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| Jesse Hanus and Mike Thibault, the founder of RIT's Swing Club, at the Rochester Swing Dance Network's Halloween Swing-In. |
| Sarah Ortiz |
In the roaring ’20s, while Rochester was booming
at its prime along with Kodak, a new form
of entertainment was beginning to take shape:
Swing dancing. Swing dancing became a way of
life in Rochester for the decade and continued
into the ’30s and ’40s.
Today, swing dancing is still alive and
kicking. In Rochester, several clubs, cafes,
and organizat ions hold workshops and
dances with live bands where Lindy Hop,
the style of choice for the swing era, is performed. Lindy Hop evolved
in Harlem during the late ’20s, with an emphasis on improvisation.
Although the bootleggers and speakeasies aren’t around anymore, Rochester
is evidence that great music and dance of the era still is.
The dancing style may be older than your parents, but dancers of all ages
are involved and events are often packed with college students. Those
events happen often, so just keep your eyes peeled for them. If you’ve never
danced before, people are always ready to teach
you something new about how to swing. If you
want something more formal, there are several
lessons that you can attend as well.
Swing dancing is a very social activity
and you can meet a lot of interesting
people through it, like Bill Nye,
who swing dances and can explain it
with science. As he illustrated in his
Brick City Homecoming speech, “Swing dancing is amazing and, guys, it’s a
great way to meet girls. All you have to do is go out and grab someone and
then dance. It’s that easy. Just grab.”
Now that you are interested in learning to dance, where do you go? Here are
some of the most happening scenes to start your Lindy Hopping days.
RIT Swing Dance Club
When: Thursdays at 8:30 p.m.
Where:: Dance Studio in the Student Health Center
Cost: $25 for the entire year, first few sessions are free
The RIT Swing Dance club is led by Jesse Hanus,
a third year Business Management major,
who has been dancing since 2003. Jesse is a great
instructor who is very passionate about swing.
“The music just makes you want to dance,”
said Hanus, who cites swing music as the main
reason for people to take up the dance form.
“If you like the music, then you should definitely
learn to dance to it. It just feels good.”
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| Stephen Kean dances with Hillary Guzik at Rochester
Swing Dance Network’s Halloween Swing-In. |
| Sarah Ortiz |
This club is the place to go to get a great introduction
to swing dancing. Members of the club
range from people who have never danced before
to people who danced their way out of the womb.
Somebody is always there to lend a helping
hand and it is perfectly okay to make a fool of
yourself. People with any amount of experience
are encouraged to come and dance.
The club meetings are lessons led by Hanus,
where you learn new moves, reinforce
basics, and have a good time. The best part is
that everyone at the Swing Dance Club goes
to RIT so it starts to feel like a private dance
for you and your friends. The only bad part is
because the club only meets once a week, it is
not enough dancing to become really skilled at
the form. But you can’t learn everything in a
classroom; you do have to go out and do some
social dancing.
Lindy Jam
When: Wednesdays at 8:30 p.m.
Where: Tango Cafe, 389 Gregory Street
Cost: $4, first time is free
Hosted by Groove Juice Swing, the Lindy Jam is
an open floor DJ-led social dance and local favorite
of Hanus and Daniel Son. Son, a fifth year
Computer Science major who has been dancing
for three years, says “The people you meet
there are great, and their passion is infectious.
You want to dance more after meeting them.”
Social dancing is the best way to put what
you learn in classes to the test, perfect them,
learn new things, and meet new people.
“The best thing about Lindy Jam is by far the
atmosphere. The floor is amazing, the view is
great, and the people in general are wonderful.
And, you can learn so much from going there,”
said Hanus. The vibe in Tango Cafe is comfortable
and exciting, offering a fruitful learning
environment. Everyone has a story to tell,
especially the older dancers. You can go in
there not knowing anyone, and leave with 20
new friends.
Big Apple Mondays
When: First Monday of every month, 8:30 p.m.
Where: Flat Iron Cafe, 561 State Street
Cost: Free
Big Apple Mondays start off with a beginner
lesson, taught by instructor Anna Regeuro.
The lesson is brief and covers the very basics,
but is great if you have never danced before.
After the lesson, the Quinn Lawrence Trio
takes over and the floor is open.
The trio is an absolutely amazing group —
they can really groove. Dancing to their music
is an entirely new experience, almost euphoric.
On a side note, if you just want to hear jazz
music, Flat Iron Cafe also has an After-Hours
Jazz Jam on Sundays at 1 a.m., where the trio is
a regular. On top of the live music and dancing,
the Flat Iron Cafe offers coffee, beer, food, and
cake. What could be better than swing music,
food, dancing, and drinks?
Check out www.rochesterlindyhop.com for
special events, and more information.
