🎶 Explore the roots of dance history with the Shim Sham! 🕺 Originally a 1928 tap dance finale by Leonard Reed and Willie Bryant, it has transformed into a global sensation, gracing social swing dances worldwide. A must-know for every Lindy Hopper, the Shim Sham adds a vibrant touch to the dance floor. Check out the colorful Shim Sham moments from the recent SWING On In Christmas party! 🎄✨Exciting news: Join our summer workshop series in January, where we'll dive into the magic of the Shim Sha

The History of the Shim Sham Originating from a style of dance termed the ‘Goodus’ in the late 1920s, the Shim Sham Shimmy was first performed on stage in Harlem in the early 1930s as a closing routine that would get all of the singers, dancers and performers on stage together with the audience joining in. It wasn’t until some lindy hoppers at the Savoy Ballroom did the Shim Sham as a group line dance (without the taps) that the dance style really took to fame. In the mid-1980s, the Shim Sham wa

Routine from 1927 with a twist in the second part The Shim Sham is a tap routine created by Leonard Reed & Willie Bryant in 1927, originally called "Goofus". It was commonly used as a finishing ensemble for cabaret shows with all the performers. Howard Johnson says the routine was taken and performed by a Drag chorus line in the after hours at The 101 Ranch, thus the name Shim Sham [she-him] sham. They assumingly introduced the shaking nature in the hip and shoulders, doing the Shimmy in the fir