Story & Photos by Alicia Greenwell
The dance floor in Agate Hall transformed into a mosaic of moving bodies swinging and grooving to the beats of Kim Massie and the Solomon Douglas Swingtet the night of November 10. The live music was a treat for the swing dancing community and the ELLA Swing Dance Club, a volunteer-based club that offers swing dance lessons and group dances every week.
The live music was a big draw at the Wednesday dance lesson and brought out people of all ages from Eugene to Corvallis to come and share their love for swing.
“The music was outstanding. There are not many live bands that come to Eugene and so the live music is what brought me here,” says Leonor Colbert, a fifth year University of Oregon senior who has been dancing swing for the past seven years. “Plus I really enjoy the chance to dance.”
With an hour-long lesson prior to the live music and dance, people got the opportunity to learn some moves before stepping on the dance floor.
“It’s exciting. I like it. Everyone is so friendly,” says Gwyneth Black, UO sophomore and new swing dancing community member. “Everyone here is so patient; no one has picked on me for being bad.”
Kim Massie’s voice and the music of the Solomon Douglas Swingtet set the mood for each dance, ranging from blues to jazz, R&B to gospel. While the band set the tempo, the dance floor was the platform for the mix of moving feet. Sneakers, high heels, leather shoes, and flats of all ages and skill levels took up a partner and let the music move them in their own preferred way.
The styles of swing dancing are as diverse as the shoes on the dance floor. There is Lindy Hop, East Coast Swing, Balboa, Shag, Charleston, and Blues. Each has its own characteristics, but they all fit under the umbrella of swing dancing, says Nathen Lester, a volunteer swing instructor for ELLA Swing Dance Club.
The six instructors at the Ella Swing Dance Club all have different areas that they excel in. Each lesson is taught by a different volunteer so dancers can learn a variety of styles from one club, says Karly Barrett, a volunteer swing instructor for the group who specializes in Lindy Hop, Charleston, and Balboa.
No matter what style of dancing is preferred, there is one thing that brings all these dancers together: the connection of music and the body. As the music played the bodies moved as if they were one – one organism of paired up strangers and friends that moved together using the music to bond them.
“It’s like relating to the music with my body,” says Lester. “You get into a zone. It’s like a high and when I don’t have it for a while I start jonesing for it.”

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