IU Swing Dance club collaborates with Windfall Dance Studio

The only requirement: “Dress to impress.”

The IU Swing Dance Club and interested community members put their dancing shoes to work Saturday night as part of the club’s Summer Fancy Dance.

The Windfall Dance Studio on North Dunn Avenue provided the venue for the free event, and anyone interested was welcome to participate regardless of age, club membership or skill level.

Club member Natalie Rodibaugh led a solo dance in the event’s first half-hour section.

She taught a prepared choreographed swing routine to “S’posin” by Jon Tigert and promoted being “silly” with the dance moves.

The dance routine served as practice for a larger event called “Swing, IN,” held in Indianapolis during Labor Day weekend.

Rodibaugh said “Swing, IN” brings the dance community together from various locations. Each region learns a piece of the whole dance.

The second part consisted of social partner dancing. Without instruction, participants danced to jazz music with their own swing styles, constantly changing dance partners.

Jennifer Trueblood, president of the IU Swing Dance Club, said the group is meant to be social.

“(The goal is) just to have a good time,” Trueblood said. “It’s a nice way to exercise, meet  people, hang out.”

The club is offered through RecSports and meets every Monday in the Indiana Memorial Union with monthly weekend social dances. This particular dance is the only one in the summer.

Lessons are available to both beginners and intermediates, with intermediates encouraged to stay for the beginners’ instruction.

“(It) helps people to get to know people that have been in the club and gives them the chance to dance with more advanced dancers,” Trueblood said. “We’re trying to make sure there’s not a real big division between the dancers. We want everybody to enjoy it and have a good time.”

For the first few lessons, the club teaches East Coast swing, and participants can learn the more difficult Lindy Hop during the last five or six weeks.

Levi Brown, a two-year IU Swing Club member, said he started out as a complete beginner with no dance background. Now he describes himself as “an honest intermediate.”

“I’m addicted,” Brown said. “Around Christmas there’s a week without dance, and you’re just kind of like, ‘Oh man, I need my fix.’”

He said he enjoys the activity itself and the friends he has made since joining the club.

“It’s a lot more interesting than getting together with friends and going to the bar and having a couple drinks,” Brown said. “You’re actually doing something, and you feel good afterwards.”

Dianne Shewmaker has been in the club for at least 15 years. Because she did not grow up dancing, Shewmaker started her dancing career with aerobics. Though she still does Jazzercise and aerobics, she said swing dancing is now her passion.

“I really truly think it keeps me young,” Shewmaker said. “I know I have the energy and the stamina of any 20 to 30 guy around, and I love to dance. ... It’s because all these years you really build up stamina. It’s just so good for you mentally as well as physically. I always say it’s better than any anti-depressant that you could take.”