Local swing dancing rocks VC Campus

At 8 p.m. last Wednesday, I decided to make the trek across campus to the Aula and find out what PoTown Swing—a swing dancing club hosted at the Aula every Wednesday—was all about. PoTown Swing was founded in 2007 by Glenn Katzen, who began swing dancing as a student at the Rochester Institute of Technology. "I wanted to try something different, something that was not related to the technical world. Also this was an opportunity to meet new people," said Katzen.

So when Katzen moved to Pougkeepsie to pursue a job at IBM, he missed swing dancing and decided to start PoTown Swing. "A lot of technical people are inclined to music and I had an attraction to the dance itself, because the atmosphere facilitates and encourages people to meet each other and interact," he said.

In the summer of 2007, PoTown Swing began at a café called the Muddy Cup on Main Street, Poughkeepsie. People from all over Poughkeepsie or nearby would gather there to unwind after a busy week and try their hand at swing dancing. PoTown Swing came to Vassar in 2009, when the Muddy Cup closed. With the assistance of a Vassar administrator who frequented PoTown Swing at the Muddy Cup, Katzen began to utilize the Aula on the Vassar campus to host the event.

"The space is unbeatable, there is nothing like it," said Katzen about the Aula. Besides being spacious, the Aula also opens up PoTown Swing to members of the Vassar community. "Vassar students don't leave campus that often, but there are so many talented dancers here. PoTown Swing gives them the chance to learn and have fun in a unique and truly social environment."

Much to my surprise, by the time we were done talking, the Aula was packed with people. It was, after all, the first day of classes and surely everyone was still in break mode. Yet many students were willing to trudge over to the Aula in the middle of this freezing night. Enthusiastic dancers from Poughkeepsie and Vassar were all there and ready to start dancing.

President of Vassar's Ballroom Dancing Club Mrinmayee Patil '12 is a weekly fixture at PoTown Swing. "Coming to PoTown Swing is like stress relief to me. It's fun, almost like playtime for adults. I don't know why I love it, just that I do. I can't imagine not coming here once a week," said Patil.

Patil emphasized how this is the perfect avenue for a beginner. "This is such a supportive group of people. You don't have to worry about making a fool out of yourself. Also once you master the basic step, it's hard to go wrong, which is what makes beginners stick with it," said Patil.

PoTown Swing and Vassar Ballroom Dancing Club collaborate in numerous ways. The Ballroom Club helps Katzen reserve spaces and throw joint events. Katzen offers a connection to the larger community. Last April, PoTown Swing had an ensemble called the Big Blue Band come and play for their dancers. And for a club with a small budget, it is amazing that Vassar Ballroom can have dancers as skilled as Katzen come and teach a few classes. While the class is great for beginners it also has a considerable number of advanced dancers who are happy to share their expertise.

"This is something that is open to dancers of all levels of expertise: All you need to do is come," said Patil.

Katzen leads the class with a 30 minute beginner lesson. As he teaches everyone the basic steps, he insists that people move around and switch partners so they can meet as many new people as possible.

"Don't say no when someone asks you to dance, be nice," said Katzen as he began his lesson. For the next half an hour, an even split of Vassar students and Poughkeepsie residents mixed and mingled. "I really wouldn't have it any other way because this [mixing] helps us keep a lot of the flair we get here," said Patil.

When I switched partners, I met Josh Gilbert, an IBM employee who is trying his hand at swing dancing for the first time. "My girlfriend does this professionally, and I know next to nothing about it. This seems to be a fun way to learn," he said, as we tried not to step on each others' toes and grasp the nuances of the novel dance. Katzen was reassuring. "The best part about swing of course is that once you master the fairly simple basics, there is so much you can do from there," said Katzen.

The most impressive thing about PoTown Swing is that by 9 p.m., while I scribble in my notebook, almost everyone else continues to dance the night away. Constant laughter and the buzz of conversation intersperses the dancing as Poughkeepsie residents and Vassar students alike converse and get to know each other through their shared joy of dancing.

"You just need to come ready to dance, smile and be fearless," said Patil.