The Swing Book (29 page)
Authors: Degen Pener
Because so much was produced, vintage necklaces, pins, bracelets, and button earrings are readily available and not that expensive.
The easiest colors to find are orange, green, red, black, brown, and yellow, while purple, blue, and pink are more rare. The
plastic can be clear, tortoise, or opaque, smooth, or carved. Bakelite is the simplest, cheapest way of completing a retro
look.
Perfume:
Wear Chanel No. 5 to bed as Marilyn Monroe did. But to go to the nightclub, think about a forties scent like Fracas or Jungle
Gardenia. Now that’s attention to retro details.
The Bobby-Soxer
Socks:
The classic still remains bobby socks. Slip on a pair with some saddle shoes and imagine swooning over a fresh-faced, bow-tied
Frank Sinatra.
Suits:
Suits are generally better for posing, not for dancing. But nothing beats looking like Rosalind Russell in
His Girl Friday.
Look for a suit in a fine wool with a short jacket that boasts sexy peplums (that’s the slightly flared part at the bottom
of the coat). And scream for joy if you happen across a reasonably priced Lilli Ann, a San Francisco label that began production
in 1933. The most coveted vintage brand out there, Lilli Ann suits can go for between two hundred and four hundred dollars.
A hat, gloves, and a snood complete this great look.
Undergarments:
Get ready to unleash the exhibitionist within. One of the most fun parts of swing dancing can be showing off a chic or shocking
item of lingerie. In fact, that’s one reason to find a skirt that really twirls. For a basic outfit, consider wearing a pair
of vintage seamed stockings (dead-stock is still fairly easy to find) with a garter belt, or a girdle with garter straps.
“It all depends on whether you want to show your knickers or not. The more modest girl might wear a slip,” says Annamarie
Firley of Revamp (which, under the label Dark Garden, makes innovative garter belts with two extra straps to help hold up
the stockings of even the most athletic dancers). But even if you don’t want to show off, it’s fun “dressing vintage inside
and out,” adds Firley.
Other possibilities include tap pants, flouncy crinolines, fishnets, and fifties Betty Page-style bullet bras. At the wild
and popular Monsters of Swing camp in Ventura every spring, styles get even more outrageous. The brashest women have brought
down the house wearing leopard garters, panties with shiny blue polka dots, and once even a pair that read “Hi, Lee,” a surprise
message for festival organizer Lee Moore of the Flyin’ Lindy Hoppers.
Hollywood-style dancers and instructors Sylvia Skylar and Erik Robison at Swing Dance Catalina.
(L
ISA
C. B
OREL
)
A night on the Town: The City-by-City Guide
F
rom the local club to far-flung spots from Sweden to Singapore, swing is everywhere. Arranged alphabetically by state, followed
by international entries, here’s the most comprehensive list so far of where the coolest places are to dance and hang out
with fellow Lindy fans, who the swing dance teachers are in your city (instructors will often have varying specialties; make
sure to inquire before you sign up for a class), plus which Web pages to check for the most up-to-date listings of area swing
events. (My apologies to those clubs and instructors who aren’t on the list. In some cases, clubs have been selected based
on longevity and popularity. For certain cities, just a Web site is listed.)
Before heading out to a club, it’s recommended that you call ahead. Nights and locations change. (Bars also aren’t always
consistent about supporting swing nights since dancers don’t drink very much.) Better yet, check those Web pages religiously.
If you give them your e-mail address, the most organized sites will send out weekly notices detailing upcoming swing events.
Keep on swinging!
ARIZONA
Phoenix-Scottsdale Area
NIGHTSPOTS
Backstage
7373 Scottsdale Mall
Scottsdale
602-949-1697
Call for details
The Bash
230 Fifth Street at Ash
Tempe
602-966-8200
Swing three nights a week, with a DJ on Tuesdays, live music on Thursdays and Saturdays
Bobby McGee’s
7000 East Shea
Scottsdale
602-998-5591
Lessons and DJ on Tuesdays
The Rhythm Room
1019 East Indian School Road
Phoenix
602-265-4842
Long-running swing events; call for nights
Rockin’ Horse
7136 East Stetson
Scottsdale
602-949-0992
Live music and lessons Wednesday through Saturday, age 18+
Steve Conrad, cofounder of the Arizona Lindy Hop Society, and Aaryn Green
888-494-8932 (within Arizona)
Paul Maranto, cofounder of the Arizona Lindy Hop Society, and Kristi Bullock
602-222-9493
Homepage of the Arizona Lindy Hop
Society, with statewide listings
Paul Maranto’s Web site on the swing
scene in the Phoenix area
Steve Conrad’s Web site for Lindy events
Tucson
Club Congress
311 East Congress
520-622-8848
Books live bands; call for nights
Rialto Theater
318 East Congress
520-740-0126
Books swing bands approximately once a month
Irene Stojanov and Brian Fabig
602-263-7553
West Coast swing site also provides info on Lindy in the area
CALIFORNIA
Fresno
Guides to events in the Fresno area
Los Angeles Area
Bobby McGee’s
200 South State College Boulevard
Brea
714-529-1998
Great old-timers and youngsters mixer
with DJ music; call for nights
Carillo Recreation Center
100 East Carrillo
Santa Barbara
805-569-1952
Thrown by renowned instructors Jonathan Bixby and Sylvia Sykes, this dance is held every first and third Friday of the month
(with free lesson)
Coconut Club
Beverly Hilton
9876 Wilshire Boulevard
310-285-1358
Great bands and dancing on Saturdays
Conga Room
5364 Wilshire Boulevard
323-656-8363
(Swing Set hotline)
Heidi Richman’s Wednesday-night Swing Set dance
The Derby
4500 Los Feliz Boulevard
323-663-8979
LA’s premier swing nightclub offers live music every night of the week in the gorgeous building once occupied by the famous
Brown Derby
