Dancing in the City

In New York City, the swing dance scene is one of the few places where this kind of intimate connection between strangers is possible. Born a hundred years ago in Harlem’s Savoy Theater to Cab Calloway’s innovative “jitterbug” beat, swing dance remains popular in New York—and the community is growing. Lincoln Center's annual Midsummer Night Swing series was attended by 35,000 dancers in 2019; this summer, 54,000 participated.