The first time I really heard about swing dancing was when I first came to Moscow. Before then, I only knew about this specific type of dance in a passive sense. Whether that be in movies, stories from friends or the rumored unit in my elementary P.E. class, swing dancing was quite the novelty for me.
However, when I came to the University of Idaho, I noticed there was a huge swing dancing scene in the Moscow-Pullman area. Friends that I had recently met invited me to go dancing with them, but I politely declined. Not only did I not have a singular dancing bone in my body, but the thought of dancing with people I didn’t know was an innate fear of mine (that, and snakes).
However, in an effort to go into the new year with a brand new outlook on life, I realized that the only thing holding me back from cool experiences was myself. I decided that I would push myself out of my comfort zone and try things that I had never considered before. So, I went swing dancing.
“I realized that the only thing holding me back from cool experiences was myself.”
Palouse Country Swing Night sponsors weekly swing dancing events held at the Moscow Moose Lodge at 9 p.m. Wednesday nights for five dollars. As a beginner, I was quite scared of walking into the event. However, when I first walked in the door, I met two people who told me a little bit about their own first experiences with swing dancing.
Will Strickland, a relatively newer dancer, began swing dancing as a hobby last year with his campus ministry, which has a tradition of coming to the dance nights every Wednesday.
“I just tagged along with the crowd one night and it was super cool, so I just kept coming,” Strickland said.
Strickland reassured me that, even though I was a beginner, there is space here for everyone who is willing to learn
and participate.
“It’s open to all levels, and folks did a really good job of teaching me,” he said. “I’m confident that if someone came in that didn’t know what they were doing and asked for help, pretty much anyone would be willing to help out.” Thankfully, throughout the night, I found that to be true.
As I walked further into the room, I felt more nervous. Strickland asked me to dance, and I quickly noticed that the moves were nothing I was used to. He was the lead and I was meant to follow his moves, but I had a hard time relinquishing control. It wasn’t natural for me to be spun around; then again, that’s something I had never experienced before.
After Strickland and I finished our dance, I sat on a chair near the front corner of the room, observing the way all the pairs on the dance floor seemed to move in sync with each another. Seeing that, I was determined to become good — or at least try to be good — at swing dancing.
“For most of the time, my two left feet got the better of me, but by the last bit of the song, I was slowly getting the hang of it.”
However, before I could fully set my resolve, a Luke Bryan song started to play, and everyone around me got into position on the dance floor, moving in synchronized choreography. Of course I’d heard of line dancing, but I hadn’t witnessed it in this organized fashion before; everyone seemed to know exactly what steps to take. Through pure curiosity, I found myself on the dance floor trying to replicate the moves everyone else was doing. For most of the time, my two left feet got the better of me, but by the last bit of the song, I was slowly getting the hang of it. It was at this point I met Kat Richardson, a veteran swing dancer.
Richardson showed me the ropes including some new moves. One move that I tried my best to master was the “Pretzel.” Although it took me a while, I was proud that I was able to get the hang of it.
Despite my initial hesitation due to my lack of dancing skills, I’m glad I decided to give swing dancing a try, and I can confidently say that it was so much fun. Swing dancing challenged me physically and forced me to step outside of my comfort zone and try new things.
As I continue to explore the world of swing dancing, I am excited to learn new moves and refine my skills to become a better dancer. Overall, I would highly recommend swing dancing to anyone who is looking for a fun and rewarding way to stay active, meet new people and challenge themselves both physically and mentally. Swing dancing has been a transformative experience for me, and I believe it has the potential to be the same for others as well.
