Whether at your child’s school or as an event hosted in your community, going to dance competitions is a lot of fun. These include every genre imaginable from jazz to hip-hop to country and everything in between. But in recent years, there’s been somewhat of a shift with dance performances focusing on past styles.
One of these is the Lindy Hop. Considering that jazz music was at its finest during that era, people who loved to dance needed a style that complimented it. So, this particular style of dance was developed in Harlem, New York in 1928. But even throughout the 1930s and 1940s when swing was at its peak, the Lindy Hop remained popular.
Lindy Hop dance-off
At an event hosted by “International Lindy Hop Championships” in 2019, the audience had the chance to see some of the best dancers of this style in action. Even the younger generation that didn’t know anything about this genre, enjoyed a fun performance.
One pair stood out among the rest
Although all the dancers competing did a fantastic job, people couldn’t stop talking about one specific pair. Nils Andren and his partner, Bianca Locatelli, were about to give attendees a performance as they’d never seen before. Remember, Lindy Hop is a fast and energetic dance style so it requires a lot of stamina and athleticism.
Wow…wasn’t expecting that
In a video shared online, you first see the dancers standing on opposite sides of the stage. But as soon as the music starts, they race toward one another. Then, Nils grabs Bianca, swinging her around without missing a step. If this is any indication of what’s to come, the audience better hold onto their seats.
Hanging on for dear life
Not really. With a big smile on her face, Bianca keeps her arms wrapped tightly around Nils’ waist as he continues to swing her around. Now back on her feet, her partner twirls her around…again and again and again. The fact that she lands firmly each time just goes to show her level of talent.
I don’t know how they do it
Non-stop dancing, this pair is dynamite on stage. They then move into leg kicks, which are a big part of the Lindy Hop. Of course, this dance style wouldn’t be complete without Nils pulling Bianca through his legs. As with all their other moves, they do this one flawlessly.
What a big surprise
Typically, when you see dancers do the move mentioned above, the male ensures his partner lands safely on her feet. But not these two. Instead, as Nils pulls Bianca up, she stays on her feet with bended knees, moving around the stage in what you could refer to as a spider crawl. At that point, the audience goes crazy.
That wasn’t the only astonishing thing they did
Throughout the entire two-and-a-half-minute video, they pull off one incredible dance move after another. Along with a lot of fancy footwork, Nils swings Bianca over his head. In the dance world, they call these “tricks.” In my book, I call them perfection.
Between the flips, twirls, shimmies, and fancy footwork, it’s impossible to pick out a favorite part of their performance. At the end of the dance, rather than just complete their last move, Nils leads Bianca by her feet while she crawls on her hands toward the audience.
Whether you like to dance or just watch others perform, this is a video you don’t want to miss.
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Source: YouTube
