These dancers invented a new way to travel, and it's bringing cities back. Back to life.
They've got more than rhythm.
There's a growing army of smart, radical, and extremely articulate Americans who have been teaming up to make serious change — right under our noses.
They're ... swing dancers?
Image from the Nevermore Jazz Ball, a Lindy exchange held in St. Louis, Missouri. ( Watch the video. It's cool.)
That's right: These swing dancers, or Lindy hoppers, are more than just the zoot suit riot you remember from back in the '90s*.
*Hey, '90s, we're cool. But I'm talking about now right now.
They're traveling across the country, preserving the history and integrity of this uniquely American dance form, all while bringing neighborhoods together.
Dancers recently rallied around a dance hall that once hosted some of St. Louis' (and America's!) jazz greats.
The city of St. Louis was planning to turn The Palladium, a beautiful, historic building...
...into a parking lot.
Via Save the Palladium Facebook.
(It's the only building in the city that's recognized by the National Trust as culturally significant to African-American history.)
But Lindy hoppers had other plans.
According to St. Louis historian and author Kevin Bedford, the Palladium was famously known as Club Plantation, and much like The Cotton Club in New York City, it "hosted legends of American music such as Nat King Cole, the Mills Brothers, and Ella Fitzgerald."
"It was only because of the grassroots effort by the music and dance culture of the city of St. Louis that the building was placed on the National Trust's list of endangered historic landmarks. " — Kevin Bedford, St. Louis historian
Jazz musician, St. Louis local, and guy you probably heard on "Prairie Home Companion" Pokey Lafarge even joined in:
And from the looks of the Save the Palladium Facebook page, many people are joining the dancers' call to action.
From a love of music, dance, and people, these swing dancers are spreading kindness to cities everywhere.
How's this happening?
Well, there's a unique way to travel that's emerged among dancers in America (and around the world) called a Lindy exchange (named after a type of swing dance, the Lindy hop).
For a long weekend or more, dancers from around the country gather in one city. People who have never met descend upon neighborhoods — often in places where even locals rarely go. They're basically city swaps.
They're united by a few things: a love of dance, a love of history, and a love of people. They wind up not only meeting each other, but spending time with other folks in the neighborhood, too.
They shop, they drink, they visit historical sites, they dance — and they breathe new life into cities.
They really take it to the streets. Literally.
Hundreds of people descend upon neglected historic streets in disrepair. The streets come alive again.
Preserving the history and integrity of this American dance form turns average Joes with some rhythm into historical scholars, preservationists, and citizens who care about their town and the people and places in it.
These Lindy exchanges are like having instant tour-guides and friends who just happened to plan the perfect and most historical and knowledgeable weekend ever. No wonder they're popping up all over the country!
Participants in these exchanges get to know each city they visit on the ground by dancing in old ballrooms...
...walking along former streetcar routes...
...visiting old barns...
...crowding sidewalks that haven't seen foot traffic since the '50s...
... and in many other ways, revitalizing as they go.
In 2012, dance exchanges gave birth to the Cherokee Street Jazz crawl in St. Louis, breathing new life into a business district that hasn't thrived since the '60s.
"[The Cherokee Street Jazz Crawl was] born out of our desires to make Nevermore open and accessible to all members of the community and to showcase the wealth of local musical talent that we have at home in St. Louis. The Cherokee Street Jazz Crawl brings the music to the people."
Photo c/o Elizabeth Swift of St. Louis MO
Another exchange, called the Nevermore Jazz Ball, even has a code. Here's my favorite part:
"Jazz music and dancing are a part of the fabric of our community and our everyday lives. Nevermore is not a swing dancers' bubble; it's exists symbiotically with the greater St. Louis community. We value our neighbors, our local artists, and our local businesses. We hope you'll show your love!"These dancers on exchange serve as historical students of these towns, using social media (and the exchanges and the nationwide social connections from them) to remind towns of their past.
Just by meeting each other and seeing the world through the eyes of their hosts, this army of dancers are reminding us that every town has something special, different, and unique to offer.
In an era when you're more likely to see a McDonald's on a street corner than a local person, these folks are truly a blessing.
Cities are made of people. And through these exchanges, people from all over the country are reminded of the magic of meeting each other.
It's not the first time swing dance has had a powerful impact on people understanding each other.
Take this jazz festival in New York City from 1938:
Looks like some folks meeting and partying with each other. Crossing some boundaries — class and race — with nary a care. Not a bad start to getting to know your fellow humans, right?
These dancers can move their feet, sure. But after hearing about all they're doing to remind us of how special our hometowns are, they're kinda moving my heart.
See you on the dance floor. Or on the sidewalk. Or ... who knows!
Beaver in water. Photo by 
An actual beaver dam on the now-thriving Price River
Not just coworkers—family, friends, strangers, kids…
Imagine having to go so badly but being out of euros. 
Anything hobbit-esque can't be wrong. 
But what if you need pain meds AND mascara?!
Imagine how this would affect childcare.
Honestly…where's the lie?
A brown buddha statue sits near a green mountain. Photo by 
Urgent dash to the bathroom! 🚪🏃♂️
Ladybug unexpectedly found during colonoscopyPhoto credit: 
Close-up of bottom of ladybug found in colonPhoto credit: 
There's a reason why some people can perfectly copy accents, and others can't
Turns out, there's a neurodivergent link.
A woman in black long sleeve shirt stands in front of mirror.
Have you ever had that friend who goes on vacation for four days to London and comes back with a full-on Queen's English posh accent? "Oooh I left my brolly in the loo," they say, and you respond, "But you're from Colorado!" Well, there are reasons they (and many of us) do that, and usually it's on a pretty subconscious level.
It's called "accent mirroring," and it's actually quite common with people who are neurodivergent, particularly those with ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder). According Neurolaunch, the self-described "Free Mental Health Library," "Accent mirroring, also known as accent adaptation or phonetic convergence, is the tendency to unconsciously adopt the accent or speech patterns of those around us. This linguistic chameleon effect is not unique to individuals with ADHD, but it appears to be more pronounced and frequent in this population."
Essentially, when people have conversations, we're constantly "scanning" for information—not just the words we're absorbing, but the inflection and tone. "When we hear an accent, our brains automatically analyze and categorize the phonetic features, prosody, and intonation patterns," writes Neurolaunch. For most, this does result in copying the accent of the person with whom we're speaking. But those with ADHD might be more sensitive to auditory cues. This, "coupled with a reduced ability to filter out or inhibit the impulse to mimic…could potentially explain the increased tendency for accent mirroring."
While the article explains further research is needed, they distinctly state that, "Accent mirroring in individuals with ADHD often manifests as an unconscious mimicry of accents in social situations. This can range from subtle shifts in pronunciation to more noticeable changes in intonation and speech rhythm. For example, a person with ADHD might find themselves unconsciously adopting a Southern drawl when conversing with someone from Texas, even if they’ve never lived in the South themselves."
People are having their say online. On the subreddit r/ADHDWomen, a thread began: "Taking on accents is an ADHD thing?" The OP shares, "My whole life, I've picked up accents. I, myself, never noticed, but everyone around me would be like, 'Why are you talking like that??' It could be after I watched a show or movie with an accent or after I've traveled somewhere with a different accent than my 'normal.'
They continue, "Apparently, I pick it up fast, but it fades out slowly. Today... I'm scrolling Instagram, I watch a reel from a comedian couple (Darcy and Jeremy. IYKYK) about how Darcy (ADHD) picks up accents everywhere they go. It's called ADHD Mirroring??? And it's another way of masking."
(The OP is referring to Darcy Michaels and his husband Jeremy Baer, who are both touring comedians based in Canada.)
Hundreds of people on the Reddit thread alone seem to relate. One comments, "Omfg I've done this my whole life; I'll even pick up on the pauses/spaces when I'm talking to someone who is ESL—but English is my first language lol."
Sometimes, it can be a real issue for those around the chameleon. "I accidentally mimicked a waitress's weird laugh one time. As soon as she was out of earshot, my family started to reprimand me, but I was already like 'oh my god I don’t know why I did that, I feel so bad.'"
Many commenters on TikTok were shocked to find out this can be a sign of ADHD. One jokes, "Omg, yes, at a store the cashier was talking to me and she was French. She's like 'Oh are you French too? No, I'm not lol. I'm very east coast Canada."
And some people just embrace it and make it work for them. "I mirror their words or phrase! I’m 30. I realized I start calling everyone sweetie cause my manager does & I work at coffee shop."