Swing It! Forget Moshing And Thrashing And Start Swinging With The Hippest Dance Step Your Daddy Ever Knew

There’s the West Coast swing, the East Coast swing, the lindy, the push, the shag, the jitterbug, the jive and the Tulsa whip.

If you can master these moves, it’s time to get the look.

Grab a zoot suit and a fedora hat. Pinstripes are good. Two-tone wingtip shoes - all the better. Ladies, grab yourself a fine little cocktail dress and sweep your hair up like the Andrews Sisters.

And here’s a martini.

Cheers. You’ve now joined the swing nation.

And it’s about time, too, because in case you haven’t noticed, the swing movement has been jitterbugging its way up the West Coast - and across the country - for the past several years. And now, baby, it’s getting big - really big.

This weekend Spokane gets a full dose of the swing craze.

World-class dance instructor and choreographer Buddy Schwimmer will be on foot at Avalon Dance Studio Saturday and Sunday to teach folks to swing the way it was meant to be done.

And on Saturday night the Northwest’s powerhouse swing/ska/rock band The Cherry Poppin’ Daddies headline an all-ages show at the dance studio (also known as Area 51).

Swing bands, swing dancing, swing clubs - it’s the latest and hippest alternative to … well … what used to be known as alternative (think flannel and moshing.)

Dance classes around the country - and in Spokane - are filling up with people of all ages wanting to try their hand … er … feet at the lindy hop. Meanwhile bands like the Royal Crown Revue and Big Bad Voodoo Daddy are leading the charge with a passel of followers bent on cranking out jumping tunes to dip, twirl and twist to.

In San Francisco, L.A., and many big cities, dancers dressed to the nines in retro finery who can shake it in style pack swank nightspots.

But don’t get the wrong idea, Mack. Although swing was popularized in the ‘30s and ‘40s, this here ain’t your grandpa’s scene.

“This stuff is very cutting edge and not the least bit interested in nostalgia,” says Michael Moss, publisher of Swing Time Magazine, based in San Francisco. “It’s incorporating elements from other eras and bringing it all into the ‘90s and putting a ‘90s twist on it.”

Swing began its rebirth about seven years ago in the heart of San Francisco.

“A bunch of kids kind of got tired of rap and grunge and decided to do something different,” Moss says.

They decided to dress up and they decided to dance.

Since then swing shows have regularly sold out at San Francisco joints like Club Deluxe and Bimbo’s 365 and L.A. clubs like The Derby.

Last year’s hit film “Swingers” swaggered through that hipster world.

The swing dancing itself has caught on as a welcome change from the body thrashing that had been popular with much of the younger set in recent years.

“It puts couples back in touch with each other,” Moss says. “You have to hold hands, you have to hold each other. And that’s really exciting versus what we call the white man overbite - just sort of bobbing in place, standing around like a bunch of moose.”

Although twentysomethings make up the largest portion of folks frequenting the big clubs, one of the coolest aspects in the swing scene is the age diversity.

Howard Libes, manager for the Eugene-based Cherry Poppin’ Daddies, says the band sees everyone from kids with curfews to folks with hefty IRAs dancing at their shows.

And Glenn Braunstein, owner of Avalon Dance Studio in Spokane, says he’s noticed an increasing number of young people signing up for swing classes previously attended largely by older adults.

One class of 25 has only eight adults - the rest are teenagers. “We did this questionnaire and they wanted to do all the flips and drops and throwing the ladies in the air,” Braunstein says, pointing out that his classes steer clear of dangerous maneuvers.

Buddy Schwimmer has been teaching dance since 1968 and brings his expertise to Spokane this weekend. Take a close look at “American Graffiti” and you’ll find him among the fancy footers. He also helped choreograph the routines.

Based in California, he travels around the world nowadays and instructs champion dance competitors. Much of what he teaches he learned from watching the original stuff as performed by his parents.

“My parents used to dance competitively - they were jitterbug dancers,” the 48-year-old Schwimmer says. “My dad never got beat. He was the best swing dancer I ever saw.”

Schwimmer says the first thing he tries to teach is the origin of each dance. He also teaches what he calls the “why of dance.”

“You have to make sure that the dancer know what the dance is and what it’s all about,” he says.

His classes this weekend will offer instruction for both beginners and advanced dancers. Those just trying out the moves shouldn’t expect to jump right into the flashy stuff. And don’t worry about finding the appropriate swing-wear. Casual clothes will do just fine.

On Saturday night The Cherry Poppin’ Daddies will break out their ferocious swing hybrid for what promises to be a frenetic live show.

The Cherry Poppin’ Daddies exemplify the modern swing attitude.

While the ghosts of Cab Calloway and Duke Ellington can be heard in their music, a rawer element lurks there too, along with an intense lyricism that is purely modern.

This eight-piece band has deftly mixed swing with elements of punk and ska since their formation in the late 1980s. They boast a virgin-tight three-piece horn section and an intensely captivating front man. This is swing with punk passion, music in which tattoos and piercings are just as appropriate as double-breasted suits and sharp shoes.

Earlier this year the Daddies released an all-swing record after their fans showed increasing interest in the genre. Mojo Records quickly snapped up the resulting album, called “Zoot Suit Riot,” and signed up the band.

Spectacular swing moves - women spinning up into the air, dancers flipping over each other’s backs - are sprinkled through the Daddies’ new “Zoot Suit Riot” video. It was filmed at Cafe du Nord, a popular swing club in San Francisco and recently began appearing on MTV’s “120 Minutes” and on MTV2.

Despite the increasingly posh nature of the modern swing scene, Moss points out: “While the dress is part of the scene and so is the dancing, those are not the most important aspects. We just want people to enjoy it and get out there and have a good time.”

, DataTimes ILLUSTRATION: Photo

MEMO: This sidebar appeared with the story: SWINGING WEEKEND Cherry Poppin’ Daddies perform at Avalon Dance Studio/Area 51 Saturday with Let’s Go Bowling and Easy Big Fella. The show starts at 9 p.m. Cover is $10.

Dance classes with Buddy Schwimmer are as follows: Saturday 10 a.m.-11 a.m. - East Coast Swing 11 a.m.-12:15 p.m. - The Hustle 1:15-2:30 p.m. - Nightclub Two-Step 2:30-3:45 p.m. - beginning West Coast Swing 3:45-5 p.m. - East Coast Swing, shags and hot moves Sunday 10-11 a.m. - beginning East Coast Swing 11 a.m.-noon - beginning to intermediate West Coast Swing 1-2 p.m. - spins and turns 2-3 p.m. - hot shot swing class

Lessons cost $10 per class, $30 per day, or $50 for the entire weekend. Private lessons with Schwimmer are available for $85 per hour. Dance lessons are also regularly available through Avalon Dance Studio. Call 327-5254 for information.