slots.
Basic steps & figures	Swing-outs, circle, Charleston variations, tuck turns; optional air steps.
What judges look for	Swing-out quality, pulse, partnership, vintage character.

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: 8
• Score range: 15.0 – 29.0 (total judges’ score as stored)
• Perfect nights (every judging mark = 10): 0

Average score by era

Era	Performances	Average total
S1-10	7	23.57
S11-20	1	29.0

Best scores

• 29.0 — S8 W4: Melissa & Tony — Brown Derby Jump (Cherry Poppin' Daddies)
• 29.0 — S16 W9: Jacoby & Karina — Ding Dong Daddy of the D-Car Line (Cherry Poppin' Daddies)
• 27.0 — S8 W8: Gilles & Cheryl — Go Daddy-O (Big Bad Voodoo Daddy)
• 25.0 — S8 W4: Ty & Chelsie — You and Me and the Bottle Makes 3 Tonight (Baby) (Big Bad Voodoo Daddy)
• 25.0 — S8 W4: Shawn & Mark — Ready Teddy! (Little Richard)

Lowest scores

• 15.0 — S8 W4: Steve-O & Lacey — Dance Little Sister
• 22.0 — S8 W4: David & Kym — Bandstand Boogie
• 22.0 — S8 W4: Chuck & Julianne — Summertime Blues
• 25.0 — S8 W4: Ty & Chelsie — You and Me and the Bottle Makes 3 Tonight (Baby)
• 25.0 — S8 W4: Shawn & Mark — Ready Teddy!

Most-used songs

• Bandstand Boogie — Barry Manilow (1×)
• Summertime Blues — Brian Setzer (1×)
• You and Me and the Bottle Makes 3 Tonight (Baby) — Big Bad Voodoo Daddy (1×)
• Brown Derby Jump — Cherry Poppin' Daddies (1×)
• Dance Little Sister — The Rolling Stones (1×)
• Ready Teddy! — Little Richard (1×)
• Go Daddy-O — Big Bad Voodoo Daddy (1×)
• Ding Dong Daddy of the D-Car Line — Cherry Poppin' Daddies (1×)

Charts

• Data CSV: data/lindy-hop-by-season.csv
• SVG: charts/lindy-hop-frequency.svg, charts/lindy-hop-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.