Into the swing of things

Kelly Scott / contributing photographer Today, the Zoot Suit is primarily associated with swing dancing. With its high broad shoulders and long-tailed coats, high-waist baggy pants with tapered cuffs and the stylish shoes, Zoot suits were very "hot" looks.

Swing dancing is sweeping the nation ... again. Some say the revival began with the resurgence of several big band groups over the past few years while others attribute the revival to the Gap commercial featuring couples dancing the Lindy Hop. Yet, regardless of the reason, there is no doubt swing is back in, and JMU students are embracing swing music, dancing and culture.

The original Swing Club at JMU began in the fall of 1998, but failed due to lack of membership. Senior Kelly Scott organized the current Swing Club at JMU in Spring 2000.

"Dr. Harris announced in Psych 160 that he competed (in swing dancing) with his wife and that someone had organized a swing club a while ago and that he would be looking for leadership again," Scott said. "I found him after the next class and said that I didn't know if I had time, but I would try and really wanted to get a swing club going."

Now in its second full year, the Swing Club has over 40 members and would like to see that number grow this semester.

The origin of swing dates back to the 1920s and 1930s, according to www.jitterbuzz.com. The name comes from a "swinging" rhythmic pattern that characterizes the music.

During the 1920s, a dance called the Lindy Hop originated and was characterized by "breakaways" in which partners separated and improvised steps individually. It incorporated movements in which partners swung one another around.

Kelly Scott / contributing photographer Swing music is an offshoot of jazz music. As most jazz music is improvised, swing music usually contains an underlying beat that is steady and repetitive.

In the 1930s, the swing style grew popular from the big band jazz style of the time. the Lindy Hop became known as the Jitterbug but still featured the same steps. Many different variations came about as the dance craze spread throughout the United States. Those dances, which still survive today, include the Jive, Bop, Shag, Balboa and the Imperial.

The Swing Club holds meetings every Tuesday from 9 to 11 p.m. in the lower level of the Festival. During meetings, beginner lessons are offered the first hour and during the second, members are free to practice and try out different styles of swing.

In addition, a review session is offered each week. "I always offer a review session each week a half hour before the new lesson starts at 8:30 p.m., and there is a small group of us that almost always stays until 11:45 p.m. or midnight," Scott said.

Scott, along with sophomores Dave Hall and Erik Harper, teach most of the lessons.
Hall became interested in swing three years ago while playing in a jazz band. "I'm into jazz, and swing has a lot of improvisation to it," Hall said.

Kelly Scott / contributing photographer Dancers need to keep their shoes in tip-top shape and well-polished. Check out www.jitterbug.com/shoes for information on taking care of your black and whites.

Everyone is welcome to become a member of the club, and no one needs to bring a partner to swing.
"We do not require girls to bring guys, but (having) more guys helps our rotation," Scott said. "We rotate the leads around so everyone will get a chance to dance with a guy as well as become a better follower/leader with several different skills and styles."

In addition to weekly meetings and dance sessions, the club also takes trips where members participate in competitions, workshops and dances. Past trips for the Swing Club have included Glen Echo Park, Md., Pittsburgh, Pa., as well as local trips to Charlottesville, New Market, Richmond and Washington, D.C.

"The Spanish Ballroom at Glen Echo Park is always packed with hundreds of people, and in the summer the majority are young college kids," senior John Kuhn said.

Their most recent trip took several members to Danvers, Mass. for a New Year's Exchange.
"At Exchanges, people from all over the country, as well as Canada, come for a weekend or more of non-stop dancing, workshops and sometimes competitions," Scott said.

While there, sophomore Jessica Simpson and former JMU student and Swing Club member Andi Marcus both participated in the Jack and Jill Novice Competition. In Jack and Jill competitions, dancers compete and dance with a variety of partners and music styles.

"In the Jack and Jill that I competed in there were 19 more followers then leads, so everyone rotated and each follower danced four times," Simpson said. "I danced with four different leads, and the music varied, so some dances were fast and others had a more moderate tempo. The energy was really high and there were some amazing dancers competing. The experience itself was worth more than making the cut and moving to the next round."

Kelly Scott / contributing photographer There are several styles of swing dance such as the Lindy Hop, Hollywood, West Coast, Rock 'n' Roll, Boogie Woogie and the Jitterbug.

She added, "I started dancing a year ago when two of my friends convinced me that I should try the Swing Club. Everyone in the club is really great and the dancing is so much fun that I was hooked. Over the summer I took lessons and danced at least twice a week. I tried to learn a lot and work on my following so that I could bring back a lot of new moves and techniques this past fall."

For sophomore Rebecca Berryman, the Swing Club offeres a chance to learn steps and have fun.

"I've always wanted to do it but never had the time. Someone invited me to come and I came," Berryman said. "I've learned a lot since coming to the meetings because I had no clue what I was doing before."

Hall agreed. "I've always been interested in swing because my sister got me interested. It's clever, it's complicated and looks really neat."

The Swing Club is holding its first meeting Tuesday, Jan. 15 at 9 p.m. on the first floor of the Festival.