Jump & jive

Southern Living, Jan 2001 by Stith, Mark G

Swing dancers gather at the Grove Park Inn in Asheville, North Carolina, for Big Band sounds.

If swing dancing is a fad, then it should have gone the way of the Macarena a long time ago. But this lively, entertaining dance style and the Big Band music that birthed it more than half a century ago have enjoyed a resurgence of popularity. Truth is, the music is still packing them in at swing dance clubs and events throughout the South.

"Swing dancing is a true American dance," says Donna Barker, who's been teaching that form and the Lindy Hop (a more spirited, swing-your-partner style) in the Washington, D.C., area for the past 15 years. "It's one of the easiest couples dances. Just about anybody who can walk can do this dance. It's social, it's exercise, and it's creative."

But to really understand what Donna means, get into the swing of things yourself at a Big Band concert. At the Grove Park Inn in Asheville, North Carolina, the annual Big Band weekend has it all: great music, a dolled-up ballroom, lots of sparkly lights, a giant wooden dance floor, a big American flag as the bandstand backdrop, and a mix of couples who travel from all over to attend.

"This is the first time we've been up here for this dance weekend, and it's been terrific," says Mary Lou Weibel, who drove with husband Jerry from Fayetteville, Georgia, to the gala the year before last. In the background, couples dance to "I've Got You Under My Skin," one of many classics played by the Charles Goodwin Orchestra from Kingsport, Tennessee.

For the next several hours, Charles and his group play everything from the "Beer Barrel Polka" to the "Tennessee Waltz" and "That Old Feeling." The allages crowd of 500-plus shares one thing: They love to dance to this music.

You see a mix of dress styles too. The younger set shows up in everything from zoot suits and vampy dresses to prom night with a little panache. Jeans and T-shirt? Baggy pants? No way, man. The point is to look good.

The dress code for the older crowd goes from sparkly, glittery, ballroom divas and dons to more conservative Sunday suit and tie. Whatever their style, the couples dress to match; after all, this is dancing specially meant for two people to look great together.

"I love the USO scene with the dance on Saturday night," says Maggie Schlubach, director of special events for the Grove Park Inn. "Couples love dressing up in military uniforms for the dance, like they did during World War II. We pay tribute to all branches of service during the night, and people really seem to appreciate that.

"I've noticed so many more younger people coming out to dance to this music too," she adds. "It's such a wholesome way for them to have fun, interact, and actually dance with their partners instead of just standing there and shaking around."

"You know, Big Band music never died," says Charles, whose orchestra has been performing for 40 years. "It just went into hiding for a while. You don't hear it on most radio stations or on television, but it's been kept alive in private dance halls and special events like the one here at the Grove Park Inn. The first time these kids hear Big Band music, it really knocks them out."

And it's no wonder: The same music knocked their parents out the first time they heard it too. Mark G. Stith For more information about the Tenth Annual Big Band Dance weekend at the Grove Park Inn, January 26-28, call (828) 252-2711 or 1-800-438-5800.