What Is Balboa?

Balboa is a type of swing dance that emerged in southern California in the 1920s. It gained considerable popularity during the 1930s and 1940s. In Newport Beach, CA, where the dance was invented, the Balboa Pavilion and Rendezvous Ballroom became so crowded that dancers invented a dance that could be done with limited space. Modern Balboa dance is characterized by two styles: “Pure Bal”, which is danced in closed position, and “Bal Swing”, which is danced as a combination of closed and open positions.

~ Sylvia Sykes (interview on youtube)

“I love balboa because it's a float dance that is a secret between me, my partner, and the music. It's a more intimate dance. Most of the other dances are big and expressive. Balboa has a lot of really interesting things that I can feel from my partner and my partner can feel from me that nobody else gets to know about.”

Videos

This is a video of two of our favorite professional balboa dancers improvising a dance outside near the lake in Austin, TX. Check-out Jen’s website! http://therealjenniferlee.com

A collection of California Bal-Swing, Balboa, and Lindy Hop legend Anne Mills. Credit: Robert White