Jay Erickson-

The Gustavus Swing Dance Club is a student-led organization that meets on Wednesdays at 8:30 p.m. in Alumni Hall. The leaders teach students how to perform swing moves, as well as moves from other dance styles.

“Swing dance” is a term that encapsulates many dances stemming from swing style music, a subset of jazz most popular from the 1920s to 1950s, “The dances include Lindy Hop [also called the Jitterbug], Charleston, Balboa, Collegiate Shag, and more,” Knoxville Swing Dance Association said. The Lindy Hop, supposedly the first form of swing dance, was a combination of “movements of African-American dances along with the formal eight-count structure of European partner dances,” Fred Astaire Dancing Studios said.

Last year, the Swing Club performed at the Diversity Ball, as well as putting on their own events throughout the year: “Our Diamond Ball was the biggest event that we held and, while we didn’t get the turnout that we had hoped, it was still an amazing night,” Junior Co-President Addy Schloo said. Schloo’s favorite part of the club is that it presents an opportunity to “let down your guard and forget about school for a little while.” Schloo hopes that the club will continue to grow and be able to move into “different forms of social dance” in order to include people who are interested in more than just swing dance.

Being a partnered dance, swing dance provides quite a bit of close time with fellow members and allows Gusties to meet new people, “I hope to get Gustavus dancing because it is a low-stress, lots of fun way to meet new people and hopefully friends,” Junior Leadership Member Jemma Koenigs said. Koenigs’ most loved part of the club is “being able to learn new skills and tricks and meet new people.” Club members learn dance moves that build up to choreographed routines composed of multiple different swing styles.

Club members also “learn different types of dance than just swing,” Junior Leadership Member Megan Lipke said. Lipke’s favorite part of Swing Club is “learning and teaching the lifts and dips in swing.” Similarly, Sophomore Leadership Member John Moran’s favorite thing is “any move with air time.”

Along with Schloo, Lipke hopes to expand the club and to “teach more kinds of dances.” The club has grown and changed over it’s 10+ years of being active, and it will continue growing “under strong leadership for years to come,” Moran said. Swing dance offers a chance to see fellow Gusties “learn and grow together,” Schloo said. The club even hires bands to play for them and they “try to do as many collaborative events as [they] can to get students involved,” Schloo said.

“Swing dance is more than just dancing, it’s about learning how to be comfortable with yourself and how to be able to work with others to create something beautiful,” Schloo said. The club’s goal is “to make people interested in different types of social dances and to give them the space to explore and find what’s interesting to them,” Schloo said.

Schloo encourages anyone interested to join anytime: “We will teach you everything you need to know, even if you haven’t made it to the beginning sessions. Everyone is welcome!” So, get on your dancing shoes and feel that swing!