All About Swing Dancing!

Swing Dancing can be enjoyed with many kinds of music, including Country music, Big Band or Swing Jazz music, Rock and Roll and more! It has many varieties that make it an especially versatile dance to learn. If you have ever been interested in learning to Swing dance, come give us a try at Dance FX Studios in Mesa, Arizona. We will prepare you to be a confident and comfortable Swing dancer in no time! Until then, learn more about the Swing and its array of styles with these fun facts. Did you know that....

-The Swing Era occurred during a period that was full of despair (1935-1945). Racism, gender discrimination, poverty, war and adolescent turmoil were all very much prevalent. The Great Depression (1929-early 1940s) and World War II (1939-1945) both took place at the same time that Swing was thriving.

-Dean Collins was considered one of the greatest male Swing dancers during the Swing Era. He got his big break by choreographing dances for the film "Let's Make Music". This was followed by choreographing dances for and dancing in a long list of movies, including Hellzapoppin', Dance Hall, Playmates, Buck Privates, Ride Em' Cowboy, The Talk of the Town, Springtime in the Rockies, Kid Dynamite, Junior Prom, Living it Up, and more. He is considered a pioneer of the West Coast Swing.

-A scene featuring the Jitterbug, a variation of swing, was cut from the Wizard of Oz. It evidently took five weeks to rehearse and record and cost $80,000 to produce start to finish.  The scene included blue and pink Jitterbugs that bit people and caused them to dance. It was too upbeat, perhaps, for other, darker themes of the movie and was cut when the movie needed to be shortened.

-Swing Jazz music is also known as the Big Band sound. This type of music was characterized by strong rhythms and “call and response” trends between sections of the band. Swing music was dubbed with its name after Duke Ellington’s record, “It Don’t Mean a Thing If It Ain’t Got That Swing” became a hit. During its peak prior to World War II, Swing Jazz was the most universal and widespread genre of music in the United States. 

-West Coast Swing is one of few dances that highlight improvisation.  This variation of Swing, distinguished by its “elastic” moves, is also known as "Western Swing" and “California Swing”. California designated as the style as the Official State Dance of California in 1988.

Here at Dance FX Studios, located in the Phoenix metro area, we offer social ballroom dance lessons, including all of the Swing types discussed above! With our unique teaching style and outstandinginstructors, you can learn a variety of dances you might be interested in, whether it is the passionate Salsa, the fun Country Two Step, or multifacted Swing Dancing. We have great Holiday Savings right now and our $40 Introductory dance lesson offer will not only get you hooked; it comes at a bargain, too!