The first known Hop dance was the 'Egg-dance or Hop-egg' dance, as it was also called. It was a dance generally performed by women, who, in much the same manner as of a version of the Scottish sword-dance, who performed their figures with eggs placed around the floor. This practice has also been described by the writer 'Chaucer' (1340-1400) in his 'Canterbury Tales' (1387,) who says " the performers are called Hoppesteres." Also the eminent antiquarian named Strutt, in his "Sports and Pastimes," written about 1790, mentions that the so-called slang phrase, "Going to the hop tonight?" (which appeared to have been old even in his time) evidently came from this get together dance!
Later, the Hop was a term used for many different styles of dance as well as a term for a get together with dance. These "Get Togethers" were very popular in the early 1900's and were called "Hops" by the College kids. The Hop (get togethers/ dances) which again resurfaced in the 1950's
were called Record Hops and or Sock Hops. These Rock and Roll Sock Hops were usually held in the Baskeball Gyms at various Jr and senior high schools and so the kids wouldn't scuff up the floors, they wore Socks instead of Shoes. Hops could be held basically anywhere that could hold a large crowd. They were not held in peoples homes like Rent Parties of the twenties.
Many dances were last named "Hop" with a hope they would become popular with the college kids. Some of the dances actually had hopping movements. Some were named like the Bunny Hop, Bull Frog Hop, Buzzard Hop, Lindbergh hop aka Lindy Hop (5/21/1927), after Charles Lindbergh's (1902-1974.) famous flight to Paris.
The Al Smith Hop as a campaign trick to try to make his campaign seem more popular, thinking of the popularity of Lindbergh having so much stuff named after him, this tactic would appear (or give the illusion) that Smith was more popular than he was. Plus others trying to do the same thing or Chorographers trying to cash in on the above named "Lindy Hops" popularity during that time period.
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