logo
episode-header-image
Mar 2022
42m 58s

The dance that made its way from Harlem ...

NPR
About this episode
Lindy Hop is a dance that was born in Harlem in the 1920s and 1930s — created and performed by African Americans in segregated clubs and dance halls. But today, one of the world's most vibrant Lindy Hop communities is in Sweden. So what happens when a Black American wants to learn the art form that she first encountered at the hands of her great-grandmother?

Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices

NPR Privacy Policy
Up next
Yesterday
From gr*pists to nip nops, how self-censorship shapes the language of TikTok
Have you noticed people using terms like "unalive" and "pew pews" on social media? There's a reason for that: some people are changing the way they speak on TikTok and other social media platforms to bypass what they think are algorithm blocks. For some users, it's a fun game — b ... Show More
33m 58s
Jul 2
The lighter side of immigration: A day at the park in Queens
This week on Code Switch, we're doing a different kind of immigration coverage. We're telling a New York story: one that celebrates the beautiful, everyday life of the immigrant. Code Switch producer, Xavier Lopez and NPR immigration reporter, Jasmine Garsd spend a day at Flushin ... Show More
38m 18s
Jun 25
Dispatches from the living memory of trans people of color
Trans people are major targets of the second Trump administration. But in a way, that's nothing new; trans people have been fighting for their rights, dignity, and liberation for generations. So on this episode, we hear from trans elders about what their lives have looked like ov ... Show More
39 m
Recommended Episodes
Dec 2021
May We Have This Dance?
A jazz dance born in Harlem in the 1920s ends up in a tiny Swedish town. What happens when Black dancers try to bring the Lindy Hop home? Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy 
43m 47s
Feb 2024
Dance Yourself Free (Throwback)
Beyonce's Renaissance brought house music back to mainstream audiences. But even when it wasn't gracing the Grammys, house never went away. Born from the ashes of disco in the late 1970s and '80s, house was by and for the Black, queer youth DJing and dancing in Chicago's undergro ... Show More
50m 1s
Sep 2019
Andile Vellem: Hearing through movement
Music and dance are so tied together, it might be hard to imagine how a profoundly deaf dancer can become an international star in the contemporary dance world - but South African Andile Vellem has done it. Vellem lost his hearing at the age of five, but that hasn’t stopped him f ... Show More
32 m
Nov 2023
The Harlem Globetrotters: American Treasures
The Harlem Globetrotters are an American entertainment institution. Their story may not be quite what you think either. Hint, they didn't originate in Harlem. Tune in now to learn their fun, fascinating story. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. 
53m 56s
Mar 2023
Dance Yourself Free
Ever since Beyonce's Renaissance dropped last summer, house music has found its way back to mainstream audiences, prompting some to ask "Is house back?" But the truth is, it never went away. Born out of the ashes of disco in the underground clubs of Chicago by Black queer youth i ... Show More
50m 18s
Jul 2023
Episode 2: Danceteria - New York, US
Danceteria wasn’t just a nightclub. It was an artistic incubator at the heart of New York’s early 80s cultural renaissance. It became a space for musicians, artists, and activists to seek inspiration.  It was the club where Madonna performed on stage for the first time and Keith ... Show More
45m 36s
Feb 2023
America’s first Black prima ballerina: Bernice Harrison
When you think of Black ballerinas, names like Misty Copeland or Janet Collins may come to mind. But did you know that a classical ballet dancer from L.A. named Bernice Harrison predated both of them?Today, the lesser-known story of Harrison’s rise to become the first Black prima ... Show More
31m 16s
Sep 2022
Germaine Acogny, le sacre de la danse africaine
Germaine Acogny a porté la danse contemporaine africaine à son sommet. Accompagnée de danseurs formés dans sa célèbre école des Sables et de la danseuse Malou Airaudo, elle présente à La Villette à Paris jusqu'au 30 septembre 2022 un spectacle imaginé en deux parties : « Common G ... Show More
48m 30s
Sep 2021
The Black history of twerking -- and how it taught me self-love | Lizzo
Twerking is mainstream now ... but do you know where it came from? Superstar Lizzo traces booty shaking to a traditional West African dance and tells how Black women across generations kept the rhythm alive, from blues and jazz singers to modern rap and hip-hop performers. With h ... Show More
12m 25s