Dancers get set to swing into midwinter festival
ONE way to keep warm this long weekend is to swing like it is the Great Depression.
Dancers from across the country and teachers from abroad will fill the city’s dance halls in the next three days for the third Dunedin Midwinter Swing Festival.
The term incorporates styles popular from the 1920s to 1940s such as the Charleston, Lindy hop and blues.
Festival committee chairman Matt Jenkins said the weekend was an opportunity to draw ‘‘amazing’’ dancers and teachers to Dunedin.
‘‘There are a few scenes from around New Zealand like Christchurch, Auckland, Wellington, Nelson. We hope to get as many of them here as possible.’’
Swing in Dunedin was popular with students and the scene in the city was ‘‘very vibrant’’, he said.
The festival leaps into action tonight with a ball at The Savoy.
Mr Jenkins said the Lindy hop, now one of the most popular of the swing styles, originated in Savoy in Harlem, New York, so the venue was fitting.
Dancers will be accompanied by the Rinky Tinky Jingle Jangle Jazz Club and treated to a showcase by The DecaVitas, who are worldtravelling swing experts hailing from Sweden.
Tomorrow night, the 2018 South Island Swing Dance Competitions will be held at Toitu Otago Settlers Museum, which will attract dancers from around the country and Australia.
On Sunday night, at Plato, the Dunedin City Jazz Orchestra will keep the beat for the Harbour Hop.
Mr Jenkins said he had never done any dancing before trying swing three and ahalf years ago.
‘‘It’s an international language. You can connect with people you wouldn’t usually be able to connect to.’’
His advice for newcomers was to ‘‘smile and relax’’.
There was a tendency for beginners to close up and fear making mistakes, he said.
‘‘But we love mistakes, mistakes are things that give flavour to a dance.’’