New dance group getting in the swing
A Nelson swing dance group is trying to revive the custom of social dancing nights without a night out having to revolve around drinking.
Nelzapoppin’ dance teacher Susan Toynbee said they were keen to grow the social dancing gatherings they organised every two weeks.
‘‘It’s kind of like a lost custom of being able to socialise without needing alcohol as a lubricant.
‘‘It’s a different vibe when people are not focused on drinking.’’
She said they held dance classes every week at the Boathouse, specialising in Lindy Hop, an American style which originated in Harlem in 1928.
The group was started two years ago by dance teacher Dan Sharp and Toynbee first took classes from him herself, before joining as a teacher.
‘‘It all started of started quite organically, not a lot of time was spent with advertising the group.
‘‘We were just doing it to have a bit of fun, but more recently we’ve got a little more serious.’’
Toynbee said the classes were there because the Lindy Hop music style had some specific dance moves people should know about.
The classes had been well attended, with on average 20 couples attending the beginners classes and a few less in the intermediate classes.
‘‘We love teaching but we really want people to come out and do it for the dancing.
‘‘The social dancing has been quieter than we like, we’re not sure what people’s reservations are, they might be a bit nervous to dance socially.’’
However Toynbee said Lindy Hop was a ‘‘very forgiving’’ style of dance, all about improvisation and ‘‘goofing around, having fun’’.
‘‘It doesn’t matter whether or not you mess it up a million times.’’
She said because the dance style was quite high energy, people often didn’t even think about having a drink as they were more concerned about who they were dancing with next.
‘‘Once you get the bug, you want to keep going, it’s quite an addictive style of dance.’’