The Dance Floor Guide

Solo Jazz: Swing Dancing Without a Partner

By Lindy Hopper, Editor

No partner? No problem. Solo jazz – also called authentic or vernacular jazz – is the steps, rhythms and attitude of swing-era dancing, done on your own and to your own taste.

What is solo jazz?

Solo jazz is the swing scene's name for the vernacular jazz dances of the 1920s to 1940s, danced by yourself to jazz music. You'll also hear it called authentic jazz, vernacular jazz or simply "jazz steps". It isn't the theatrical jazz dance you might see in a West End musical: it's rhythmic, improvised social dancing, rooted in African-American dance traditions and full of steps with wonderful names – Boogie Back, Shorty George, Suzie Q, Fall Off the Log, Tacky Annie, Apple Jacks.

Solo jazz is a style in its own right and the toolbox that partnered swing dancers raid for footwork and playfulness. Learn it and your Lindy Hop gets better; learn it on its own and you have a dance you can do any time the music plays.

Where it came from

Vernacular jazz dance grew from African-American social dances, many of them with roots in West African movement – the low, grounded posture, the call-and-response with musicians, the emphasis on rhythm and individual style. In the clubs, ballrooms and stages of the 1920s and 1930s, especially in Harlem, these steps were swapped, stolen, polished and passed on. Many later found their way into Lindy Hop.

Several names keep this history alive. George "Shorty" Snowden, the leading dancer at Harlem's Savoy Ballroom when it opened in the 1920s, gave his name to the Shorty George step. Al Minns and Leon James, who danced with Whitey's Lindy Hoppers in the 1930s and appeared in the Marx Brothers film A Day at the Races, went on to perform and demonstrate Savoy jazz dances on American television in the 1950s and 1960s. They spent much of their lives teaching these steps to new generations, which helped preserve them. A classic routine still taught today bears their names.

Much of what we know was also gathered by the jazz scholar Marshall Stearns, founder of the Institute of Jazz Studies, and his wife Jean Stearns, whose book Jazz Dance: The Story of American Vernacular Dance was published in 1968. It remains a key reference.

And then there's the Shim Sham. Created by the dancers Leonard Reed and Willie Bryant in the late 1920s, while touring with the Whitman Sisters, it began as a tap routine and became known as tap's "national anthem". In the mid-1980s Frankie Manning – the celebrated Savoy Lindy Hopper whose rediscovery in 1986 helped fuel the swing revival – taught a version for swing dancers. Today it's danced as a line dance at swing socials all over the world, including across the UK, often with a band or DJ calling "Freeze!" partway through.

How it feels and looks

Solo jazz is grounded, rhythmic and expressive. Knees are soft, the body has a gentle bounce, and your weight sits slightly forward. Steps usually fit into eight-count phrases, and dancers string them together, vary them and play with the timing.

It can be smooth and cool, sharp and punchy or completely daft. The style rewards personality. Watch a room of solo jazz dancers and no two will look the same, even doing the same step.

Classes generally teach two things:

Steps – the vocabulary, such as Boogie Back, Boogie Forward, Shorty George, Suzie Q, Pecks, Scarecrow, Fishtail and Charleston variations.
Routines – set choreographies from the swing era or the revival, such as the Shim Sham, the Al and Leon Shim Sham, the Big Apple, the Tranky Doo and the Jitterbug Stroll. Knowing a couple lets you join in at socials.

Music and tempo

Solo jazz works across a huge range: slow, swaggering blues at 100 BPM, cheerful medium swing at 140–180, and hot, bubbling tunes beyond 250. Classic choices include Count Basie, Jimmie Lunceford, Duke Ellington and the many revival bands playing in that tradition. The Shim Sham is usually danced to "T'ain't What You Do (It's the Way That You Do It)" or a similar medium-tempo tune.

The heart of solo jazz is listening. Good dancers respond to breaks, accents and solos, which makes it a fantastic way to train your ear. Our music and tempo guide is a helpful companion.

How it relates to Lindy Hop

Lindy Hop absorbed a great deal of jazz vocabulary, and the influence runs both ways. Partnered dancers use solo jazz steps during breakaways, side-by-side passages and moments of musical play. Many teachers believe a regular jazz class is the fastest way to improve your Lindy Hop: you learn rhythm, body control and confidence without having to think about a partner. Our guide to the Charleston covers one of the most important families of jazz steps, and our levels guide shows how solo skills fit into progression.

What a first class is like

A beginner solo jazz class often feels like a mix of dance lesson and fitness session. You'll warm up, practise bouncing in time, learn three or four steps and then combine them into a short sequence. Teachers often finish by running the routine to music – a great feeling the first time it clicks.

There's no partner rotation, so it's ideal if you're shy about touch, if you have an uneven number of friends, or if you just want to focus on yourself. Mirrors help, but many classes happen in village halls without them; don't worry.

Expect to feel uncoordinated for a week or two – everyone does.
Keep moving even if you lose the step; rhythm matters more than accuracy.
Film yourself occasionally. It's a little painful and very useful.

See our first class guide for general advice.

What to wear

Comfortable, flexible clothes that let you bend your knees and move your hips. Trousers that aren't too tight are popular; skirts are fine if they move freely. Shoes with smooth soles are best for pivots and slides – leather, suede or worn-in trainers on a wooden floor. Avoid grippy rubber soles, which strain the knees on turning steps. Our what to wear guide has more ideas.

Find a solo jazz class

Many UK swing schools offer solo jazz alongside Lindy Hop, and festivals usually include jazz tracks or taster sessions. Search for classes near you, browse our class listings or check what's on for workshops. If you'd like to try partner dancing too, look for a beginners' course. Compare all the swing family on our styles page.

Try it on the floor: How to Do the Swingout · How to Do the Lindy Circle · How to Do a Tuck Turn · The Charleston: Kicks, Swivels and a Very Big Grin

Ready to try it? Find a beginners' class or browse Lindy Hop classes across the UK.

Sources

Last reviewed 2026-10-23.