On this page you will find:
- Core values of SIS
- The Swingin’ Spring Team
- Code of conduct for the festival
- Description of Lindy Hop & Vernacular Jazz
Core values of SIS 2024
Swingin’ Spring Team
Swingin’ Spring (SiS) is a festival runned by members of the non-profit dance association West Coast Jitterbugs. Each year the SiS-team work hard to create new dance memories for dancers.
Please contact us swinginspring@wcj.se if you have any questions.
/SiS team <3
Code of conduct
We are dedicated to providing a safe and comfortable experience for everyone, therefore all attendees, instructors, staff, and volunteers at are required to comply with the following code of conduct.
Organizers will enforce this code throughout the event. We are expecting cooperation from all participants to help ensure a safe environment for everybody.
We take care of each other
At WCJ we want all our members to feel safe. Safety is created in many ways. If you see someone being treated in an offensive way by another participant, please contact the staff as soon as possible.
We do not accept harassment among the participants. If you harass someone, you will have to leave the festival. WCJ/SIS has an action plan against sexual harassment. Further measures can be a police report.
Personal boundaries are important
Respect others’ boundaries both socially and in dance. Sometimes it’s hard to tell if someone doesn’t want to dance and sometimes it’s hard to say no to a dance. Be responsive, and if you sense hesitation and are not hearing from the person in question, it is better to take a step back.
At the beginning of the dance, it can in some cases be good to agree on how you want to dance so as not to accidentally cross someone’s boundaries. For example, in the blues you can ask ”do you want to dance close embrace?” or ”Are you okay with a dip?”.
Ask for a second dance
If you want to do one more dance, say ”Shall we have another?” There are old traditions in Sweden around two dances, but there is nothing that says you have to dance two songs with the same person.
You can refuse
If someone asks you for a dance or a second dance and you don’t want to dance, say ”No thanks”.
Be okay with someone saying no
If you ask for a dance or a second dance and the person says “No thanks”, be okay with that. Answer ”Okay, no danger”. No one is forced to dance with anyone else.
Dance safely
Don’t do acros, lifts or bigger jumps on the social dance floor – save these for the jam circle or competition where you know you have plenty of room. Always check with each other before doing any of this so that you agree on what to do.
We do not accept harassment of any kind.
If you feel uncomfortable in any situation please contact an organiser or volunteer.
We do have a action plan against sexual harrassment.
What is Lindy Hop & Vernacular jazz?
Lindy Hop is an African-American dance from Harlem, New York, and many rhythms and movements in the dance come in turn from various West african dances. Lindy Hop was incredibly popular during the 1920s-1940s in clubs and ballrooms, where, for example, Ella Fitzgerald and Duke Ellington played regularly.
The dance became known to the masses through Hollywood films and shows with touring dance groups, including the legendary Whitey’s Lindy Hoppers.
You can see older lindy hop and vernacular jazz in choreographed form in vintage films such as Hellzapoppin and in vintage competitions such as Harvest Moonball. Social dancing from this time was rarely recorded even though it was the most common form of dancing.
The dance has seen a huge boost in popularity around the world since the 1980s. In Sweden we used to call lindy hop jitterbug, and lindy hop is a predecessor of the Swedish bug.