Boogie-woogie (dance)

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Boogie-woogie is a form of swing dance and a form of blues piano playing.

Terminology

The name boogie-woogie is used mostly in Europe; the closest thing in the US is probably East Coast Swing. What today is called boogie-woogie would during the 1950s have been called rock'n'roll. The term boogie woogie is confusing; the dance can be danced to the music style called boogie-woogie but is most often danced to rock music of various kinds. The name was taken since the name rock'n'roll used in competition dance was already taken by a highly acrobatic dance form. Boogie woogie as a competition dance is a led dance, not choreographed, and contains no acrobatic elements.

Description

The usual step variation is a six beat dance pattern, usually cued as "step, step, tri-ple step, tri-ple step", with words "step" taking a whole beat and pieces "tri" and "ple" together taking one beat. Triple forms a syncopated step, where "ple" is typically somewhat delayed from being in the half way between the beats, which matches the syncopated music used in boogie-woogie.

In parts of Europe, boogie-woogie is mostly danced as a social dance. In others, it is mostly a competition form.

The competitions are regulated by the World Rock'n'Roll Confederation. In addition to adults the competition forms of boogie woogie include formation, senior and junior classes.