Four Years of Swing, Part I -OR- My First Night at JNO

Four years ago, at about this time of year, Kate, Annette, and I went to our very first Jitterbugs Night Out. We had only learned how to swing dance a week ago in a swing club started by Dana, Corrin, and Chris. They had handed out free passes the previous Tuesday, saying, "Go here! There are a lot of cool people and you'll get to practice your dancing!"

It was very intimidating that first night. It was back at the Beehive (oh so long ago!), which was not in the best part of town (after going there, I would flinch whenever I heard of a violent crime in that area), and it was very small and there were a lot of people I did not know. But, I did have Kate and Annette and the other Central kids to hang out with.

At 8:00, Billy and Lindsay started the beginning East Coast lesson. I was still stumbling over my steps slightly (swing being my very first [and arguably only] dance, my feet were very awkward), but nothing was really new to me; the swing club had covered most (if not all!) of that lesson in the first two "meetings" (somehow, dancing with other people seems more like a get-together than a meeting). I met several people and forgot their names immediately. The lesson was over, Kate, Annette, and I hid in a corner (well, I did, at least), the lights we turned down, and the music started playing.

I'm still surprised at how many people we could fit in that room and still let there be room for dancing (not only were there the regular Jitterbugs, but a Lindy exchange with Denver was going on; I remember there was one really cool dancer there who Kate [the courageous one] danced with. I had hoped to see him the next week, but alas, he was back in Denver. I don't think I've seen him since). Kate and Annette (being the outgoing ones) actually danced with the other Jitterbugs. I tended to stay with the Central crowd.

I do remember that I danced with Cliff and Billy that night. Dancing with Cliff was good; he stayed with East Coast and I could follow. But dancing with Billy... I was lost. I think then and there I decided that I was going to get good enough that I could follow Billy and he wouldn't have to dumb down the moves too much. (I like to think that I've succeeded, but then I watch him and Lindsay [or Christie] dance and I feel like a flat-footed fool.)

I don't remember if we stayed till midnight or not (I think not; 11:00 was kind of our [mostly] self-imposed curfew time, even then). But we had told ourselves that we would get $3 and go next week (ah, the times when students got a $2 discount...). Thus, an addiction started, which is now four years old and still going strong (for me at least).