A new fad that has been sweeping through Utah over the past year or two like a thick waft of lake stink. This activity is popular amongst youngsters in their early twenties, especially those that are rhythmically challenged or have a particularly poor taste in music. If you haven’t guessed by now, I’m referring to Country ‘Swing Dancing’.
I would like to emphasize that I only call it ‘Swing Dancing’ because that’s the term that the general public uses to describe it. If I had my way, we’d call it Country ‘Moving-To-Crappy-Music-While-Yanking-Girls-Arms-Out-Of-Their-
Sockets’. But I rarely get my way.
As a traditional swing dancer, one thing that really gets on my nerves is hearing people try to justify that Country ‘Swing’ is similar to regular Swing, or any other form of dance for that matter. The definition of Dance is, “to move one’s feet or body, or both, rhythmically in a pattern of steps, esp. to the accompaniment of music.” Judging by this definition, country dancing is NOT a form of dance.
What most people don’t understand is that Country Swing is so popular because anybody with arms can do it… and I mean ANYBODY. It requires no rhythm, no coordination, no musicality, no connection, no real steps and no prior experience. It doesn’t matter if a fast song or a slow song is playing, or if your partner is a cripple, you just spin in circles while holding hands, jerking your bodies at the apex of every arm stretch.
Some would justify Country ‘Swing’ by saying that the lifts involved take great skill and coordination, when in all reality they only require big muscles, a small female and the occasional disregard to personal space (the ladies know what I’m talking about… guys, you never have anyone lifting you over your head whilst holding onto your nether-reigions).
Real Swing (Lindy Hop, Charleston, Balboa, Shag, Blues etc.), on the other hand actually meets the guidelines and definitions of ‘Dance’. More importantly than that, as a general statement, regular Swing dancers – or should I say REAL Swing dancers – are a very friendly bunch and are normally very willing to help you learn to do what they do. Country Swing venues are full of the people who show up in the hopes of either finding a date or fondling a girl. Granted there are a lot of nice people who attend the Country Swing venues, but they are also highly saturated with the Plastics and the Sweet Bros trying to get a piece of one another.
Maybe the best way to prove my point is to just show you what I mean. Check out the following videos, and honestly let me know what you think.
Country Swing
Lindy Hop
