Swinging Tuesday nights away at St. Olaf - St. Olaf College

Swinging Tuesday nights away at St. Olaf

By Mara Kumagai Fink '11
March 3, 2010

With an annual event that attracts more than 200 students for more than 15 hours of swing dancing, it’s hard to believe that only 50 years ago this kind of dancing was prohibited at St. Olaf.

Called “the work of the devil” until 1961, any kind of dancing besides traditional Norwegian folk was a violation of the college’s rules. But today dancing abounds on campus with at least three clubs devoted to the activity, not to mention numerous dance-related events -- one of which is the St. Olaf Swing Club.

The recently held St. Olaf Lindy Fest is the swing club’s biggest annual event on campus. Each year the affair attracts hundreds of students, including some 100 people from 11 schools across the state and as far away as Nebraska. The group also flies in instructors from across the country for the weekend-long dance extravaganza. Although this is its biggest event, swing club meets throughout the entire academic year.

The Swing Club hosts classes from 9-11 p.m. every Tuesday in Dittmann Center Studio One. Usually attracting 40-50 people weekly, the group, started in 1996 by Kyle Carson ’00 and Karina Shankle ’98, has become one of the more popular clubs on campus.

St. Olaf Swing Club President Becca Grupe ’10, says she thinks that this popularity is due to the open and inviting environment that swing club provides.

“There's a lot of energy in the dance itself and for many of us, that energy has filtered into our lives as well. When people see that energy out on the dance floor, there's something very appealing about the freedom of movement and the passion that fills swing dancers -- as well as the fact that we're willing to make fools of ourselves together,” she says.

The Tuesday evening classes include a formal class taught by the swing club officers from 9-10 p.m., followed by an hour of free dance for students to practice their newly acquired skills.

For swing dance club regular Kim Hotchkiss ’11, the Tuesday night ritual is a great way to meet other students and serves as a tension release after a long day of classes and homework.

“It’s a very fun, active club,” she says. “It’s also a safe environment to try something crazy and silly and maybe a little uncomfortable; but you can just laugh about it and have fun.”

Read more about how St. Olaf swings in the winter 2007 St. Olaf Magazine.

Contact David Gonnerman at 507-786-3315 or gonnermd@stolaf.edu.

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