Club Meetings
This fall we will be holding weekly dance lessons on Thursday nights at 6:30 p.m., starting on September 17th. The lessons are an hour long and are taught in the Quadrangle room of the Union building on campus. Click here for a map. The lesson will, if we have the space reserved, be followed by social dance time and...well, whatever else we decide to do. Sign up for our mailing list to keep updated on when and where we are meeting. Also please see our calendar for more event and meeting information.
Non-TSDS Dancing
Lucky for you, Austin has one of the largest weekly swing dance events in the country, and it's just down the road from UT. Every Thursday from 8 p.m. to midnight, the Austin Swing Syndicate hosts a dance at the Federation of Women's Clubs ("The Fed") on 24th and San Gabriel (map). Because TSDS meetings end around 8:30, we usually head over there right after to dance some more. There's a $5 cover charge for non-members, but students can become members for $15 (per year) and then get in for only $2! Trust us, it's a great deal, and it's a blast! Directions: From UT, head west on 24th (across Guadalupe) until you reach San Gabriel. On the southwest corner you'll see a large, mansion-like building. That's the Fed. Cross San Gabriel and head further down 24th until you reach the entrance. Driving? Park in the Freewheeling lot located catty-corner from the Fed. There's also limited parking along the streets.
What Do We Teach?
If you know a little about ballroom dancing (or if you've watched those dancing shows...), you probably know there's more than one style of dance. Just as there are Waltz, Tango, Foxtrot, Rumba and others in the ballroom world, there are many varieties of swing dance that have formed over the past 90 years or so. Here are few that we teach...and a few that we don't.
East Coast Swing
This is the first style of swing we teach, mostly because it is more accessible and simpler than many other forms of swing. The dance revolves around a 6-count "basic" step, and is a "spot" dance, meaning it doesn't travel the floor (much). East Coast Swing (sometimes called "Jitterbug") was actually a later development of swing, but because of it's simplicity, and the way it can easily transition to more complicated dance forms, we teach it first.
Charleston
The Charleston is a dance that is presumed to have originated in Charleston, South Carolina (hence the name). Charleston is the dance you are likely to have associated with "flappers" and the 1920's. It can be danced solo or with a partner, and we of course teach the partner variety. Charleston is based on an 8-count "basic" pattern, and is most distinguishable because of it's kicks. And no, not kicks as in shoes. Kicks as in...kicking.
Lindy Hop
Lindy Hop is a dance style that originated in Harlem in the 1920's (and possibly before). Frankie Manning, "Shorty" George, and others contributed to the creation of this style of dance. The Lindy Hop "basic" is an 8-count step and is not particularly basic at all. It involves the lead pulling the follow in, turning a circle on the spot, and swinging her back out again. Because of this, the step is commonly called a "swing-out." Lindy Hop is the dance you will see the most of at the Fed, and is also one that you may have seen in older movies. It is a highly versatile dance that can easily incorporate Charleston and East Coast Swing, as well as some modern dance forms such as Blues dancing. Our classes lead up to Lindy Hop, which we then focus on for the majority of the semester.
Note: Despite the name, there is no "hopping" done at all in Lindy Hop. The name is actually a reference to Charles Lindbergh "hopping" the Atlantic because the early dancers thought they looked like they were flying when they danced it. Don't know who Charles Lindbergh is? Go wikipedia it.
West Coast Swing
West Coast Swing is a derivative of Lindy Hop that originated on the West Coast. West Coast Swing is a more linear dance than Lindy Hop. It was created that way so that it would be easier to put into movies, which were made in Hollywood, which is on the West Coast. Today, West Coast Swing is considered a "cool" dance, and is done to almost any sort of music you like (except swing, oddly): pop, soul, R&B, country. For some reason, West Coast Swing is often lumped in with various Country dance styles, such as Two-Step, and we will not teach it on a regular basis in TSDS.
Blues Dancing
Blues is a modern dance style that is all about the music. And in this case, that music is the Blues. Blues has no basic step, and doesn't really have any "steps" at all for that matter. It involves holding your parter very closely, in what could be described as a "hug", and moving across the floor together. Partners will often break away from one another, add a great deal of styling, and in general respond as fully as possible to the music. Needless to say, it is difficult to describe. We will not be teaching Blues dancing in TSDS, though it is available around Austin through various dance studios, and is recommended as an addition to your swing repertoire. Some dancers at the Fed will be Blues dancing, especially in the side room.