Social dance

Read “It Don’t Mean a Thing if It Ain’t Got that Harlem Swing: Social Dance and the Harlem Renaissance” in Constant Struggle (Williams 437). Watch Swing, Bop and Hand Dance (on reserve at the library). In a well-written essay (at least 2 pages) discuss the role of social dance during the period of the Harlem/Black Renaissance. How were African Americans able to utilize dance as a means of redefining their lives in this period? How does social dance define a community—be specific? Why is the Lindy Hop an important part of American history?