The faint sound of swing music wafts from the Johnson Gym basement and mingles with the shouts of sweaty basketball players nearby.
The smell of old shoes and sweat is everywhere in the aerobics room, yet the twirling mass of couples there doesn’t seem to notice.
Meet Jitterbugs Anonymous — UNM’s very own swing dancing club.
Member and former club president Kevin Clark said swing dancing can be described as a high-energy partner dance that is not as strict as other traditional dance styles.
“There isn’t a set pattern or routine you do,” Clark said. “You have a basic (set) of certain steps, but then you change the shape of those … It’s a lot more free than a ballroom dance might be. I like it because it’s very youthful, it’s full of energy, it’s very rhythmic and I like rhythms. Jazz and swing dance are based around rhythm, and so it’s like the physical exploration of that idea.”
Danielle Easley, member and former vice president of Jitterbugs Anonymous, said swing is more social than any other dance form.
“I feel like, in jazz and ballet, the more studio dances, there’s a lot of competition and less friendliness or community,” she said. “Swing dancing really emphasizes the community and friendship-building.”
While the actual dancing is enjoyable, Clark said there’s more to it than that.
“There’s all those aerials and those are fun, but more so I liked the physical interaction between two people,” he said. “That’s what keeps me coming back — the social interactions, all the friends that I have made, and all the girls that I have met.”
Clark said the romantic aspect of partner dancing is very prevalent in swing dancing, and is one of its major draws.
“Social dancing is an excuse for physical interaction between men and women, and so never forget that that’s why it exists,” Clark said. “It’s just an excuse: hot girls dance and you can touch them; hot guys dance and you can dance with them. And some people like dancing, too, and I’m one of them.”
However, Clark said newcomers don’t need to be self-conscious about their dancing abilities because there is often a lesson at each session.
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The club sometimes holds workshops, Easley said, but the main purpose is simply to dance and have a good time.
“People like dancing as a sort of stress relief,” she said. “It’s a nice place to go after a long day of classes where you can just hang out with your friends and not worry about stuff.”
