Going to a swing party is a bit like stepping into another era: a live jazz band, suspenders, victory curls, the whole shabang. The parties are often held in antique theaters or unique spaces that give the sense that Billie Holiday or Louis Armstrong could turn the corner at any moment. Everyone in the room is dancing – hopping and swinging with the music as the follows spin and swivel their hips and the leads stomp and kick rhythmically. The whole scene is unlike anything that our generation is used to.
One of the most impressive aspects of Buenos Aires is that you can access just about any niche interest that might tickle your fancy. Although Buenos Aires is quickly associated with tango, travellers never cease to be amazed at the wide array and impressive quantity of music, dance, theater, fine art, (need I go on?) that Buenos Aires has to offer.
Believe it or not, the Buenos Aires swing scene is booming and expanding every day. It is the largest swing scene in South America is working towards supporting the growth of neighboring South American swing scenes. With internationally known teachers, several well put together weekly parties, and new and exciting events popping up all of the time, the scene is in full swing, so to speak. In recent years the swing scene has moved into one of the biggest clubs in the city, Niceto club, with the Swingin’ Nights party. Buenos Aires has one leg up on many other cities- it’s tendency towards insomnia. The city’s reputation for it’s late nights holds true for it’s swing parties- many of which end around 5am.
Swing dance is an umbrella term used to describe a number of dances that arose primarily in New York City starting from the 1920’s and lasting through the 1940’s, a time coined as the Swing Era. The most popular of the swing dances are the Lindy Hop (sometimes referred to as the Jitterbug) and the Charleston followed by Balboa and Collegiate Shag. Swing is often danced with a partner, with basic steps and a lot of room for improvisation. Although the dance largely died down after World War II, the younger generation has forced a resurgence and swing scenes have been popping up in major cities all over the world.
With a group of amazingly talented and dedicated teachers, you can find a swing class any day of the week to suit your level here in Buenos Aires. The great thing about swing is that it has a warm and accepting culture that surrounds it – the people in the scene want to keep the dance alive and are welcoming and encouraging to newcomers. You don’t need to come with a partner and it is more than acceptable to show up stag or with some friends to a party, everyone dances with everyone and you will have no trouble finding someone to dance with.
Be sure to visit the site and Facebook pages of the follow events, as dates and times are always changing!
Sunday:
9:00 PM Swing Club class & party (Villa Crespo)
Monday:
7:00 PM Swing City class (Microcentro)
Thursday:
9:00 PM Swingin’ Nights class & party@ Niceto (Palermo)
9:00 PM Duncan Swing class & party (Almagro)
9:00 PM Swing San Telmo: (The only class in the San Telmo area!)
Friday:
(1st & 2nd Fridays) 11:00 PM
Swing at Mandril class & party (San Cristobal)
Saturday:
5:00 PM Swing City class (Palermo)
In 2015, Swing City opened its very own swing school- dedicated entirely to swing that is located at Scalabrini Ortiz 103, in Villa Crespo.
There are more classes than those mentioned here. To keep yourself informed about all of the upcoming classes and events, join the Swing Argentina group on Facebook.
Heather Houde
