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Swing Dance

How to Do the LOOK Hop

Rita Rio is back! This time she teaches you to dance the LOOK Hop. 
I dare you to try this at the next dance you go to!
Band Leader Rita Rio Introduces the LOOK Hop – Try It
From Look Magazine, September 27, 1938

They Face, one arm overhead, one arm out, forming “L”. For 8 counts continue basic step: Jump with toes in, knees together, slightly bent; jump on toes, feet apart, knees straight.

Continuing basic step, girl turns back to partner as feet are apart, and both form an “O” with arms, the man’s to the right, the girl’s to the left.

As Toes are turned in on basic step, man drops arm in circle over partner’s head. Girl’s arms form “O” in front. Continue, reversing arms from side to side 8 times.

Girl Continues with back to boy, both standing on right foot, left leg extended to side, knee straight, right arm over head, left arm extended diagonally from shoulder to form “K”. Hop on right foot in circle for 8 counts.

Picture Definitions of Swing Terms Pt. 3

From Look Magazine, September 27, 1938

 Irene Daye makes a lovely canary (girl vocalist) for Gene Krupa. Even tin ears (persons who dislike swing) like Irene, and of course rug cutters (swing dancers) do.

 Speaking of swing, here’s Jack Benny as a squeaker (violinist), Dick Powell at the plumbing (trumpet), Bing Crosby drumming, Tommy Dorsey, chief ridesman (ace musician) behind Bing, and Shirley Ross at the 88 (piano). Peeking over Bing’s hat is Ken Murray. These spooks (white musicians) put out real gut-bucket (lowdown music) without groanbox (accordian) or grunt horn (tuba).

 Hot Man (a musician who can swing it) Bunny Berigan can send (arouse the alligators) on an iron horn (trumpet), even if he closes his eyes when he hits a lick (a hot phrase in rhythm).

When you think of Eddie Duchin, you think of a moth box (piano), but Eddie here shows he’s at home on a woodpile (xylophone) too. He’s also an ace monkey hurdler (organist).

When you place a cat (swing musician) beside a doghouse (bass fiddle), anything might happen, even barrel-house (where every man swings for himself). However, Jimmy Dorsey’s ace drummer, Ray McKinley, sticks to his voodoo boilers (drums).

Picture Definitions of Swing Terms Pt. 2

From Look Magazine, September 27, 1938
Sliver-Sucker (clarinetist) Benny Goodman, and Skin-Beater (drummer) Gene Krupa get in the groove (hit their stride) at a jam session (musicians playing for their own amusement) after working hours. 

 Big Apple dancers will swing it anywhere, even if the music is nothing more than corn-on-the-cob (a harmonica) and a belly fiddle (guitar).

This is the Little Apple, a miniature version of the dance [above], and you don’t even have to leave home to do it if you have a platter (a record) made by hepcats (swing musicians). 

There’s nothing long-haired (symphonic) about it when Scat-Singer Leo Watson and Trumpeter Charlie Frankhouser swing it with Gene Krupa’s band. 

Bogie men (critics who say what they think) call Herb Haymer of Jimmy Dorsey’s band one of the world’s best on a gobble pipe (saxophone).

Picture Definitions of Swing Terms Pt. 1

From Look Magazine, September 27, 1938
Alligators (swing fans) like these girls can’t sit still when the swing (latest type of hot jazz music) band gets whacky (swings its wildest).
She savvies jive (understands the language of swing) and pleases the jitterbug (same as alligators). It’s Ina Ray Hutton – as if you didn’t know.
You never see dancing like this when paper men (musicians who play by note only) are reading the spots (notes) and schmaltzing it (playing sweet, sentimental music). These are shag dancers.
Paul Whiteman, the old man (leader), bends an ear as Jack Teagarden gets hot on the slush pump (trombone). Even ickies (persons who don’t understand swing) can appreciate such a push-pipe player.

Do You Know These Swing Terms?

How many do you know? Picture definitions in the following posts.
From Look Magazine, September 27, 1938
ALLIGATORS
BARREL-HOUSE
BELLY FIDDLE
BOGIE MAN
CANARY
CATS
CHIEF RIDEMAN
CORN-ON-THE-COB
DOG HOUSE
EIGHTY-EIGHT (88)
GOBBLE PIPE
GROAN BOX
GRUNT HORN
GUT-BUCKET
HEPCAT
HOT MAN
ICKIES
IN THE GROOVE
IRON HORN
JAM SESSION
JITTERBUGS
JIVE
LICK
LONGHAIR
MONKEY HURDLER
MOTH BOX
OLD MAN
PAPER MEN
PLATTER
PLUMBING
RUG CUTTER
SCHMALTZ IT
SEND
SKIN BEATER
SLIVER SUCKER
SLUSH PUMP
SPOTS
SQUEAKER
SPOOK
SWING
TIN EARS
VOODOO BOILERS
WHACKY
WOODPILE

Give Swing a Chance Says Benny Goodman

Benny Goodman, $125,000-a-year “King of Swing”, now 28, chose to play a clarinet when he was 9, because it was so pretty. Conductor Leopold Stokowski calls him one of the world’s best clarinetists.
Give Swing a Chance Says Benny Goodman
by Benny Goodman

There is one thing swing critics cannot combat. That is, that the public approves of swing. So why not give it a chance to prove it is not a flash in the pan, but the only really truly American music we have? Every other form of musical expression portrayed as a dance form originated abroad. Swing, as it is now being written and created, originates solely in the minds of musicians who think in the American way.

Some persons object to modernizing old songs into swing tempo. The answer is that swing is still young and needs nourishment.

To educate the people to enjoy original swing creations, we must feed them something they know of, can understand and enjoy because the melody is familiar.

The present day swing artist is a pioneer, creating something that in the future will become the popular expression of the day. So the next time you hear swing, just figure to yourself that you are in on the birth of something your grandchildren will some day take for granted in the same manner as you take opera today, and you will feel as I always do – awed.

Look Magazine, September 27, 1938

Caprice XXIV – Adapted from Paganini’s Caprice No. 24 in A minor