|
|
 |
|
Our Wedding Swing Dance Performance Video!
Swing Dancing is an umbrella term for many American dances that were
developed around the 1920's to the 1940's. Some of these dances are the East Coast swing, the Lindy Hop, the West
Coast Swing, Balboa, Charleston, and the list goes on. There are also "mob dances," which are line or group dances that
include the Shim Sham, the Jitterbug Stroll, the Big Apple, among many others.
Dan and Mariana do mostly Lindy Hop, though we know the East Coast and
have tried our hand (and feet!) at Balboa and Charleston. Lindy will always be our favourite, though!
For a much more detailed explanation of what exactly Lindy Hop is, and to learn about its history, please visit the following websites:
Archives of Early Lindy Hop
|
|
|
The Groom's Swing Dancing Story
My love for Swing Dancing began in February 2001. My brother was visiting me in London and two girls asked us to Dance at a Jazz Club. This was my first introduction to the Western Swing Kids and would become a part of my life for the next
2 years. I really enjoyed dancing and meeting new and interesting people. I soon found myself riding the bus for another 45 minutes to go swing dancing after
classes.
The first style of Swing Dance I learned was
East Coast and it would be my dance for the next 6 months. East Coast is an easy
to learn dance that looks really cool.
In March Cesar and Mariana Abeid arrived at Western
and brought a lot of new energy to the club. They tried to get me into Lindyhop,
Mariana especially, but I loved East Coast. In September I finally started to
appreciate the subtle qualities of Lindyhop. Once I became comfortable with the
basic movement the world of Lindyhop opened up to me. There is so much energy
and style in Lindyhop that I rarely go back to doing East Coast.
Dancing is by far my favorite passtime and I recommend
it to anyone who is interested.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
The Bride's Swing Dancing Story
I started swing dancing near Chicago in December of 1999. I learned East Coast
Swing at the Willowbrook Ballroom in Willowsprings, just outside Chicago. After we moved to London, ON, my
brother and I joined the UWO's Swing Kids, the university's swing dance club.
Later that year, my brother found
out about a Lindy Hop Exchange in Toronto - a great weekend of non-stop swing dancing with dances from 6:00 pm one night to
6:00 am the next day... So he taught me how to do the Lindy Hop, and off to the exchange we went. It was
loads of fun, and I picked up a lot there. My brother and I taught Lindy Hop at the UWO's swing club the following year.
We were also in the executive team - my brother as President, Dan as Treasurer, and me as VP Lessons and Workshops.
When I moved to Kingston, I joined the Queen's Swing Club (so did Dan), and a year
later I got a position in the executive team (Swing Club Representative). I have taught a few lessons with them as well.
The club is a lot of fun , so if you're around, make sure to check us out. You can see more information about the Queen's
Swing Club Here:
Queen's Swing Club
Swing Dancing has become a big part of who I am, and it's one of my favourite
things do... Dan and I dance with different people, but we also love to dance together, of course!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Want to learn how to swing dance?
Learning how to swing dance is not as difficult as most people think,
and it's a very unexpensive entertainment. If you live in a city where there is a big university, you can usually join
their Swing Dance Clubs even if you aren't a student, and the pricing is usually very reasonable.
At Queen's University, non-Queen's students can join the club for CDN$12.00
- that includes one lesson per week for the entire school year, plus discounts on workshops and dances.
Check the Links page for more swing dancing information.
|
|
|
|