Hey all you swing dancers!
Time for some more fun swing history: Let’s talk about the Harvest Moon Ball!

The Harvest Moon Ball competition officially began at Madison Square Garden in New York City in 1935. It immediately became a great display case for the remarkable Savoy Ballroom dancers. Lasting for many years, the Harvest Moon Ball was most famous dance contest in the world.

The Harvest Moon Ball was supposedly for “Amateurs” only. The Ball was held usually in August or September and was sponsored by the Daily Newsin New York and Los Angeles (News Welfare Association, Inc.)

The first unofficial contest was held at the Central Park Mall in 1927, but to the surprise of the organizers over 75,000 people showed up to watch the contest, all contests in the future were to be postponed in the name of public safety until Madison Square Garden could be obtained. They tried again in 1934 and this time the contest was officially shut down. The first official start date was in 1935 at Madison Square Garden in New York and would last untill 1980, from 1980 it was sponsored by individuals who were past HMB Winners with the last HMB in 1984.

Leon James and Edith Matthews - winners of the first Harvest Moon Ball (1935)


Starting in August, prelims would be run in many different clubs and ballrooms through-out the city such as the Savoy Ballroom and the famous Roseland Ballroom in New York. The prelims had a total of three judges, while the finals had five.

There were six divisions one could enter, some years would offer different dance divisions such as Lindy Hop, Rumba, Jitterbug, Jitterbug-Jive, Jive, Foxtrot, Rock and Roll, Polka, Tango, Collegiate Shag, Serviceman’s Division, Viennese Waltz and even the Hustle. Plus at the end of the contest the judges would pick an “All ‘Round Champion” to award additional prizes to, this was usually the couple who won the Foxtrot division.

Here is a video with some great vintage Harvest Moon Ball Lindy Hop clips:

source: streetswing