Jump, jive and wail

If there's one thing I enjoy about swing dancing events, it's the age diversity. It doesn't matter how old or young you are, as long as you're willing to learn a bit and have a good time, you're completely welcome. The Swing Time! event at the Centro Asturiano in Ybor Friday night was no different (except that they had a live band busting out some music).

The people here were friendly to a fault. I felt like I had walked through a time warp and was transported back to when both swing dancing and common courtesy were in style. It's a welcome change to go out to Ybor on a Friday night and not have to worry about dealing with drunken guys falling over the place and bratty teenagers.

If you just wanted to sit on the sidelines and watch everybody dance (but really, why would you?) you would've had a pretty entertaining show for the night. While there wasn't the amount of aerial maneuvers going on that I would've hoped for, the dancing was still top-notch. There were a couple of times I was worried that the girls were going to get sick from all that spinning on the dance floor.

All this was complimented by The Venturas, who were authentic enough to be an opening act for the late great Ella Fitzgerald. They felt like the real deal, not some rockabilly band asked to play '20s covers.

If you missed out, you can check out the Gulfport Casino swing night at 5500 Shore Blvd. S in Gulfport on Wednesdays. It's the same idea only without a live band. It costs $6 to get in, and the lesson starts at 7 p.m. and the main dance starts at 8 p.m.

If you haven't tried swing dancing yet, I highly recommend it. It's fun and a great way to meet some new people. Plus, it's something different from the club scene and everyone can use a break from that once in a while. Yo can check out some more photos from the night here.

The first photo has Eric Hauser, Jennifer Kon, Brittany Butler and Steven Buis all dressed to the nines. The second photo is Christian Miller  dipping Sofia Miranda. The third photo is The Venturas as they're playing for the crowd.

Comments

[J0HN PAVONI]

Single 50+ living in the clearwater/ Largo area and like to dance. Weekly dance parties for Singles and dancers 50+ at East Bay Golf Club. $6.00 admission free dance lesson and dancing 7-11:00. For more information visit clubdanceclw.com

[Sam M]

Here's a link for the upcoming "Swing Time!" events at Centro Asturiano, plus the latest for the Gulfport Casino Swing Nights... http://www.SwingTime.info