Entry · catalog no. 0707
hand dancing
/ /hænd ˈdænsɪŋ/ /HAND dan-sing
noun · Washington, DC · 1950s
✓ Verified
1.
Washington's homegrown swing style — partners connected hand to hand, turns spinning off a smooth six-count, feet close to the floor. The name says what matters: the conversation is in the hands.
“My aunt and them been hand dancing at the same spot every Sunday since Marvin was on the radio.”
Origin & Attribution
Developed by Black Washingtonians in the early 1950s out of the Lindy Hop and jitterbug they had danced at Turner's Arena, the Lincoln Colonnade, and the U-Line. Passed down in families and clubs for generations; the Smithsonian recognized it as an American art form in 1993, and the DC Council made it the District's official dance in 1999.
early 1950s
Style takes shape in Black DC dance halls
1993
Smithsonian recognizes hand dance as an American art form
1999
Named the official dance of the District of Columbia
Region of origin
West
Midwest
N.East
South
Nationwide
Washington, DC · 1950s
Spoken by
Black Washingtonians across generations
$HANDDAThe Record · cultural traction
▲ Steady71 yrs
ahead of the mainstream
58/100
peak cultural energy
Introduced to English by the culture — logged here before the mainstream caught on.
Cultural usage — the recordMainstream search interest
First used
1955
in the culture
Cultural energy indexed from documented usage, search interest, and citation frequency. The recorded date is the archive’s permanent point of record.
Hear it spoken
By region — how it actually sounds
@auntiereg
Atlanta, GA
@deltasoul
Memphis, TN
Contribute your pronunciation
Citations & Sources
■
National Hand Dance Association history — founded 1994
institution · verified
■
+ Cite a sourceDC Council resolution naming hand dance the official dance — 1999
public record · verified
See also