Sheila SobchikThe Cal Poly Swing Club is going to be “Swingin’ in the Rain” this weekend at the second annual San Luis Obispo Lindy Exchange. The exchange is a three-day event jam packed with dancing, competitions and bands from all over the country Friday through Sunday.
The main event is a 1920s movie premiere theme dance called “Swingin’ in the Rain” on Saturday from 9 p.m. to 4 a.m. in Chumash Auditorium.
“The best day for the general public to show up to is be Saturday night, ‘Swinging in the Rain’, because not only is it fantastic music, but it is also going to be a lot of fun to watch,” microbiology senior Krystal White said.
Saturday night will boast the biggest band of the weekend, the Darrell Vos Trio, and will also have a performance and three contests: Jack and Jill, the solo Charleston and best trick.
“If you’re not a big dancer, there is going to be a free lesson incorporated in the price. You’ll learn how to dance, have fun with everybody and still be able to dress up and enjoy going out,” White said.
Lindy exchanges, most often put on in major cities, attract dance lovers from around the world almost every weekend. The San Luis Obispo Lindy Exchange is unique in its small size, but still intends to have over 200 participants from around the nation.
“It’s very different from other exchanges. We’re all full-time students, some with jobs. This is something we do in our spare time for fun, so we try to make it really original and a lot of fun,” said horticulture senior and Cal Poly Swing Club president Kim Daum.
Last year’s inaugural exchange was inspired when the swing club put on a three-day event instead of their usual end of the year dance in memory of two friends who were killed in a car accident.
“We got a bit of a reputation last year for being very friendly and a lot of fun so, we wanted to keep that going and make the event even bigger,” White said.
“We decided we were going to put the exchange on again, but we wanted more bands, we wanted more people to come, and we wanted more dancing in general. That’s how it grew to be what we have now, and it will probably be even bigger next year.”
This year’s festivities aren’t exclusive to Saturday night – on Friday night, there will be dancing at the Dance Pavilion in Five Cities; Saturday there will be an afternoon of fun and games in Mitchell Park in San Luis Obispo; and Sunday there will be a local band at Mother’s Tavern and dancing at the American Dance Studio in San Luis Obispo.
You can register for the entire weekend for $50 or pay event by event, where the price ranges from $3 to $20. For more information on this weekend’s events and venues, check out www.sloswing.com/slx.