Lindy Exchange
A Lindy Exchange is a meeting of Lindy-Hop and other swing dancers over several days . In contrast to a workshop or a camp, there are usually no courses. Instead, sightseeing is an essential part of a Lindy Exchange, because the aim of the participants is to make friends with each other and to dance a lot, to get to know the dance style of another scene, but also the foreign city.
description
A Lindy Exchange typically lasts a weekend, starting with a party on Friday (sometimes with a pre-party on Thursday and an after-party on Monday) and has between 50 and 500, often international, participants. For these, it usually contains a sightseeing program, often with a focus on topics such as Art Deco or the Roaring Twenties , but usually no workshops (except for taster courses on special topics).
The evening events with live music for swing dancing are essential, usually at least one evening with a big band . One evening there is often a "Late Night Blues Party" that lasts until the early hours of the morning.
The guests are housed privately with local dancers, similar to couch surfing . Since there are no workshops and the overnight stay is private, a Lindy Exchange is usually comparatively inexpensive apart from the travel costs.
Since the Lindy Hop scene is not very big, you usually see many participants at an exchange - at another exchange, at a workshop, or you visit each other privately.
It is important for a Lindy Exchange to organize the accommodation of the guests. “Hosts”, dancers resident in the city, are always in short supply. Some “hosts” cannot offer their guests much more than a bed (and for participants who arrive by car sometimes only space for a mattress and a sleeping bag). Others take part in the exchange themselves, have breakfast with their guests and accompany them on the sightseeing tours and to the evening events.
Lindy Exchanges in Germany
Since 2004 there has been an annual "Munich Lindy Exchange" in Munich . It always takes place on the first Oktoberfest weekend, and as part of the sightseeing program, of course, a visit to the Oktoberfest and a taster course in Bavarian folk dances such as the Schuhplattler are included .
In 2009 the first "Hamburg Lindy Exchange" took place in Hamburg . Since then it has been held on the last weekend in August. The program includes a tour on the topic of swing youth and dancing on and around the Elbe and Alster .
Lindy Exchanges worldwide
The first Lindy Exchange took place in San Francisco in 1998 , with participants from Chicago . The aim of the event was to get to know the dance style of the other city better. There is now at least one Lindy Exchange in almost every state in the United States . The format of a two-city meeting quickly became an open invitation to dancers from all over the world to visit the inviting city.
In Europe, the “London Lindy Exchange” (“brithop”, in April) and the “Amsterdam Lindy Exchange” (ALX, beginning of June) are established.
There are now Lindy Exchanges all over the world, for example in Beijing ( China , “Great Wall Swingout”), Vietnam and Bali ( Indonesia ).
literature
Lindy Exchanges. Swing and the City Munich, accessed on March 31, 2010 .