Balboa (dance)

The Balboa is a swing dance that originated in Southern California during the 1920s (though it may have started as early as 1915) and enjoyed huge popularity during the 1930s and 1940s. The term Balboa originally referred to a dance characterized by its close embrace and full body connection. It emphasizes rhythmic weight shifts and lead-follow partnership. Different dancers in the same region at the same time also danced "swing," a dance characterized by twists, turns, and open-position movement. Over time, these two dances merged and became collectively known as Balboa. The original Balboa dance is now referred to as Pure Balboa, and the original "Swing" dance is now referred to as Bal-Swing or L.A. Swing to differentiate it from other types of swing. Because of its emphasis on subtlety and partnering rather than flashy tricks, Balboa (Pure Balboa in particular) is considered more of a "dancer's dance" than a "spectator's dance."

Balboa is danced to swing music, primarily big-band swing music of the 1930s and 1940s to artists such as Chick Webb, Benny Goodman, Artie Shaw, Count Basie, and Duke Ellington at tempos of about 180 to 250 beats per minute. It is also danced to other types of swing music, including small combos and gypsy jazz (e.g., Django Reinhardt). Because the basic step takes up such a small space, Balboa can also be danced to fast music (over 300 beats per minute). The dance can also be drawn out and danced to slower tempos, when it is known as slow Balboa. In the modern swing dancing era, thousands of dancers continue to enjoy Balboa alongside other swing dances such as Lindy Hop and Charleston, and lessons and dances are available in cities around the world.

Designed to take up only a small space, Balboa involves chaining two-step movements together into groups of eight count patterns with two sets of four steps each while shuffling the feet on the floor.

The dance was originally a response to overcrowded ballrooms where the swing-out or breakaway (a move popular in Lindy Hop at the time) was often difficult, if not actually banned by the venue. Balboa is often perceived as a restrained or introverted dance, with most movement occurring below the knees; however, part of its appeal is its variations on turns and twirls that allow the lead to show off his partner's legs—an effect that is heightened when the follow is wearing an effective skirt and high heels.

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