The Lindy Hop does not necessarily involve dressing up, retro or otherwise - indeed, when a group of Swedish pioneers revived swing dancing in the 1980s, they did it in true 1980s style. Even so, more and more swing dancers begin to fashion up their look. We explore why.

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Contributors to this episode:

Voon Chew, New York-based ambi-dancer/DJ and vintage dress enthusiast and collector

Dr. Elisabeth Frottier, head of the costume and fashion collection of Vienna’s University of Applied Arts

www.dieangewandte.at

Yana Sanamyants, Moscow-based swing dancer with a background in textile design

Laura Windley, frontwoman of the North Carolina-based Mint Julep Jazz Band, main contributor to Lindy Shopper, the popular blog about swing dance clothing

www.laurawindley.com

Rani-Patricia Dirnhofer, founder and owner of shoemaking company Saint Savoy

www.saintsavoy.com

For additional materials and some suggested reading, please visit www.fromthetoppodcast.com/episodes/6

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Produced and presented by Alexei Korolyov

www.alexei-korolyov.com

From the Top theme song by Alexander Forstner, Nina Jukić and Alexei Korolyov

This episode is all about gender roles in swing dance and society. Does the Lindy Hop accentuate the divide between men and women or mitigate it? And what effect has the feminist project had on swing culture? Also, what does it feel like for a woman to be a leader and a man a follower?

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Contributors to this episode:

Rebecka DecaVita, one half of the Swedish instructor/performer duo The DecaVitas

www.thedecavitas.com

Sam Carroll, swing dance instructor, organizer, DJ and feminist thinker based in Sydney, Australia

www.dogpossum.org

Jo Jae-kyeong, Lindy Hop dancer and translator living in Seoul, South Korea

Gregor Hofbauer, Vienna-based Lindy Hop dancer and photographer

www.photography.gregorhofbauer.com

Patrick Catuz, Austrian researcher on gender issues and art-house porn filmmaker

www.catuz.at

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Produced and presented by Alexei Korolyov

www.alexei-korolyov.com

From the Top theme song by Alexander Forstner, Nina Jukić and Alexei Korolyov

Episode 4 is all about health and well-being for dancers: staying in shape with Jo Hoffberg, alcohol and social conventions with Kevin St. Laurent, plus some disturbing injury statistics from Dance UK.

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Contributors to this episode:

Jo Hoffberg, world-renowned Lindy Hop teacher, performer and competitor

www.johoffberg.com

Kevin St. Laurent, equally world-renowned Lindy Hop teacher, performer and competitor

www.kevinstlaurent.com

Erin Sanchez, Healthier Dancer Programme manager at Dance UK

www.danceuk.org

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Produced and presented by Alexei Korolyov

www.alexei-korolyov.com

From the Top theme song by Alexander Forstner, Nina Jukić and Alexei Korolyov

Episode 3 looks at what it's like to be a swing musician today. How close can you get to the true sound? Do you need to? And it is possible to make original swing music in our technology-savvy age?

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Contributors to this episode:

Bernhard Glatz, trumpeter, member of the Maurer Big Band

www.facebook.com/maurerbigband

Glenn Crytzer, guitarist, bandleader and composer

www.glenncrytzer.com

Philipp Mayrlbäurl, guitarist, member of the Juke Swing Band

Nina Jukić, singer and musicologist, member of the duo don_t go

www.facebook.com/heydontgo

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Produced and presented by Alexei Korolyov

www.alexei-korolyov.com

From the Top theme song by Alexander Forstner, Nina Jukić and Alexei Korolyov

In this episode, we debate regionalism vs globalisation in swing music and dance: what role do regional or historic styles and traditions play in an increasingly globalised world?

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Contributors to this episode:

Christian Frommelt and Jenny Shirar, swing dance instructors, performers, choreographers

www.christianandjenny.com

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Produced and presented by Alexei Korolyov

www.alexei-korolyov.com