Home About Dances Manuals Search
| Library of Dance Favorites » Up Hold Basic » Down Hold Basic » Come Around » Toss Out » Lollies » Lollies to Toss Out » Down Hold Crossovers |
Balboa (often simply called "Bal," which rhymes with the name "Al") is a style of swing dance that originated in Southern California in the late 1920s and was quite popular there in the 1930s and 1940s.
Balboa is named after the Balboa Peninsula in Newport Beach, where it was first developed. On the crowded dance floors of the Balboa Pavilion and the Rendezvous Ballroom, dancers created a dance that required very little space (especially when compared to the contemporaneous swingouts of Lindy Hop). According to the "old-timers" who actually danced it in the 30s and 40s, some venues actually had rules against breaking away from your partner.
Because of its insular nature, Bal is considered a "dancer's dance" instead of a "spectator's dance." While it may not always look like much from the outside, it's extremely satisfying to those who are dancing it.
Balboa can be danced to any uptempo swing tune. For example, try:
© 2017-2024 Nick Enge
If you or your community is interested in learning Balboa, .
For more dance descriptions, see our three books on dancing:
The Book of Mixers: 100 Easy-Teach Dances for Getting Acquainted (2022) by Richard Powers and Nick & Melissa Enge,
Cross-Step Waltz: A Dancer's Guide (2019) by Richard Powers and Nick & Melissa Enge, and
Waltzing: A Manual for Dancing and Living (2013) by Richard Powers and Nick Enge.
For full-length teaching videos, visit: University of Dance.
For help crafting a life you love, visit: Project Quartz.
Home About Dances Manuals Search