Why Swing Dance?

by Naomi Dushay and Samantha Couture

We each got bitten by the swing dance bug a couple of years ago. Certainly our love of swing music (e.g., recordings by Cab Calloway, Benny Goodman, Count Basie, Duke Ellington) was a big factor, but the friendly atmosphere at Ithaca Swing Dance Network (ISDN) events, and the dancing itself, are addicting. The social aspects of the group and of partner dancing add to the pleasure -- both of us have many friendships that started on or barely off the dance floor, just as ours did.

The ISDN is a not-for-profit, grassroots organization run by dancers, for dancers. It sponsors weekly record hops, monthly dances with live music, and workshops with internationally renowned guest instructors, such as legend Frankie Manning (one of the great Lindy hoppers from the golden era of Harlem). The "members" of the ISDN are the people who show up at our events: single people, married people, married individuals who can’t get their spouses to dance, older people, younger people, beginners, experienced dancers.

ISDN events feature a mix of three different dance styles: Jitterbug, Lindy Hop and West Coast Swing. Jitterbug is the easiest entree into swing dancing. It’s based on a 6-count pattern, and it works well with swing music and music from the early Rock and Roll era. Lindy Hop is the original swing dance form, originating in Harlem in the 30s, with some Charleston roots. West Coast Swing is a relative latecomer danced to Rhythm and Blues music or slower contemporary Rock ‘n’ Roll.

All three forms are partner dances, with a leader and a follower. Though the roles aren’t the same, they are equally challenging. Both participants share a vocabulary of body movements; the leader is to indicate moves clearly while the follower is to respond properly to the lead. Meanwhile, both leader and follower are listening to the music and reacting to it. There is a further element of nonverbal conversation for experienced dancers: the follower occasionally refuses a lead in order to suggest a different idea. Many local dancers learn both roles, in part because we can’t bear to sit too many dances out.

Why is dancing so enjoyable? Our view is that it’s simply fun to jump around; jumping around with friends is even better. When you add wonderful music to the mix, how can you go wrong? A friend of ours said that partner dancing is a combination of art, sport, science and sex -- you choose the mix that’s best for you. Partner dancing is enjoyable exercise, mixed with social and artistic elements. Another, more common description of social partner dancing is "striving for a perfect three minute encounter." If you haven’t tried it, no description is adequate; might we suggest you drop by GIAC on a Wednesday night and let us take you out for a spin? You’ll find many friendly people ready to encourage you and very likely some familiar faces.