Queer Influence in Swing

Adam Brozowski (aka Free'da Follow) and Felix Berghall

Adam Brozowski has been dancing Lindy Hop since age 10 and is a leading voice for intersectional queer visibility in the swing dance world. As co-founder of Queer Swing Seattle, he’s pioneered inclusive teaching methods, spoken globally on queer swing history, and helped spark the modern switch dance movement. With partner Jamica Zion, he co-created the Queer Walk of Fame, a museum-style tribute to queer pioneers in blues, jazz, and swing. In 2024, Adam made history as the first person to perform in drag at a major dance championship, using the spotlight to challenge inequity and lack of visibility of queer people in swing.

Jamica Zion (They/Them)

Jamica is a world renowned Blues and Swing dancer and activist. Jamica's dancing and advocacy have helped to raise awareness for the contributions and connections of the intersectional black and queer influences of Blues and Jazz idiomatic art forms. Jamica has also hosted panels on LGBTQAI+ peoples involvement in social dance as well as co-producing the Queer Walk of Fame. A museum style exhibit sharing the histories of queer artists in the blues, jazz and swing.

Dawn Hampton

Ally and Icon, Dawn was a singer, dancer and performer whose family band played at Harlem's Savoy Ballroom. Dawn worked in Lindy Hop while also performing alongside some of the most famous drag performers in the vibrant 1970's New York queer night life scene. Her connection to the LGBTQAI+ community greatly influenced her approach to dance, dancing as both a lead and follow emphasizing "feeling the music" and "being yourself" over anything else.

Billy Strayhorn

Duke Ellingtons primary collaborator, Billy Strayhorn is responsible for Swing mega hits like, "Take The A Train", "C Jam Blues" and epic Jazz ballads like "Lush Life." Billy was always open about his sexuality as a gay man and found safety collaborating with Ellington who provided protection and a place to thrive artistically. We would not have half of Ellingtons repertoire without Billy Strayhorn.

Grey Armstrong

Along with being an International Blues, Swing, Fusion instructor and Dj, Grey is also a prolific writer. His blog Obsidian Tea is an essential read on Black culture and Blues. Grey's influence in the Blues scene is immense and he has also broken ground teaching at Gothenburg's Queer Lindy Festival two years in a row. Check out Grey's writing

Gladys Bentley

Gladys Bentley was an American blues singer, pianist, and entertainer during the Harlem Renaissance. as a black, lesbian, cross-dressing performer. She headlined in the early 1930s at Harlem's Ubangi Club, where she was backed up by a chorus line of drag queens. She dressed in men's clothes (including a signature tail coat and top hat), played piano, and sang her own raunchy lyrics to popular tunes of the day in a deep, growling voice while flirting with women in the audience.

Tiny Davis - The International Sweethearts of Rhythm

Tiny Davis was the lead trumpet player for the first all female and fully integrated big band, "The International Sweethearts of Rhythm." Always open about her Lesbian identity, Tiny eventually moved to upstate New York to open her own club with her life partner Ruby Lucas. She infamously also had her own very queer swing band, "Tiny Davis and the Hell Divers!"

Sonnie Spoon (They/Them)

From the UK, Sonnie is a celebrated DJ, dance instructor and community leader in Lindy Hop. They have worked at major events like Gothenburg Queer Lindy Fest and Beantown Camp. Sonnie has been a vocal advocate for queer people in dance spaces on and off the dance floor. Learn more about Sonnie

Al Minns and Leon James

While how they identified is not known, original Whitey's Lindy Hoppers from the Savoy Ballroom Al Minns and Leon James regularly presented same gender partner dancing in a time when such things were rarely seen. An early example of ambidancing (dancers who can dance both roles).

Alex Phelps and Ed Paddock (He/Him)

Two powerhouse queer swing dancers who have burst onto the dance scene with a truly joyful and rhythmic style all their own.

Sister Rosetta Tharpe

Sister Rosetta Tharpe is the Godmother of Rock and Roll. Being the first black female artist to cross over from gospel to top the R&B charts, she achieved significant commercial success and was the first to tear up an electric guitar before anybody else did. It's said that Sister Rosetta Tharpe, was known to have relationships with both men and women throughout her life. Notably her committed relationship to fellow musician Marie Knight.

Jason Hsu (He/Him) and Katie Cobalt (She/They)

Jason Hsu, from Taiwan started the first Switch Dance Festival in Asia and has traveled all over the world competing and teaching Lindy Hop. Katie, originally from Shanghai has made a splash on the international dance scene with their unique style and open and proud queer representation.

Billy Tipton

Billy was a hugely successful jazz musician and orchestrator. He sat in with pretty much every great band of the swing era and is featured on several recordings. Billy is also a trans icon for being an AMAB person who successfully socially and publicly transitioned enabling him to live a rich authentic life as the man he was in a time when doing so was nearly impossible.

Adam Brozowski (He/Him) Máté Csike (He/Him)

Adam and Máté were the first competitively successful openly gay Lindy Hop couple in the modern scene. Their visibility opened doors to more queer inclusive dance spaces and de-gendering the roles of lead and follow.

Matt Richey (He/Him)

Matt is a super accomplished Lindy Hopper, Balboa dancer and West Coast Swing Dancer who has won countless titles and taught all across the United States and abroad. A proud member of the LGBTQAI+ community, Matt has worked locally with his community through Atomic Ballroom in Southern California.

Adam Brozowski and Rafal Pustelny

Switch Dancing with its Queer roots, only became a trend of it's own in the last decade or so. The first time Switch Dancing appeared at the International Lindy Hop Championships, it confused the judges so much that this couple was "accidentally" disqualified.

RAMERO GONZALES AND JOHN LINDO

This video is amazing! West Coast Swing is a younger cousin of Lindy Hop. You will notice that the announcer says "cameras off" joking that it would be inappropriate to view two men dance together. Up until very recently same sex dancers and queer dancers were often not allowed to compete together, and if they did it was presented as a joke.

These two - are no joke.

Queer Influence - Past and Present