USU dance teams share many talents with whole valley
Here’s a real hummer for all you jitterbugs.
On March 1 at Elite Hall in Hyrum the swing team from Utah State University along with the USU Ballroom Team will hold Dance X-change, which includes workshops that will teach some of the basic steps of many styles of swing dancing, said Marcia Whitney, USU Big Band Swing club president.
The USU Swing Team usually holds a large dance exchange, but this year they decided to do a smaller event that involved the whole
community.
BreeAnn Vernon, a swing team member, said, “[The dance exchange] is a good opportunity to share with the community what [the swing team] is all about.”
Many factors have contributed to the decision to hold the exchange, Vernon said. The swing club wrote a proposal to Hyrum City to have the use of Elite Hall twice a month.
Brittney Davis, a swing team member, said, “We have this great dance hall and this was a great opportunity to make use of it.”
Whitney said holding the exchange and opening up workshop opportunities to the community is an excellent way to include the community in what they do.
“I think that this event will go off very well,” Whitney said. “We will have some big swingers coming here from all over Utah and some from Idaho. It’s going to be very exciting.”
Isaac Ashby, vice president for the swing team, said, “Jazz is more American than rock ‘n’ roll and swing is the perfect complement.”
Whitney said it doesn’t matter if you are an experienced dancer or not because all levels of experience are welcome.
The workshops offered at the exchange will cover many different styles of swing dancing, including lindy hop, balboa, west coast and jazz.
Whitney said the lindy hop is an eight-count swing step that was developed in the early 1900s. The original style of this dance will always be the Savoy style from Harlem. It was taken across the country, brought up from original, low, bouncy steps and smoothed out, she said. When it reached California it was called Hollywood.
“Lindy hop is the mother of all swing styles,” Whitney said.
West coast swing evolved from the Hollywood lindy hop.
“It is a very smooth form of swing,” she said. “It should look like you are on roller skates.”
Whitney said everyone is welcome to attend and the admission cost is $3.
Live music for the event will be provided by Larry Smith’s Jazz Combo and a floor show will also be provided later that night by the Sky View High School Ballroom Team, the USU Ballroom Team and the USU Swing Team.
–kassrobison@cc.usu.edu
Amy Andersen supports dance partner Jimmy Suisse as he goes into the “upside-down man,” one of the club’s favorite moves.
Michelle Weight and Justen Hansen, members of the Utah State University Big Band Swing Team, execute the cherry drop. This move is one of a series of air steps or dance steps done in the air. (Statesman file photos)