Saturday Night Swing Dancing in Zurich

So you ask....What are they like? Much more similar than I expected.

How I get there? A 20 minute tram and a 10 minute walk. How I get back? I pray that someone will drive me back to my flat or luck out and get a cab home. Tram service stops promptly at midnight and the dances continue until 4am in the morning. I was only able to dance until 2pm before pooping out.

The dance hall: It's a little bigger than the the PBDA kitchen. You have to go through a dark alley before you hear the swing music. It looks like it's in a warehouse. You walk up these very dark and red-lighted stairs; It's on the 1st floor. What I found out when I walked out of the building was that there is a techno dance in the basement. So you can imagine Swing people miggling with trance. It's... different.

It was special this past Saturday because they had a band. The band looked more like a 3 string quartet... but they were good! I was amazed at the sets, it really was fantastic. After midnight though, it becomes a DJ set which is fine.

The big difference is the full-bar. I was good though, only had a coke. There were bistro type tables and chairs lining the room and a little power-room/closet for the girls and boys to slip into their swing shoes or change their shirts. The women have no qualms of taking off their blouse and changing to another while people draw the curtain back for all to see. Fun stuff. LOL...

The swing style - almost all Lindy Hop. You rarely see Shag or Balboa. Absolutely NO 6-step smooth or Hollywood style lindy. I have been told that my style is Savoy because I tend to keep my arm up waist level. The crowd here keeps their hands very low... and maybe it's the culture, but they are all VERY light leads! The men don't believe in pushing around the women. I admit it's very hard to follow because I really don't know what they want me to do... but I am watching a lot and learning.

They have birthday dances, they do the Shim-Sham and the Jitterbug Stroll... I got major brownie points for know them... they were surprised at a newcomer, out of nowhere doing these dances with them. They do it twice as fast as PBDA, so my suzie Q's don't look as lame. ;)

BUT

it just isn't the same. They are not YOU guys...and it makes me miss each and every one of you all the more.

Jenn