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Arts & Entertainment

College Park American Legion Hosts Swing Dance Party

Post 217 event draws roughly 100 people for recreation board's summer kickoff.

Walking into the American Legion in College Park Saturday evening was like stepping back in time.

The big band Blue Sky 5 blasted 1940s-era tunes; swing dancers rock stepped across the dance floor; and the colors red, white and blue stood in sharp relief against the wood paneled walls and twinkling white lights.

The College Park Recreation Board hosted the event “Swing into Summer, by going back to World War II!” which was free and open to the public. Dancers and party-goers were encouraged to dress in 1940s-style clothing—and many of them were decked out in their fancy best.

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The event was the brainchild of 16-year-old Caitlyn Hutchison of College Park, whose family have been members of the American Legion Post for generations. “I enjoy dancing and I thought it would be a fun activity for everyone,” she said.

The evening started with free lindy hop lessons through instructors from The Jam Cellar, which also holds a Tuesday night dance party in Washington, D.C.

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Kelly Pavao and Curtis Breitenlohner, who both live in Washington, D.C., taught individuals and couples the basics of the triple step lindy hop. Leaders (some of whom were women who had led before) rotated around a circle to provide different partnering arrangements.

Pavao, who has been an instructor since 2009, said every group class is different. “Being a good instructor is about adapting to the group that you have,” she said.

Swing dancing is one of those dances with a diverse range of participants, said Sharon Scates, who saw the flyer for the party and made her way to College Park from her home in Bowie.

“It’s so interesting because you have the really, really old and the really, really young,” said Scates, whose late husband Jack was a dance instructor for 18 years at what is now Studio Gemini in Beltsville. “It’s all about foot speed.”

Krunal Waghela started swing dancing nearly three years ago while he was a master’s student in Missouri. He started by taking lessons at his university’s recreation department. Both Scates and Waghela said it’s rare to have a free dancing event.

“Before I started swing dancing, I thought I could never dance,” said Waghela, who is from Manassas, VA. “It’s really good to have something like this.”

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