Swing dancing still attracting a young crowdBy Jenny Foote Every Friday night, Legion Post No. 33 opens its doors for a night of swing dancing to those who have a secret desire to step back into the 1930s and '40s. Don't know how to dance? Don't worry. $4 gets you a night of swing dancing, which begins with an hour-long beginner's lesson at 8:30 p.m. More dancing follows from 9:30 p.m. to midnight. PJC student Carolyn Mayeaux has attended four or five times and
feels that "it doesn't matter if you're a good dancer because
a lot of other people are beginners too, and when you dance with
other people, you make a lot of new friends." Swing dancing covers a wide variety of styles but the two primary ones at Pensacola Swing Night are the jitterbug and the lindy hop. "There are basic steps but as soon as you know them, then the dance is whatever the song dictates," says Glover. During the lesson, beginners are taught the main steps to the jitterbug, but much of the learning occurs on the dance floor when people show one another their specialties. The more difficult moves include the flip (the guy flips the girl backwards over his arm), the handlebar (the girl is lifted off the ground by her right knee until her left hand touches the ground), and the candlestick/tower (the guy swings his partner onto each of the his hips and then lifts her in the air directly above his head). Some say swing dancing made its massive comeback in the 1990s because
of the Gap Kids commercials which featured swing dancing, and because
of bands such as The Brian Setzer Orchestra and Big Bad Voodoo Daddy.
Although everyday clothing is quite common at the American Legion Hall, some people opt to dress up in suspenders and swing dresses. Glover's advice for beginners is to "wear comfortable shoes [but] I wouldn't recommend flip-flops. It's a casual atmosphere. People wear all kinds of things on Friday night." In addition to the vintage fashions which are worn on Swing Night, music inspired by the swing era is played. The popular band The Swinging Dick Tracys plays often at the Legion Hall. "I love the music . . . and [look] forward to Friday nights all week," says PJC student Morgan Simpson. Her friend Raven Everidge agrees: "Swing dancing is . . . a great way to relieve all of your stress at the end of the week. The music is awesome." According to Glover, the American Legion Hall was constructed in 1923 and was a part of the original swing culture that came about in the late '20s, the 30's, and the '40s. "It was built for what we do there every Friday night: dance," he said. "It has one of the largest dance floors for hundreds of miles. You really get spoiled dancing there. Other dance floors seem so tiny compared to it. What's nice is that the Legion Hall is our link into the past. It's been there through every era. It saw all the old swing bands come through. Every Friday night we get to take part in that tradition. Just walking inside is like stepping back in time." As swing dancing continues to make its comeback in Pensacola, more and more college students are joining the movement. PJC student Devin Roark, the trombone player for The Swinging Dick Tracys, explains the appeal: "Any genre of music that can bring people together is always
[deserving] of praise. The continuous success of Swing Night has
been its ability to establish its own community where anyone is
allowed to join if they simply enjoy having fun." |
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Perhaps
wearing a zoot suit and suspenders won't normally attract a girl,
but it certainly will if a guy's trying to catch a dance at the
American Legion Hall at Barrancas Avenue and Indencia Street.