I direct a high school swing choir and we are trying to develop choreography to the song "I Won't Dance." Does anyone know the steps to the "Continental" as it is referred to in that song? ("Specially when you do the Continental")

mn music.There doesn' t appear to be a dance called the Continental. Not in the History of Ballroom Dancing on Dancesport UK.
In Wilkepedia it is a situation from Saturday Night Live in the early 50' s Where Christopher Walken is the Continental and lights a cigarette whilst looking through a two way mirror at a female and becomes visible. When Sinatra sang the song it doesn't fit. I always thought it was something Carmen Miranda did. Some kind of Latin dance. Possibly the name was just borrowed. The History of Modern Ballroom Dancing by Don Herbison -Evans. can be reached on Dancesport UK under Articles and Interviews. Keep singing.

"There doesn' t appear to be a dance called the Continental. Not in the History of Ballroom Dancing on Dancesport UK."

Well there was, so perhaps you need to start doing some real research and not assuming that every trivial web article is complete.

"The Continental", music by Con Conrad and lyrics by Herb Magidson:

It's something daring, The Continental,
A way of dancing that's really 'entre nous'.
It's very subtle, The Continental,
Because it does what you want it to do.

It has a passion, The Continental,
An invitation to moonlight and romance.
It's quite the fashion, The Continental,
Because you tell of your love while you dance.

Your lips whisper so tenderly.
Her eyes answer your song.

Two bodies swaying, The Continental,
And you are saying just what you're dreaming of.
So keep on dancing, The Continental,
For it's a song of romance and of love.


Etc.

... and, of course, it was a Fred Astaire & Ginger Rogers classic from The Gay Divorcee (1934):

It has a passion, The Continental,
An invitation to moonlight and romance.
It's quite the fashion, The Continental,
Because you tell of your love while you dance.

Your lips whisper so tenderly.
Her eyes answer your soul!

Two bodies swaying, The Continental,
And you are saying just what you're thinking of.
So keep on dancing, The Continental,
For it's a song of romance and of love.

You kiss while you're dancing.
The Continental, hmmmmm. It's continental.
You sing while you're dancing.
Your voice is gentle, so sentimental.

You know before this dance is through
That you're in love with her and she's in love with you.

You will find while you're dancing
That there's a rhythm in your heart and soul,
A certain rhythm that you can't control,
And you will do The Continental all the time.

I would recommend renting "the Gay Divorcee". (I won't Dance is also Fred Astaire...you can get some ideas of the flavor).

I just heard a Ella Fitzgerald song that refers to the Continental at the barbershop.

Hi, yes there is a dance call "Continental", its a group dance, like a line dance. But I can not describe this dance because when I try to dance it I am a mess....