There’s just something about swing that brings a smile to the face of its viewers.
It is such a cool, smooth, and rhythmic dance that it can be done to seemingly any song and any genre.
Or perhaps that’s down to the creativity of the dancers.
“I Heard It Through the Grapevine” is a song written by Norman Whitfield and Barrett Strong meant for Motown Records in 1966, but the version you’re about to hear is from Marvin Gaye.
And this time it is danced by KP Rutland and Alyssa Glanville.
Don’t let the height difference fool you, as these two jive together like no other.
Swing dancing has been going strong for nearly 100 years.
And it’s had a pretty strong revival as of late, so not bad for a dance that originated around the 1920s.
The 1920s saw the United States loving jazz music, so a dance was developed for it and that was the swing.
The dance was referred to as “jitterbug,” a term coined by jazz musician Cab Calloway.
He said the dancers looked “like a bunch of jitterbugs out there on the floor” because of the fast, bouncing movements.
Thank the African-American communities for starting the dance, and over time, it grew in popularity that the set styles and steps developed.
Today, there’s a lot of intuitive movement and freestyle once the foundation is in place and the music is set.
KP Rutland and Alyssa Glanville seem to be freestyling though the moves come as second nature to them.
That’s the fun part of swing since there’s no strict set of moves or choreography that needs to be nailed to perfection.
Find your rhythm and just literally go with the flow.
Alyssa says she’s always been moving ever since she could walk.
From sports, to playing with friends, and even horses, she was a girl constantly on the move.
And when she discovered Lindy Hop at the age of eight, she was hooked.
She was fifteen when she fell in love with west coast swing.
Rutland’s towering frame emphasizes his incredibly smooth movements but Alyssa’s certainly holding her own.
A viewer named Az Nana had this to say,
“This is the best team!!! Love their style. Rockin hot.”
These two are lively but pretty easy to watch!
It’s not like other flashy dances where your eyes are kept busy by the blur of movements.
This is the beauty of swing.
Dancers have the creative freedom to deliver a sensational dance, and that’s what these two just did.
And if you think it looks easy, it’s not.
Rutland and Glanville are veterans with years of dancing on their resumes.
And for some reason, the song just really suits them.
Laid back, chill, and just perfect with a cold drink.
Plus the competition and the group looks like so much fun.
It would be nice to see more of Rutland and Glanville dancing together!
Check out their fun moves in the video below!
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