Instructors Pauline West and Scott Piffard show what swing dance is all about (Photo: Adam Dietrich)
Dance has always brought out the most excitement in people.
Whether you prefer slow and casual or you just want to get down, everyone owns a pair of dancing shoes just waiting to be broken in. However, if your shoes have been looking to arabesque their way into something new, or even if they’ve just been put away for too long, swing is just what the doctor ordered.
Carleton’s Swing Dance Club (CSDC) is a phenomenon four years in the making. Led by president and instructor Pauline West, the group brings the flair and passion of swing dance to a modern audience. Along with vice-president and fellow instructor Scott Piffard, West teaches the basics and much more in a very friendly atmosphere.
“It’s fun!” replied an emphatic West when asked why join swing.
Swing is an incredible, yet often-overlooked field of dance, stemming from genres of the 1920s, 30s and 40s like the Lindy Hop and the Shag. It involves decent footwork and a sense of rhythm. However, a dance background isn’t necessary for swing; even those with two left feet are sure to find it very engaging.
“I picked it up very quickly,” says West, who has been dancing for only four years. “But everybody can pick it up enough to have fun with it.”
Not only is swing upbeat and fast-paced, it’s also a very enthralling way to meet people. Beyond Carleton itself, social dances are run throughout Ottawa’s Swing Dance Society, with live bands performing to large audiences on the weekends. Along with Kingston and Quebec City, Ottawa has a growing swing scene with a newer generation of swingers finding their way to the dance floor.
“Out of all the dancing I’ve done, it has the nicest atmosphere and friendliest people,” says Oz Omar, the vice-president (logistics) of CSDC. Not long ago, Oz was looking to take salsa lessons to expand his dance repertoire. Since taking swing as an alternative, he hasn’t looked back.
Additionally, swing is starting to get very competitive. Competitions have run for dancers, not only in the city, but on the national and international levels as well. Several members and instructors of CSDC have gone on to place and even win on these stages.
CSDC comes together every Monday at 8 p.m. in room 213 of the Tory building, and West encourages everyone to come out.
“It’s a great way to meet people, to stay fit and to have fun.”