As Semisonic’s “Closing Time” filled the top floor of the Moose Lodge, dancers slowly drifted back to the center of the room for the last song at Swing Devils of the Palouse’s Newbie Night. A large crowd stuck around until the end, rock-stepping and inside-turning like a scene from a 1940s dance hall.
The Swing Devils of the Palouse is a local nonprofit swing club that hosts weekly East Coast swing dances Thursday nights at the Moose Lodge and on the second Friday of every month at Daily Grind Espresso in Pullman. The club operates primarily during the school year.
Kieran Dong | Argonaut
Beginning with a brief lesson on the basics at 8 p.m., the dances usually last until 11 or 11:30 p.m. The cost per dancer is $5, but the Swing Devils waive admission costs for dancers who come for the lesson at their Newbie Nights.
This semester, new dancers came from both the University of Idaho and Washington State University as well as from surrounding communities. Crossing boundaries of school, age and experience, the dancers at Newbie Night found common ground in the joys of social dancing.
Savanna Allen, a UI senior and experienced swing dancer, said she remembers being skeptical about attending her first dance last year.
“My friends had been trying to convince me to come for a while,” she said. “They were very persistent, but now I’m definitely thankful for it!”
Allen was not alone in her skepticism. Pushing through the awkwardness of learning to dance can be a huge barrier for newbies. Members of the Swing Devils attempt to overcome this initial hesitation by offering beginner lessons at the start of every dance and by mixing in familiar contemporary music alongside more traditional swing numbers.
One Swing Devils success story is the current president, UI senior Kelsey Stevenson. She said she remembers seeing a flier for Newbie Night her freshman year and being immediately pulled in.
“It can be especially awesome for freshmen to have this kind of community,” Stevenson said.
Stevenson said she found her people through swing dancing, and met many of her closest friends because of her involvement with the Swing Devils.
Michael Noel, vice president of the Swing Devils, is another firm believer in the power of swing dancing.
“(Swing dancing) is good for introverts because it’s a semi-structured social environment,” Noel said.
Noel said his involvement in dancing improved both his social skills and his personal fitness.
He said students who are on the fence about attending the dances should talk to someone on the Swing Devils Board.
“We all carry around free passes, so people can try it with nothing to lose,” Noel said. “At worst, you just get a few hours of free cardio.”
The Swing Devils can be reached online via their Facebook page @swingdevils.
Beth Hoots can be reached at [email protected]