Swing Dancing: A Hobby
Swing dancing is a fun way for me to stay active, hang out with friends, listen to fun music, and develop a rather unique skill. It’s something that anyone who can walk could, in theory, take up to some extent. These days I go to swing dances as often as I can and try to learn stuff along the way.
When I was a freshman in high school, I went to a youth group retreat, while there, there was an evening dance, complete with swing dance lessons, and a youth groups full of kids interested in learning how to dance. There I learned the basics of swing dancing for the first time. Fast forward through some quick afternoons at camp throughout high school watching some country swing dancing kids. I didn’t get a chance to swing dance until I went to a swing dancing club at community college, but only once as I was intimidated, and didn’t like the school anyway.
Well, thankfully when I started my junior year of college at a private university I saw the swing dance booth at the club fair and decided to try it. I loved it. I got to learn more with other students and friends that I enjoyed spending time with. I went every week I could possibly find the time in my schedule to get to the lesson. I worked hard at asking for feedback, working with the instructors, and trying to get to social dances as much as possible, 3 years later and I’ve gotten down some aerials (off the ground dance moves), I consistently get good feedback on my following (the technique of letting your partner take the lead, and following the direction you’ve been sent through cue), and I even have the confidence to dance at friends weddings now.
It’s been a wonderful challenge for me, to push myself out of my comfort zone, to accept dances and ask for dances, and try my best to stay in shape. I’ve also found that I really love the subculture that is the swing dancing community in the Twin Cities area. Though perhaps the ultimate challenge came when I went to Europe on a study abroad trip in college, and while in London decided to find a swing dance in the area with some other gals on the trip. Well I got to dance, and I believe I did quite well, and I was certainly out of my comfort zone.
My love for dancing doesn’t stop at swing either, in high school I was in the school dance club for a season where we learned a choreographed routine. I also had to take a gym class in high school that included ballroom dancing, an interesting challenge at that point, but an experience that left me a little inspired. Even during a swing dance club meeting, we learned the tango, and that was really different. Lately, I’ve tried things like Zumba, and even an urban dance class. I’ve challenged myself, given it my all, and I’ve learned that almost all of these have strong sub-cultures in my area that are growing, because they’re fun and interesting. I wish I would’ve grown up dancing, even something like jazz dancing because I think I would be better at dancing now, but at least I can call it my passion, and not something my parents just had me doing from a young age, not that that’s necessarily bad either.
Dancing for me has been a chance to express myself, in a way where I can spend my abundance of energy, listen to music I truly love, all while strengthening friendships and creating new ones along the way. Although I imagine it isn’t for everyone, I believe dancing is something everyone should try, because why not?
