Swing Dancing

My great adventure around San Diego took me back to the San Diego Central Library yesterday but this time for a swing dance lesson under the dome. The very talented team from Swing Dance San Diego hosts free swing dance lessons at the Central Library a few times per month. In honor of the Library’s 1st anniversary, they hosted a special lesson under the dome on a Saturday morning.

I took along my parents, experienced dancers and graduates of Mr. Benjamin’s Cotillion School, to help bridge the gap between my inexperience with swing and my dread of possibly dancing with a stranger. I have to give it to the instructors – they offer a very friendly and approachable process for learning the basic steps. They make all students rotate partners so I did have to endure a few wet fish hand shakes and beat-deficient dancers but all in all, the experience was a lot of fun. In just 30-minutes, they were able to teach us a few steps, in an entertaining and engaging manner. I was impressed that the 30 participants were all ages, shapes and sizes.  Like my parents, there were a few ringers in the group, but generally speaking, most attendees were new to the dance.

After 30-minutes of lessons, and a performance by the professionals, there was an open dance session where we could try out our new steps. Taking a swing lesson overlooking San Diego was an unique way to spend a morning!