Blues Idioms: What Are They?

What we call “blues dancing” is actually a collection of various regional dances or "idioms" that were created in African American communities throughout the United States from the late 19th to mid 20th century. The various dance styles are direct reflections of the time, the music, the people, and places where they were danced.

While these idioms vary greatly based on historical venues, music, and other factors, there are a number of common elements that tie these dances together. Generally speaking, blues idioms are united by a shared athletic posture and relationship to the ground,  consistent pulse, multiple centers of movement, collaborative partnering, and a relaxed quality, among others.

Blues idioms include the following*:
Savoy Walk, Stride, Strut, Slow Drag, Grind, Fishtail, Piedmont Triple, Struttin', Texas Shuffle, Funky Butt

*Note: this is NOT an exhaustive list.

Ballroomin' and Jookin': Umbrella Terms


Ballroomin’ is a unique group of blues dances with a shared aesthetic that developed in ballrooms like the Savoy in Harlem. As such, the dancing expanded to fill that space, with couples striding, pivoting and grapevining across the floor. Ballroomin' tends to be danced to blues with jazz influences or slow jazz.

Ballroomin' Example
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Slow Jookin' Example

Specific Blues Idiom Dances

The following are some of our favorite idiom dances ("us" being Grace and Nick). In each demo, we try to showcase both the basic steps and some fun variations. We've also included a short description of each dance, which might touch on the characteristics, aesthetic values, or brief history of each idiom.

Piedmont Triple

Piedmont, or Piedmont Triple, is a simple, relaxed spot dance that came out of the Appalachian foothills in the 1920s alongside the music. Piedmont blues music typically relies on a single acoustic guitar with complicated fingerpicking. This rhythmically driven music can be challenging to dance to for the unprepared, but Piedmont Triple fits it perfectly.

Stride

Stride is a line-of-dance ballroomin’ blues idiom, danced to jazzier blues music. Characterized by its constant forward drive and unique reaching steps, this dance makes you feel like you’re sneaking across the floor, looking damn elegant while you do it.

Struttin'

Struttin’ is a relaxed one-step blues dance originating in Memphis clubs. Especially useful in dancing to live music at dive blues bars, this dance can be done in very little space, but still lends itself to creativity in footwork and shaping. 

Savoy Walk

Developed in and named for the most famous ballroom in New York City, the Savoy Walk was danced to slower blues songs played by jazz bands as breaks from their faster numbers. The Savoy Walk is a blues idiom dance that alternates between a simple traveling two-step basic and showier turns and tricks.

Further Reading

We recommend the following resources in learning more about the rich history of these dances and the music that inspired them.