Say you are a hepcat out looking for a place to jump, jive, and meet some ripe tomatoes. Or maybe you want to show off what a righteous rug cutter you are. What are you going to do knowing that Sacramento is bombsville when it comes to anything copacetic and hip? Perhaps you are just a little bit square and have no idea what that last sentence said, but still love the music. Either way, swing is a hot trend, and definitely worth checking out.

Swing music is a unique blend of jazz, blues, rockabilly, and pop. It has its origins in 1930’s Harlem and was the hot dance craze through the 40’s. The phrase swing dancing loosely defines a number of partner dances that include the jitterbug, lindy hop, and fox trot, as well as a number of flips, turns, and lifts.

While the styles of music, dance, and clothing commonly associated with swing never truly died out, they are once again growing in popularity. Everywhere from San Francisco to Austin the under-forty crowd are donning their zoot suits, flowing dresses, wallet chains and shiny shoes, and stepping out on the dance floor.

The resurgence of the swing movement has been brought about primarily by the efforts of bands like The Royal Crown Revue, Big Bad Voodoo Daddy, and Lee Press-on and the Nails, who have played show after show since the early 80’s. Yet it wasn’t until the mid-90’s that swing bands started to gain attention. Clubs started offering dance lessons, as well as providing a venue for swing bands to play. MTV and alternative radio stations began to play such bands as the Cherry Poppin’ Daddies, Big Bad Voodoo Daddy, and the Brian Setzer Orchestra, and prominent companies such as the Gap and Coca-Cola have recently featured swing in their ads.

"It looks to me like swing is back and won’t be slowing down anytime in the near future," says senior Ellen Walrath.

The swing scene has even reached the sleepy city of Sacramento. Unfortunately for the high school crowd, most of the swing venues are twenty-one and over. However, there are some all-ages venues available. The Ballroom, on Folsom Boulevard, offers both East Coast and West Coast swing lessons. (East Coast swing is based in six beats, West Coast in eight.) The cost ranges from about ten to fifteen dollars. Friday and Saturday nights are all-ages swing night at The Marquis (7225 Florin Mall Drive), with a cover charge of only five dollars. East coast swing lessons start at 8 PM, and dancing lasts until the wee hours of the morning.

If you are really not into the club scene, there are other options available. Park Swing is an event that happens every Sunday in St. Rose of Lima Park at 7th and K. The Park Swing group brings their own music and gets together to practice their dance moves, without the pressures of the club scene. You can also go see one of the several local bands, such as Dutch Falconi and his Twisted Orchestra, The Chrome Addicts, and Little Charlie and the Nightcats. All three bands offer a jumpin’ good time for their audiences, and great dancing.