No one puts USU big band swing club in a corner
Kristopher Luthy didn’t ever picture himself dating someone on a competitive big-band swing dancing team, but when he met Maunia Julander, his perspective changed.
Last semester, Luthy had returned from his mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He said he hadn’t quite transitioned back into college life when he met Julander at a dance class.
But he didn’t ask her out — not that semester anyway. It wasn’t until after a summer apart that Luthy began dating Julander.
“We went on the perfect first date,” Luthy said. “Mountain top sunsets, stargazing, shooting stars, classic rock, Jeeping, romantic first kiss in a hammock under the shooting stars, and things have just gone great from there. I’m just lucky to be dating her. It’s been the best couple of months.”
Not every swing dance class experience ends with a relationship, but there are other opportunities in the club.
The swing club is an on-campus organization that has over 200 members and meets weekly on Thursday nights in HPER 102 for dance lessons and social dancing. Those involved are mainly Utah State University students, but anyone interested in learning is welcome to join.
“Big-band swing is the term for various styles of dance that were popular from the 20s to the 50s, mainly Charleston, Lindy Hop and the Jitterbug,” said Brittany Daniels, one of two lead instructors for the swing club. “These styles are unique to American culture because they are one of the only styles of dance truly native to our country.”
The club meets the first and third Saturday of each month to perform at the Elite Hall in Hyrum, Utah.
On Dec. 5, the club will even perform to live music from local jazz and swing band, CC Big Band.
There is also a competitive team set to compete in intercollegiate competitions later in the year. The other is a performance team, also known as Swing Set, a team that performs all over Utah.
“I love making new friends and getting to learn new things about what I’m passionate about,” said Julander, a member of Swing Set. “I usually prioritize dance and make time for practice by not scheduling things at night until I know my dance practice schedule. I think the most challenging part is making every move perfect so that it looks good when you perform it.”
Both teams usually meet once or twice a week to perfect the routines they will be competing and performing.
“Dance is so much more than just moving your body while music is in the background. It’s a form of communication,” Daniels said.
For those less sure of their swing dancing abilities, there are also big-band swing classes taught on campus by Daniels and Joseph Mullen. These classes meet twice a week and cover a wide variety of big band styles and steps.
“My favorite thing is when I can take someone who is convinced they can’t dance, and turn dance into something that they love,” Daniels said. “I love the lightbulb moment that comes when a move clicks for someone who has been struggling, and how happy they are to have accomplished what they thought they couldn’t.”
Not every swing class experience ends like Luthy’s — once in a swing dance class with a crush, now a member of Swing Set and in a relationship.
And Luthy said learning new dances and piecing together dance routines is a different process on a competitive team.
“The learning of a new dance can often be very fast-paced,” he said. “I find time for it because it’s a ridiculous amount of fun.”
— kortni.marie.wells@aggiemail.usu.edu