Who are we?
We're the Cyclone Swing Society and we've been a campus organization since Fall
2003. Our mission is to create a social dance environment for all levels of
swing dancers here at Iowa State University as well as in the surrounding
community. That's a stuffy way of saying that we want to have fun dancing, and
we want you to dance with us.
What can we teach you?
We offer lessons for all level of swing dancer. We can take you from zero to
swing in thirty minutes or help you hone your technique to take your dancing to
the next level. We provide lessons before all of our events and we're available
for our own organization's functions.
It's easy to learn the basics of swing dancing, and that's all you need to start
having fun. But there are many different types and styles of swing and there's
always something new to learn, so it never gets boring.
What is Swing?
Swing is genre of dancing that includes many steps and dances done to jazz
music. Swing dances can be solo or partnered, big and flashy, or smooth and
sophisticated. Wikipedia has a nice description of swing dancing and it's
history. But to really know what swing is, you've got to experience it.
Swing dancing is not a ballroom dance (although ballroom dancers do have a form
of dance related to swing). The swing community strives to stay connected to its
roots, keeping the dance improvisational and vibrant. Swing focuses on aspects
of the social dance like how to lead and follow, partner connection,
improvisation and having a good time.
Some types of swing dance we do are Lindy Hop, East Coast Swing or Jitterbug,
Charleston, Balboa, Shag and the Shim Sham, but there are plenty more out there.
The Local Scene
There are a few clubs around the state and region. We meet up with some of them at the larger dances.
