Vintage Swing meets Contemporary Dance Theatre

The Afroamerican vintage dance styles such as Lindy Hop, Blues and Charleston are not acknowledged as art. The amateur dance play LUCKY LINDYs HOP aims to prove them wrong: 30 Lindy Hoppers perform the explosive story of young Charles Lindbergh.

Due to the Corona pandemic, the project turned out quite differently than planned: No couple dance. No stage. No touch. Instead, masks, scarves, umbrellas, great group cohesion and a film as a result.

Get ready for LUCKY LINDYs HOP, home cinema version!
Dates: 02/21/2020, 03/13/2020 and 03/19/2020 at 8:00 p.m. each time

Charles Lindbergh was the first person to dare a direct flight from New York to Paris alone – and to survive. In 1927, he made history as “Lucky Lindy”, an eccentric young man who was unaware that his life would change forever after landing. This pioneering act and his following, very controversial life story could fill an entire streaming series full of love, lies and deception, kidnapping, murder, secrets and political incorrectness.

Or they could inspire a dance play.

The Afro-American styles combined in Authentic Jazz are improvisational dances. They developed in contexts of slavery and colonialisation and became a symbol for freedom, tolerance and equal rights worldwide. The legend says that the “Lindy Hop” was named after Lindbergh. Now, in the revival of Lindy Hop and other Authentic Jazz styles, it is still closely associated with Charles Lindbergh. That this is actually an unexpected connection, should not be forgotten: Lindberghs further biography represents quite opposite positions to the open-minded values of Authentic Jazz.

Beyond Borders administrates the project in cooperation with Swing Time Hamburg, a school for Authentic Jazz. Besides that, Beyond Borders contributes to the project by informing about the background of both Authentic Jazz and Charles Lindbergh. Framing the performance on May 3rd, controversies shall be discovered that refer to overcoming borders in many more ways to “Lucky Lindy’s” Atlantic crossing.

LUCKY LINDYs HOP combines the basic techniques of Authentic Jazz with contemporary choreography to create a dance theatre performance about Charles Lindbergh’s Atlantic crossing, accompanied live by swing musicians.

The dance piece is classically divided into three acts, symbolizing take-off, flight and landing. They represent Lindbergh’s emotional development within the dangerous 33 hours and 30 minutes that his adventure lasted.

Four young choreographers (with an artistic focus) present their work with 30 dancers from Hamburg’s swing dance scene. Together, choreographers and dancers will break open the vintage dance techniques, to show their artistic value in view of today’s understanding of dance.

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