Charger Features
Jumping and jiving: Swing dancing at Wooly Bully'sGrant Beaty, Charger Staff Every Tuesday night Wooly Bully’s, a local restaurant and bar, offers free swing dance lessons at 7:30. The idea is to promote swing dancing in Cookeville, a dance form which has been around since contemporary jazz was introduced in the 1920’s. People who danced in the Savoy ballroom, a popular dance spot with a block long dance floor, discovered the Charleston and the Lindy Hop, which were the first forms of swing dancing. These dances later led to the creation of spin-off dances such as the jitterbug. Many people objected to these dances because of their roots and the racial stereotype on the people who enjoyed them. Many did not expect swing dancing to last very long. By 1936, however, swing dancing started becoming popular. “Swing dancing is fun, exciting, and anybody can do it,” said Sarah Zitting a swinger of six months. She and many others go to Wooly Bully’s to learn how to swing dance. Anthony Summerlin, who has been swing dancing for six years, teaches the free lessons. “It’s somewhere to come and have fun without hanging out in a parking lot,” said Summerlin. CHS students who attend these lessons love the atmosphere. “It’s a great way to have fun and meet new people,” said Brandon Riches who has been swing dancing for eight months and is performing his swing skills in a talent show in Las Vegas this September. ‘”I like the chance to learn a new skill in a relaxed environment,” said Kristen Palmer, a swinger of six months and a regular at Wooly Bully’s. Cookeville Swing Society is also available for those who enjoy
swing dancing and would like to support swing dancing in Cookeville.
Membership costs twenty-five dollars and members receive a free
t-shirt, discount to dances, entrance into exclusive dances, voting
rights at CSS meetings, and discounts to dance workshops. All the
funds will go to organizing dances in Cookeville and hiring jazz
bands. |