Purdue News
Purdue News
|
|
January 29, 2004 Swing dance opens Elliott Hall stage to swing fansWEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – Opportunities to dance on the Elliott Hall of Music stage usually are reserved for professional companies putting on lavish shows. But Purdue Bands' annual Underground Swing Dance will open Elliott's spacious wooden stage on Friday, Feb. 6, to all dancers. The Purdue Night Train Swing Dance Club will offer free swing lessons from 7-8 p.m. on the stage, with live music from 8-10:30 p.m. by American Music Review and the Purdue Lab and Concert Jazz bands. Dance club members will swing along with the crowd to provide inspiration to those wishing to duplicate their nostalgic moves. The event also kicks off the second annual Collegiate Lindy Exchange, which draws student dancers from various Midwestern universities. The Underground Swing Dance was introduced in 2001 as a casual alternative to the more formal Evening of Romance Valentine's event sponsored by the Purdue Jazz Band. "We're constantly looking for new ways to have fun with music," says Kathy Matter, Purdue Bands spokesperson. "That led us to the idea of having an 'underground,' or alternative, dance in a location that's usually off-limits." Admission to the swing dance is free. The event is open to anyone who enjoys music from the big band era and wants to listen, as well as to those who want to dance. Much of the evening's music was made popular in the 1940s when ballrooms were crowded with dancers. "Music then really was for dancing, particularly with swing bands and big bands," says American Music Review director William Kisinger, whose band and singers pay homage to the era. Polkas, cha-chas, ballads for slow dancing, and lots of fast-paced swing tunes like "Shake, Rattle and Roll" and "Swinging at Basie's Place" are on the song list. Six singers will be featured with American Music Review, including Lafayette senior Sara Suppinger singing "How Long Has This Been Going On" and Indianapolis junior Decolby Hill singing "Everday I Have the Blues." Emphasizing the "underground" nature of the dance, those attending will not enter Elliott through the normal entrances, but will use the loading dock entrance, which will be marked with signs. The loading dock is on the north side of Elliott adjacent to the Purdue Armory parking lot. Purdue University Bands also offers a more formal jazz dance, Evening of Romance, from 8-10:30 p.m. on Valentine's Day, Saturday, Feb. 14, at the Holiday Inn Select in downtown Lafayette. The cabaret-style event includes a dessert buffet and dance music by the Purdue Jazz Band. For ticket information, call (765) 494-3933. Writer: Reni Winter, (765) 496-3133, rwinter@purdue.edu Sources: William Kisinger, (765) 494-3955, wdkisinger@purdue.edu Kathy Matter, (765) 496-6785, kcmatter@purdue.edu Purdue News Service: (765) 494-2096; purduenews@purdue.edu
|
