Syracuse Swing Connection organized its monthly dance event around Go Red for Women, a campaign by the American Heart Association to raise awareness of cardiovascular disease in women in honor of February being American Heart Month.

The dance organization, along with Syracuse Tango, said it welcomes residents from all walks of life to learn and practice popular styles of dance for weekly lessons and practices. Both groups give participants the opportunity to engage in physical activity and meet new people.

Syracuse Swing Connection began as the Salt City Sock Hop in fall 2017. Mat Morse, an instructor at Syracuse Swing Connection, said in a Facebook direct message to The Daily Orange that the group fulfilled a need for East Coast swing dance in Syracuse and holds lessons, social dances and special events for Lindy Hop, blues, Balboa and swing dance.

The group plans to continue combining dance and service in the future.

“One of our goals moving into 2020 is to collaborate more with local organizations and charities,” said Amy Wedel, another instructor at Syracuse Swing Connection, in a Facebook direct message.

Alyssa Kess, a student at SUNY-ESF, has been a member of Syracuse Swing Connection for three years. She is a ballroom dancer who competes with the Syracuse University team. Kess said she heard about Syracuse Swing Connection from a friend who teaches there. She had a fun and empowering experience, where she felt energized and met a lot of people, she said.

Getting involved with Syracuse Swing Connection encouraged Kess to explore a type of dance called Lindy Hop.

“I already had an interest in jazz, and because Lindy Hop began in African American communities, I wanted to immerse myself in a piece of my culture,” Kess said.

The Lindy Hop is a variation of swing dance that originated in Harlem around 1928 after Charles Lindbergh flew across the Atlantic, according to The Guardian. The partner dance often features intricate footwork as well as aerial moves such as backflips.

“There is one warning I want to throw out there about Lindy Hop, though,” Kess said. “It is rough on the knees.”

Meanwhile, Syracuse Tango offers an opportunity to practice a specific style of tango called Argentine tango. This style relies on improvisation, and participants time their movements to the rhythm of the music.

The group welcomes participants from a wide range of ages and geography. The youngest participants are college students while the oldest are around 70 years old, said Mahesh Gandikota, an officer of the club. Visitors have come from other cities such as Utica, Rochester and Ithaca as well.

Syracuse Tango existed before becoming a registered student organization at Syracuse University three years ago. On campus, the club is also called the Argentine Tango Club. Many college students attend the weekly practices in Skybarn, held on Tuesdays this semester.

Gandikota said he started attending Syracuse Tango events because he wanted to learn how to dance and previously did not have an opportunity to do so. The organization allowed him to practice each week and learn how to dance at no cost, he said.

Although learning to dance was initially challenging for Gandikota, he said his posture improved as he continued to attend practices. He added that attendance has increased lately, and Gandikota thinks the group is a popular choice because participants don’t need to bring a partner to the practices.

“My first time coming here, it was a challenge to learn to dance,” Gandikota said. “But everyone was friendly, and I met people from all over.”

Published on February 25, 2020 at 11:20 pm