Go down swinging
The USU Big Band swing club encourages students to put on their dancing shoes and dance the night away in their upcoming Hellzapoppin’ Competition, beginning on Feb. 1.
The annual tradition, now in its fourth year, is part of the club’s Harlem nights, recreating the famed origin of swing in the Harlem Savoy ballroom and honoring Black History Month.
Rich with music, dancing and a bit of historical appreciation, the competition is one of the biggest events the USU swing club looks forward to each year.
Yet this year Benjamin Sundberg, the club’s activities chair, is most excited about a special guest returning to the USU campus. Frankie Manning, one of the guest instructors, is world-renowned as one of the last remaining original lindy hoppers. Now 92, Manning has become a “great” in the eyes of dancers across the nation, specifically in the swing style, Sundberg said. Specifically, Manning is accredited as “the first person to ever do a lift during dancing,” and he brings a lot of appeal to the people who see swing as an art, Sundberg said.
“Frankie Manning’s my idol. He’s the man,” said Dave Hess, a junior in psychology who eagerly waits to learn from the lindy hop expert.
Yet Manning’s appeal is even greater since he left the swing world for a short period where he worked with the U.S. Postal Service. Sundberg said swing dancers were happy to see Manning be brought out of retirement in the 1980s largely because of the influence of Steven Mitchell, another one of the instructors at USU’s Hellzapoppin’ event.
Mitchell and his dance partner Virginie Jensen also offer worldwide expertise in their travels to several countries and their combined years of practice. These instructors provide hands-on courses that teach both couples and singles the basics of three main swing styles that vary mostly in how jerky or raw the movements tend to be. These styles include Hollywood, smooth and savoy, the last of which is probably the most commonly used at USU, Sundberg said.
The workshops range in skill level and provide a place where anyone is invited to learn how to properly swing.
“At dances, you can always see what we call the ‘freshman shuffle’ or the ‘penguin'” Sundberg said. He said he suggests these workshops are designed to keep beginners from being recognized as such.
The workshops, held Feb. 2 and 3, will outline the blues, swing waltz, lindy hop, Charleston coupling and classes designed specifically for either leaders or followers.
“Both men and women could be either leaders or followers,” Sundberg said, explaining the coined nicknames. Sometimes men who typically lead will take a following class to improve their leading style and vice versa, Sundberg said. Also contrary to popular belief, Sundberg said women are not confined to following and are allowed a lot of freedom in the lindy hop, one of his favorite elements of this dance style.
Rule breaking is also a favorite element of the lindy hop, “a dance where anything is game,” as Sundberg refers to it. He described the dance as a style based on an eight-count basic swing inspired by tap, the Charleston, the turkey trot and black bottom. Though perhaps a combination of many dance forms, the term “lindy hop” also encompasses several styles of dance that have resulted from the original, including: West Coast, East Coast, jive/quickstep and western/country. For this reason, many refer to the lindy hop as the “grandfather of jazz,” Sundberg said.
Yet the Hellzapoppin’ competition encompasses more than just swing styles, he said. It relies on the music from the lindy hop time period, mainly selections from the 1920s, including: Slim & Slam, Ella Fitzgerald, Duke Ellington, Betty Goodman, Glen Miller and other swing favorites. The music is chosen with the same exactness as the dance steps, ranging from 90 beats per minute up to 350 beats per minute for the perfect rhythm.
“The higher beat songs are the ones where you get a jam session going” Sundberg said. In these sessions, the dancers form a circle in which couples enter to show off their different moves. Usually a couple will “jam” only for two phrases (or four counts of eight) and then let another couple enter the spotlight. These jam sessions are one of the opportunities where air steps and aerials are considered appropriate, Sundberg said.
Fast and flippant movements twist and twirl the couples as the dancers are thrown into the air-frosting on the cake, as Sundberg refers to it. Yet these types of moves are commonly practiced in the advanced USU clubs, “Swingcopation” and “The Swing Set,” which have been preparing for weeks for the Harlem Nights competitions.
Yet what puts the dancers out on top is not necessarily the moves that outsiders would consider impressive. What Sundberg recognizes as the hardest part is taking what you learn from the basics and making it your own. In his opinion, truly great dancers display a connection, learn how to move together and have a passion for the dance.
“Dancing’s a life. Show your emotion through dance,” Sundberg said.
People from all over the community and beyond take Sundberg’s motto to heart and come from Salt Lake City, Denver and Idaho to compete or even just have fun every first and third Saturday at the Elite Hall Ballroom. Nate Vimen is one such example, a BYU-Idaho student who participates in the dances there. Vimen said he goes to meet people and have a good time.
“It’s addictive,” Vimen said. “You get involved in all kinds of dance. It takes 100 percent energy and the atmosphere’s great; it’s really laid back.”
Hess described his own motivation with two words, “Swing Rocks!” He said he appreciates the way swing dancing allows him to express himself and think outside the box while having a lot of fun.
Those who are looking for a tough competition will find it in the Hellzapoppin’ endurance competition. As part of Harlem nights, the USU Big Band swing club puts on “Dance ’til you Drop” dance-off where the last person standing wins a cash prize.
“You have to mix it up though” Sundberg said. “You can’t just keep repeating a basic.” The challenge is on while several couples try to outlast the clock.
Finally, the main event will take place on Feb. 3 at the Elite Hall Ballroom as the final competitors finish off the Hellzapoppin’ celebration with their best feet forward. Everyone is encouraged to participate and learn how to swing with “the greats.”
For more information on the USU Big Band swing club or a link to a detailed schedule of the Harlem nights events, go to www.usu.edu/swing.
-cynthiadianne@cc.usu.edu