If you’re new to U of T, then you’ve probably been hearing over and over again that you should join clubs or student groups. Still, finding something to join can be daunting. U of T has so many groups, and it’s hard enough just to wade through the list of clubs or the screaming crowd at the clubs fair, let alone find one you’re going to enjoy enough to come back week after week, as exams and essays start to pile up. To make things a little easier, we will be running a series profiling a couple different student groups every month. I’ll be kicking things off with two dance clubs: the Modern Jive Dance Club, and the UT Swing Club.
The UT Swing Club is one of the first clubs I joined at U of T. I had tried dancing before – mostly through ballroom classes – and absolutely hated it. I couldn’t look elegant, I hated that I had to bring a partner, and having a teacher constantly telling you that you’re not holding a strong frame is just not fun.
Swing was nothing like that. For one thing, there was no pressure to look good or be a brilliant dancer. Their facebook group says “no experience, coordination, or partner necessary,” and they mean it. Each week starts with a beginner Lindy Hop lesson; this is the stereotypical swing dance:
(Don’t worry, it’s not as hard as it looks). Continue reading “Life Outside the Classroom: UT Swing and Modern Jive”