Band to play for swing dance

By Mark Richmond
Senior Writer

A lively performance is taking place at Elliott Hall tonight, yet there is no audience expected. This isn't because the show is bad. Rather, the audience is in the show itself.

Purdue Jazz Bands and the Purdue Night Train swing dance club are teaming up to host the Purdue Jazz Bands Speakeasy Swing Rave, an open dance, tonight at Elliott Hall. Admission to the event is free and open to everyone.

The Swing Rave, directed by Purdue Jazz Band director Mo Trout, will feature swing era music. They will be playing everything from swing standards from the 30's and 40's to more modern tunes from current swing groups. "It will be a nice variety of pieces," Trout said.

He said the idea for the dance event came from one of his students, Casey Kirchner, who is also president of the Purdue Night Train swing dance club.

Trout said the Jazz Band usually plays around this time of year, but this is the first time they have combined the event with a dance club. "We just decided to try something a little bit different this year and have it on stage."

The event is part of a weekend-long swing dance workshop called the Boiler Swing Bash. Kirchner, a senior in the Schools of Engineering, said professional swing dance instructors will be attending the weekend workshops.

Kirchner said Night Train was started by herself and several other friends who share a common interest in swing. "I think we all probably got interested when the Gap commercial hit," Kirchner said. "Also, my grandpa was in a swing band so I kind of grew up with it."

"We all were associated with the ballroom club when we started. Our style draws more from individual creativity. We allow more creativity (than ballroom), but we also teach individual dances; we have a guy that teaches tap dancing, etc."

Natalie Anderson, a senior in the School of Science and treasurer for Night Train, said the best part about the club is that members can meet other people that share their dance interests.

"One nice thing is that you meet a lot of cool people everywhere you go," Anderson said. "It's such an underground thing that you only meet people that are really into it."

Josh Borneman, a junior in the School of Science and webmaster for the club, said some serious dancers even dress up in vintage swing era clothes to enhance the experience.

Night Train boasts over 300 active members since its formation in the fall of 1999. The club focuses mainly on swing era dances like the Lindy Hop and East Coast Swing.

It was the informal atmosphere that Anderson said attracted her to the club. "I joined ballroom to learn how to swing dance, but later switched to Night Train," Anderson said. "It's really, really addictive."

•The Purdue Jazz Bands Speakeasy Swing Rave is being held from 7:30 p.m. to 10 p.m. tonight at Elliott Hall of Music. Admission is free and open to the public.

•The Boiler Swing Bash swing dance workshops will be held from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. tomorrow in Stewart Center ballrooms 302 and 306.

•For more information about the workshops or about the Purdue Night Train swing dance club, please refer to the Night Train website at http://expert.cc.purdue.edu/~nghtrain

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