Fitness Roadtest: Swing Dancing with Savoy Dance
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You would think that having tried such a vast array of road tests I would have learned to check my expectations at the door. But, no. Call it an active imagination or maybe just plain old human nature, I always seem to formulate some kind of picture of how I imagine an activity will be.
Savoy Dance was no exception. Named after the famous Savoy Ballroom in Harlem and teaching swing dancing, I imagined rows of couples that had signed up together, having to awkwardly trying to catch up on choreography that everyone else already knew, and basically having no idea at all what I was doing. In a nutshell, I was a little bit scared.
Well, the Beginner Bites class at 6.15pm last Wednesday night blew my expectations out of the water. I walked in the Griffin Centre, smack back in the middle of the city, and was relieved to see a wide range of people – some of whom looked just as nervous as me! While there were a few couples, I spotted a couple of single people and breathed a sigh of relief. After meeting the smiling and friendly instructors Cathy and Adam, I knew I had nothing to be afraid of.
Cathie is such a lovely instructor. Not only is it a genuine pleasure to watch her dance but she has such a beautiful smile and gentle kindness that you feel automatically welcome and relaxed. She’s been swing dancing since 2003.
“It was a fantastic way to meet people, keep fit and make new friends. I’ve never looked back!” Cathie says.
You can tell she knows this style back to front, from its history right down to every last step. She’s taught different dance styles all around the country and as a competitor has won a line up of titles. She’s even made it to the top 100 of So You Think You Can Dance and has been on both Dancing with the Stars and Underbelly Razor. It’s very clear that Cathie not only enjoys dancing, but she loves teaching and really wants to be there to share her passion.
Cathie started Savoy Dance this year, naming it after The Savoy Ballroom, “an incredible humming and happy place in Harlem New York, which thrived back in the 1930s,” Cathie explains. “People, regardless of race, age, or ability were all welcome to come together there and dance.”
In 2014, Cathie visited the site where the ballroom once stood and says, “the values behind The Savoy were something that resonated strongly with me, and I am excited to be re-creating on a tiny scale the same welcoming community to Canberrans.”
The really fantastic thing about Savoy Dance, in my opinion, is that they offer drop in classes. That means that the beginner classes offer completely fresh content every week. In other words, everyone is a beginner and nobody knows the dance that you’re about to learn. This was a big relief to me as while I consider myself a fast learner at most things, dancing is not one of them. Drop in classes are the perfect non-intimidating environment for beginners to come along and give swing dancing a go.
So, no experience necessary. I breathed a sigh of relief. The other source of comfort came when Cathie informed me that there’s no partner necessary for these classes. I was a bit nervous that this would mean I would find myself cheek to cheek with a complete stranger for the evening, but once again I was wrong.
After a brief introduction, we all lined up and were told we’d be dancing a group Charlston. This means that in line formation, the group performs the same dance. This was probably my favourite part of the class, as the basic Charleston is an easy little routine to remember that’s lots of fun. Because you’re doing it at quite a fast pace, you’re stepping around quickly and getting your heart rate up. It’s hard to notice how puffed you’re getting though when you’re: a) trying to remember the steps; and b) getting lost in the upbeat music and enjoying yourself.
Just when I was feeling like I’d mastered this little routine, Cathie and Adam threw in some extra moves: four to be exact. There were hand signals for when we’d perform each move but they were to be incorporated into the dance at random, when signalled by the instructor. This presented an additional challenge and an element of surprise. The laid-back environment means that if you forget what you’re doing or miss a step, you just keep dancing and it’s no drama. The instructors also get the participants to cycle from the front to the back of the class so everyone gets an opportunity to dance in the spotlight (so no hiding up the back!).
Next, we were introduced to an 8 beat Lindy Hop, a bouncy and energetic dance is performed with a partner. However, Cathie and Adam get everyone to rotate every few minutes so that as you’re learning the dance, you get a new partner to dance with. This is such a beautiful element of the class because it makes it really social, as you’re constantly meeting new people, and it also is a great way to quickly learn the dance as you adjust and reset with every rotation. It also meant that I stepped on the toes of just about every male in the room (sorry, guys!).
Again, it was a relatively easy dance to learn, with quick steps and turns. The bonus of being a lady in the class is that the men lead, so you’re constantly guided by your partners hand on your back. This makes the whole dance a lot easier, particularly if, like me, you consistently forget which way you’re turning.
Set to the smooth sound of Michael Bublé, we danced like this for the rest of the class: laughing, learning and having a really good time.
I really rate this class. In fact, if you’re looking to try something new and to meet new people, this is the perfect activity for you. It’s non-intimidating, fun and really friendly – and a surprisingly good workout! You can drop in any time with no experience necessarily. While I tried the class as a single person, it’s also perfect for partners. Whether you’re looking for a weeknight hobby, a new skill to learn as a couple or perhaps a dance for your wedding, you’ll have a ball.
The essentials
What: Savoy Dance
Where: Classes run from the Griffin Centre and at the ANU Sport Union
When: Wednesday evenings at the Griffin Centre; Saturday afternoons at ANU
How much: $15 at the door ($11 for seniors or students) or a 6 class pass for $80 ($55 for seniors or students)
Website: www.savoydance.com.au
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