WHAT IS BALBOA
HISTORY
The brief story
Nowadays, Balboa dance refers to the Swing dances formed in the 1930's in Southern California and the Balboa peninsula. A summer resort and party destination in Southern California, Balboa was where the youth would flock to spend their Spring Break and dance in the jam-packed clubs...hence the closed embrace connection and the explosive energy the dance can have!
Watch the (extremely) short animated video that Alexandra made to explain in less than 2' the history of Balboa!
The video was a submission to the Swing Film Festival by the CalBal live event in 2021.
For the longer version of the story, you can visit the essay of Bobby White Swing History 101: SoCal Swings (1935-1939-ish), that includes probably the most comprehensive and accurate history of the origin of Balboa in written form.
RESOURCES
Music
If you need a music playlist to practice with, throw a rent party, or just something to hum while doing your house chores, look no further! We have prepared a - continuously updating - Spotify playlist with songs in tempos from 140 to 300bpm, for you to enjoy!
If you're planning on playing for a Balboa event, or you're just curious about the "right" music, you can find the guidelines of how to DJ for Balboa dancers, according to the Brisbane Balboa Swing, here.